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Tom Corson
Born
Thomas Charles Corson

Seattle, Washington
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
Occupation(s)Record executive, co-chairman and COO of Warner Records
Years active1985-present
Board member ofInaugural chair, UCLA School of Music Business, board of advisors
TJ Martell Foundation
City of Hope Music and Entertainment Industry Executive Board
Websitewarnerrecords.com

Tom Corson is an American record executive. He is the co-chairman and chief operating officer of Warner Records, a position he has held since January 2018.[1] He was previously the president and chief operating officer of RCA Records.[2][3][4]

Early life and education

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Corson was born and grew up in Seattle, Washington. He moved to Los Angeles in 1978 to attend UCLA. He interned at IRS Records during his junior and senior year, and graduated from UCLA in 1982 with a BA in business/economics.[5]

Career

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1985-1990: IRS Records, A&M Records

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Following his graduation, IRS hired Corson as director of West Coast sales; in 1985, he was named director of West Coast promotion.[6] At IRS—a "giant of the post-punk era"—he worked with artists including the Go Go's, R.E.M., the English Beat and General Public.[7][8] In 1985, Corson moved to A&M Records to become the executive assistant to the label's president, Gil Friesen. As Friesen's executive assistant, Corson performed roles in special projects, product management, international marketing, marketing, and A&R at the label. He was named vice president of marketing in 1989. At A&M, Corson was recognized for his role in the success of artists including Soundgarden, Simple Minds, and UB40.[9][10]

1990-1999: Capitol Records, Columbia Records

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Corson was hired by Capitol Records as vice president of international in 1990, and was promoted to senior vice president of domestic marketing in 1993. He oversaw the global campaigns for MC Hammer's two Capitol releases, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em and Too Legit to Quit, which together sold more than 17 million copies worldwide. He also worked closely with Radiohead, who released their major label debut, Pablo Honey, in 1993.[11] and orchestrated the marketing campaigns for Mazzy Star and the Frank Sinatra Duets album, among others.

In January 1996, Corson was named senior vice president of marketing for Columbia Records and moved from Los Angeles to Columbia's headquarters in New York City.[12] During Corson's tenure, Columbia's market share increased,[13] with hit records in multiple genres including pop (Train), rock (System of a Down) and Latin music (Ricky Martin) in addition to soundtrack releases such as Armageddon and Men in Black. Corson left Columbia in December 1999 to accept a position as senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Arista Records.[14]

1999-2007: J Records, Arista, RCA Music Group

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After an industry outcry when parent company BMG ousted Arista founder and CEO Clive Davis from the label in 2000, BMG invested $150 million to launch J Records, a joint venture with Davis.[15] An "instant major," Davis hired Corson as executive vice president of worldwide marketing.[16][17] J was a success from the start, with the label's inaugural release, Alicia Keys' Songs in A Minor, selling over 12,000,000 records worldwide.[18][19] That same year, O-Town's self-titled debut achieved multi-platinum sales; Inside Magazine called its marketing plan "one of the most elaborate star-making campaigns of the modern media age."[20] J Records dominated the charts during its three-year existence as a standalone label, releasing hit records by artists including Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Pearl Jam, and the winners from the American Idol franchise. Rod Stewart's Great American Songbook releases became the biggest-selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history,[21] and Luther Vandross had the first #1 record of his career, Dance With My Father.[22]

In 2002, BMG bought a majority stake in J and folded it into the RCA Music Group—which also included Arista—and appointed Davis president and CEO. Corson was named executive vice president and GM of Arista/J in 2004; there, he oversaw releases from Dido, Whitney Houston and Santana, among others.[23] In 2007, Corson was appointed executive vice president and GM of RCA Records. He held a central role in restructuring the company in the wake of a series of mergers.[24][25]

2007-2017: RCA Records

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In 2007, Corson was appointed executive vice president and GM of RCA Records. He held a central role in restructuring the company in the wake of a series of mergers.[24][25]

In 2011, he was promoted to president and COO of RCA Records by Doug Morris, the CEO of parent company Sony Music Entertainment.[26][27] He was noted for his role[28] in the success of artists including A$AP Rocky, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Jennifer Hudson, Dave Matthews Band, Kesha, Kings of Leon, Miguel, P!nk, and Justin Timberlake.[29][30]

2017-present: Warner Records

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Corson was named co-chairman and COO of Warner Records in December 2017, and led the transition from Warner Bros. Records to Warner Records with Aaron Bay-Schuck, Warner's CEO.[31] He has worked closely with Andra Day—he executive produced the Academy and Golden Globe-nominated soundtrack for The United States Vs. Billie Holiday—and oversaw the release of albums and singles by Dua Lipa, Saweetie, Bebe Rexha, Josh Groban, The Black Keys and Michael Bublé, among others.[32][33][34]

