RIP, STU COHEN

We are sad to report that legendary Warner Bros. Records promo exec Stu Cohen died Monday after a battle with esophageal cancer. Cohen spent more than 26 years at the label, leading the promo teams in the 1990s.

The Senior VP of Promotions from 1992 to 1999, Cohen started in the label’s mailroom in 1973 and was eventually promoted to Director of Administration before moving into promotion in 1977 as a regional rep out of New York.

Cohen became National Director of Pop Radio in 1982 and was instrumental in launching the careers of Madonna and Prince, and worked with Van Halen, Rod Stewart, ZZ Top and others. After a stint as VP of Pop Radio, he was promoted to SVP of Promotion where he developed radio strategies for the company and ran a 50-person department. Cohen left the label amid a restructuring in 1999.

Cohen returned to the business in 2001 to help Japanese artist Yoshiki launch Extasy Records, becoming Marketing Director for Three Kings/High Valley Entertainment in 2004 and eventually forming his own consulting firm in 2009.