Legendary record executive and co-founder of Sire Records Seymour Stein died Sunday in Los Angeles at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer.
Stein’s family confirmed his death in a statement. The talented executive played an integral role in launching the careers of Madonna and the Talking Heads, along with many other prominent chart-topping names of the music world, according to The New York Post. Stein founded the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and was himself inducted in 2005.
Seymour Stein, the esteemed music executive who co-founded Sire Records and played a pivotal role in signing legendary artists including Madonna and Talking Heads, as well as many others, has died at the age of 80: https://t.co/QshELAI9QQ pic.twitter.com/h3tZ0pSzkR
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) April 3, 2023
Stein was a powerhouse in the music world, and had an eye for talent. Sire became a hub that featured many successful artists and helped curate the careers of the Ramones, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Ice T, Replacements, Lou Reed and Brian Wilson, according to the CBC.
Stein heard Madonna’s demo tape in the early 1980s and immediately knew he wanted to work with her.
“I liked Madonna’s voice, I liked the feel, and I liked the name Madonna,” Stein said, according to The New York Post.
Seymour Stein, you will be greatly missed. You were always so gracious and supportive of the @RamonesOfficial, and to Johnny and @lindaramone. The Johnny Ramone Army sends its love to Mandy Stein and all of Seymour’s family at this sad time. Legends never die. 💕💕💕 pic.twitter.com/atPq34XozH
— Johnny Ramone (@johnnyramone) April 3, 2023
“I liked it all and played it again,” he wrote in his memoir “Siren Song,” according to The New York Post.
Stein had a natural knack for music and was obsessed with the Billboard music charts as a child. (RELATED: REPORT: ‘John Wick’ Actor Lance Reddick Dead At Age 60)
He was briefly married to record promoter and real estate executive Linda Adler and had two children, filmmaker Mandy Stein and Samantha Lee Jacobs. Jacobs died of brain cancer in 2013, according to The New York Post.
Messages of love and condolences for the talented record executive have been posted online.