R.I.P., JUSTIN FONTAINE

We were saddened to hear of the untimely death of veteran record executive Justin Fontaine. Tributes are pouring in from those who knew him.

Over the years, Fontaine was the Kansas City local for Capitol, a local for Geffen in Detroit, a Chicago local for Mercury and eventually VP of National Promotion for Capitol before spending 13 years at Hollywood Records, where he rose to SVP of Promotion. He left the label in 2013.

His legacy includes launching the musical careers of Demi Lovato, Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus, to name a few.

“Justin was an important contributor to the great turnaround of the Disney Music Group,” said former chairman Bob Cavallo. “He developed a highly effective promotion staff at a very difficult time in the marketplace. I enjoyed working with him. We became great friends.”

Fontaine’s music-industry story began in 1980 when he walked into a Detroit record store and asked if they had “I Got You” by Spilt Enz. They were so impressed by his musical curiosity that they gave him a job on the spot. That was the beginning of a career that lasted for decades.

Before joining Capitol in 2000, Fontaine spent five years as VP Promotion for the Sony/WORK Group in Los Angeles. Prior to that, he was Chrysalis Records’ National Director of Pop Promotion. He also handled regional promotion duties in the Midwest for Mercury Records.

P1 Media Group founder Ken Benson met Fontaine in 1990 when he was PD at WRQN and Fontaine was at Geffen. “I was immediately impressed by his passion for music, his integrity and his no-nonsense style," he said. "Our business relationship quickly turned into a friendship that lasted over 30 years.”

Fontaine never met a stranger, personally or professionally. His industry friends, whether in radio or records, became a family he'd hold tightly to his heart for the rest of his life.

“I considered Justin one of my very best friends,” said radio consultant/on-air personality Mark Todd. “But that wasn’t an anomaly among those of us he interacted with in radio. It’s interesting that while he remained in contact with his record-company peers, many of his ‘after retirement friends’ were actually from radio.”

In retirement, Fontaine continued to chase his dreams, riding motorcycles across the U.S. and Europe. An accomplished drummer—and a huge fan of Rush drummer Neil Peart, who was also a motorcyclist—he built his dream home in Montana and focused on improving his golf game.

“Like so many of us who knew Justin, we were introduced through music either on the radio or record side,” said Todd Cavanah, VP of Programming for CBS Radio. “Justin and I became great friends over the years as he'd stay with me at my vacation home on Flathead Lake in Montana. A few years later, he built his retirement home there and we became neighbors. He was at his happiest golfing, boating, riding jet skis, taking motorcycle trips and driving his Corvette around the lake. This is the Justin that I will always remember. This is a very sad day for all of us. I miss you, buddy.”

Said Tony Smith, who became friends with Fontaine in Detroit in the early ’80s when they both worked for Capitol, “I was lucky to later work with him at Mercury Records and then Hollywood Records, where he hired me. What I remember most about Justin was his tenacity in everything he did. The best times we had were always on the golf course. My family loved him, especially my sons, who had the chance to really get to know him (the hockey talk was common, with Red Wings vs. Devils). He was a very generous and caring person and had a quick wit. I will miss him greatly and always cherish the memories of the good times we had together.”

Said another friend from early in Fontaine’s career, Scott Jameson, whom he met in Kansas City and with whom he shared a love of golf, "In 1997 he was the best man at my wedding and would later visit often and hang out with our family. My young son Leo called him 'Uncle Justin.' I’m saddened beyond words."

Fontaine's widow, Kelly Edwards Fontaine, said, “Justin was my husband for 11 years and the love of my life for 14 years. We chased his dreams throughout his retirement, and there was nothing better than seeing him truly happy and thriving. Justin had the best smile, the silliest sense of humor, a sensitive heart and a passion for living life to its fullest. I’m so grateful for the years we had together, and I will miss him for the rest of my days.”