Corson was an executive producer of the 2021 documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers. The film won a Producers Guild Award in 2022.[35]

Recognition

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Corson appeared on the Billboard "Power 100" every year from 2012-2024.[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46] He appeared on the Billboard Country Power Players list in 2024.[47]

In 2015, Corson was the keynote speaker at the Harvard Business School's Entertainment and Media Conference.[48]

In June 2016, with Peter Edge, the CEO and chairman of RCA, Corson eceived the UJA Music Visionary of the Year award.[49][50]

In 2020, he was named inaugural chair of the board of advisors for the UCLA School of Music Business, the first music school within the University of California system.[51] He was the honoree of Saban Community Clinic's 29th Annual Golf Classic in 2022.[52] In June 2023, Corson received the TJ Martell Foundation Lifetime Music Industry Award at its New York Gala.[53]

Corson is the vice chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors for the TJ Martell Foundation [54] and a member of the Music and Entertainment Industry Board for City of Hope.[55]

Selected discography/videography

Year Album Artist Credit
2021 Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free (documentary) Tom Petty Executive producer[56]
2021 The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, Music from the Motion Picture Andra Day Executive producer
2018 Not So Silent Night (TV special) Pentatonix Producer
2016 A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston Various artists Producer
A Pentatonix Christmas Special (TV special) Pentatonix Producer[57]
2014 De Corazon (HBO Documentary) Santana Executive producer
2013 "Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life (TV series) Ke$ha Executive producer
2012 We Will Always Love You: A Grammy Salute to Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Producer
Kid Star USA (Television show) Various artists Executive producer[58]
2011 Majors and Minors (TV series) Various artists Executive producer
2010 Santana - Making of Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time Santana Producer
2004 One Night Only! Rod Stewart Live at Royal Albert Hall (DVD) Rod Stewart Executive producer
2003 It Had to Be You: The Great American Songbook (DVD) Rod Stewart Executive producer
2001 O-Town: Live From New York O-Town Executive producer

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References

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  1. ^ Halperin, Shirley (2017-12-05). "Warner Bros. Records Sets Start Date for Incoming Co-Chairman/COO Tom Corson". Variety. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
  2. ^ Morris, Christopher (August 8, 2011). "Edge, Corson promoted at RCA". Variety. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  3. ^ Ed Christman, Andrew Hammp (October 22, 2013). "Q4 Label Special: RCA's Tom Corson and Peter Edge on Miley, Britney & JT, the Adult Xmas Market, 'Focusing on Hip-Hop & Rock'". Billboard. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  4. ^ Halperin, Shirley (October 7, 2011). "RCA Records' Peter Edge and Tom Corson on Why the Label Downsized and its Place in Sony's Big Picture". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  5. ^ Aswad, Shirley Halperin,Jem; Halperin, Shirley; Aswad, Jem (2017-09-26). "Tom Corson to Leave RCA for Warner Bros. Records". Variety. Retrieved 2021-10-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Billboard Staff (July 13, 1985). Executive Turntable. Billboard. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  7. ^ "'80s Giant I.R.S. Records Arrives on iTunes". WIRED. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  8. ^ Erlewine, Steven Thomas (2014). "On the Charts: I.R.S. Records 1979-1994". All Music. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  9. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (April 29, 1990). "Pop Eye". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  10. ^ Aswad, Jem (August 28, 2015). "RCA Chiefs Peter Edge and Tom Corson on Signing Zayn Malik and Enrique Iglesias -- and Being Blissfully Unaware of Miley Cyrus' VMA Plans". Billboard. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  11. ^ Bessman, Jim (February 25, 1994). "Radiohead. (international success) (Brits Around the World: The British Abroad)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  12. ^ LA Times Staff (June 25, 1996). "Company Town: Executive Suite". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  13. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (February 23, 1998). "Sony Music Has Upbeat Tune as Label Turns Around" (PDF). Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  14. ^ Hochman, Steve (June 18, 2000). "Blame It on Rio: Labels Fear Leaks Via MP3". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  15. ^ Holson, Laura M. (February 18, 2002). "MEDIA; Music Promoter Stages Encore Amid Problems For Big Labels". New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  16. ^ "DAVIS LOYALISTS SHOWN THE DOOR". Hits. October 16, 2000. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  17. ^ Furman, Phyllis (June 30, 2003). "DAVIS SEES SINGLES SPIN Clive makes oldie a goody". New York Daily News. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  18. ^ "Alicia Keys Biography". Starpulse. 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  19. ^ Mitchell, Gail (November 6, 2007). "Alicia's Keys To Success". Billboard. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  20. ^ Cohen, Warren (January 31, 2002). "O-Town: Building the Perfect Boy Band". Inside. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  21. ^ Sciaretto, Amy (October 18, 2010). "Rod Stewart to Release Fifth Volume of "The Great American Songbook"". ArtistDirect. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  22. ^ Davis, Clive (February 2013). The Soundtrack of My Life. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 469. ISBN 978-1476714783.
  23. ^ "New way to tout tunes". Crain's New York Business. 2007-06-02. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  24. ^ a b "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  25. ^ a b "RCA Lays Off 20 Staffers Amid Restructuring: Sources". Billboard.biz. 23 August 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  26. ^ Sisario, Ben (August 8, 2011). "Morris Quickly Makes His Mark at Sony Music". New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  27. ^ Barker, Andrew (February 7, 2013). "Label the New RCA A Success". Variety. Retrieved 11 April 2014.
  28. ^ "EDGE CEO, CORSON PRESIDENT/ COO AT RCA MUSIC GROUP". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  29. ^ "Peter Edge Named CEO of Sony's RCA Music Group". hollywoodreporter.com. August 8, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2017.
  30. ^ "Tom Corson-led Warner Bros signs US rapper Saweetie". Music Business Worldwide. 2018-02-14. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  31. ^ "Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson Will Take Over Warner Bros. Records, Cameron Strang to Step Down". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-01-22.
  32. ^ "'Warner Records cares about having the right artists, not having the most artists.'". Music Business Worldwide. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  33. ^ Ingham, Tim (2020-04-06). "Why Warner Records Is Still Releasing Big Albums Amid COVID-19 Lockdown". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  34. ^ "No. 24: Tom Corson | Power 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  35. ^ Grein, Paul (2022-03-20). "'CODA' & Docs About The Beatles & Tom Petty Win 2022 PGA Awards (Full Winners List)". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-03-22.
  36. ^ Karp, Hannah (2024-01-31). "Billboard 2024 Power 100 List Revealed". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  37. ^ "No. 32: Aaron Bay-Schuck & Tom Corson | Power 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  38. ^ "No. 24: Tom Corson | Power 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  39. ^ "Power 100 2017". Billboard. February 9, 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  40. ^ Ruano, Fernie (April 23, 2014). "Latin Conference World Cup Q&A: Carlos Vives, David Correy, RCA's Tom Corson & More". Billboard Biz. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  41. ^ Mitchell, Gail (January 1, 2014). "Peter Edge & Tom Corson: The 2014 Billboard Power 100". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  42. ^ Mitchell, Gail (February 2, 2013). "Billboard Power 100: Peter Edge and Tom Corson". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  43. ^ "Billboard Power 100 2015". billboard.com. Billboard. February 5, 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  44. ^ DiGiacomo, Frank (2023-02-02). "Billboard's 2023 Power 100: Executives List Revealed". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  45. ^ Globe Staff (January 29, 2015). "Thursday's business agenda". Boston Globe. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  46. ^ Billboard Staff (February 12, 2016). "Power 100: 2016". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
  47. ^ Karp, Hannah (2024-05-09). "Country Power Players: Billboard's 2024 List Revealed". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  48. ^ "It's official: Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson are taking over at Warner Bros". Music Business Worldwide. 2017-10-03. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  49. ^ Aswad, Jem (June 17, 2016). "Alicia Keys, Elle King & Jack Antonoff Honor RCA Chiefs Peter Edge & Tom Corson at UJA Luncheon". Billboard. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  50. ^ "Music Visionary of the Year". ujafedney.ot. UJA. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  51. ^ "Tom Corson". The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  52. ^ "WARNER RAISES GREEN ON THE GREEN". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  53. ^ "T.J. MARTELL FOUNDATION UNVEILS GALA HONOREES". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved 2023-06-07.
  54. ^ "Board of Trustees | T.J. Martell Foundation". www.tjmartell.org. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
  55. ^ "Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group Executive Board". City of Hope. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  56. ^ Linden, Sheri (2021-03-18). "'Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free': Film Review | SXSW 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2021-10-11.
  57. ^ A Pentatonix Christmas Special (2016), retrieved 2021-10-17
  58. ^ Rosman, Katherine (2012-08-02). "Inside the Hit Factory for Kids". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  59. ^ "Tom Corson at All Music Guide". All Music. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
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