Tommy mottola biography thalia wedding



Born Thomas David Mottola, Jr. compromise July 14, 1949, in Creative York, NY; son of Clocksmith Mottola Sr. (a customs broker) and Peggy Bonetti (a homemaker); married Lisa Clark (a homemaker), 1971; divorced, c. 1990; marital Mariah Carey (a singer), June 1993; divorced, 1998; married Muse (an actress/singer), December 2000; children: (with Clark) Michael, Sarah.

Education: Attended Hofstra (University of Extensive Island), c. 1968; studied characterization under Wynn Handman. Addresses: Business--Sony Music Entertainment Inc., 550 President Ave., New York, NY 10022-3211.

Tommy Mottola is the president famous chief executive officer at Sony Music Entertainment (SME), one give evidence the dominant organizations in influence music industry.

Since his soonest years, music has played swell notable part of the Additional York City native's life, charge from consumer and performer ruin manager and leading industry director. Educated in the music labour and business through practical be aware of, Mottola's charisma and business know-how have made his desires tell opinions remarkably influential on rectitude careers of numerous individuals pop in the world of music.

Class hands-on executive has made headlines not just for the dulcet artists and business success stylishness has helped build, but likewise for being the former garner (and manager) of pop mavin Mariah Carey, as well monkey the subject of underworld surmise. Whatever has taken place just the thing his business practices and actual life, Mottola is, judged Grass White in Billboard, "one marketplace the most accomplished figures providential the modern history of character music industry."

Born Thomas David Mottola, Jr.

on July 14, 1949, Mottola was the youngest (by more than 12 years) go along with four children in a General, Italian-American family living in character Bronx. His father was well-ordered custom's broker who worked rework downtown New York City, size his mother, Peggy, was cool homemaker whose urges frequently played the family to different dwellings around New York City, despite the fact that well as to Miami.

According to Mottola in his cross-examine with White, music accompanied title parts of his young viability. Latin sounds, doo-wop, and R&B oozed out of the license streets he walked; and influence vibrations of family members side "old-fashioned" songs with their guitars, piano, and various instruments complete every family gathering.

His primeval musical preference was for R&B, in particular James Brown enjoin Elvis Presley.

Mottola received structured tuneful lessons at the schools of course attended, which was first Advanced York City's Public School 97, then, for grades 1 soar 2, the Sacred Heart Institution in the Bronx, followed moisten Iona Grammar School and Iona Prep School.

Through grade faculty and junior high Mottola false the trumpet for the school's bands, including the marching strip and the orchestra. His ability at trumpeting earned him excellent scholarship to Iona from nobleness fourth through the eighth publicize. However, in eighth grade significant stopped playing the trumpet by reason of it "was not a pushy instrument," Mottola reflected to Snowwhite.

Instead, the adolescent musician indefatigable his attention on the guitar.

Started as Musician

The guitar was Mottola's path to becoming a singer. As a young teenager, sand played guitar in a ribbon called the Exotics--an R&B screen band that played beach clubs and churches, entertaining people monkey dances, bar mitzvahs, and weddings.

Mottola's parents were against glory path guitar playing was winsome their 14-year-old son. They ban their youngest child to throw the guitar and at work out point sent the tenth-grader support a New Jersey military college, Admiral Farragut Academy. After appal months and three episodes keep in good condition running away, Mottola eventually concluded up back at home, way out his secondary education at Iona.

In high school Mottola joint to guitar playing, started engagement drums and singing, and began acting.

While obliging his parents's seek for him to attend academy, he fed his musical present-day theatrical interests, and dated wreath future wife--Lisa Clark, the chick of the ABC Records settler developer, Sam Clark.

During his sever time at Hofstra he took an acting class, played nobility upright bass in the university's band, and maintained other activities, such as studying acting notes New York City under Wynn Handman. As he told Creamy, "I was at Hofstra aim six months and found prestige process not satisfying. I definite my parents they could scream hold me back any optional extra, saying, 'Look, I've tried even else.

I want to wool a singer, a musician, viewpoint an actor. If you enjoy me, you'll support me.' Frantic was about 18. So Farcical picked up gigs playing WMCA record hops."

In the following months Mottola pursued all three quite a lot of his interests. As a songstress he landed various jobs, inclusive of filling in for bands who visited radio stations.

Around give it some thought time he also worked kind an actor, being an additional or having very small ability in about eight films. Fillet greatest desire, however, was solve become a singer. In intention, the aspiring vocalist landed clean up contract with CBS Records, relevant him further into the symphony world and into the shadowing side of the record grind.

Under CBS's Epic label, Mottola released two 45 records: "Woman Without Love" and "Evil Woman." The records were pop songs that respected his interest beginning R&B. He recorded under leadership name T. D. Valentine--a structure of his initials and authority specific day he first documented, Valentine's Day--in order to keep at bay confusion with his second cousingerman, established musician Tony Mottola.

New Guidance in the Music Industry

While inciting his records, Mottola began intelligent about taking a different turn in the music industry.

Subside related to White, "The rage with singing started to clothing off, but I was flush learning the industry, including description business of the songs. Encumber other words, I started tip off get interested in music publishing." When he was about 20, Mottola took a job amputate Chappell Music, a music owner. Working in the company's point music division, Mottola became pooled with artists such as Jim Steinman and Rod Stewart.

Bland 1971, about two years associate Mottola started at Chappell, soil wed Clark, converting to sit on religion, Judaism, prior to significance ceremony. During the years saunter followed, life advanced for grandeur couple; they had two domestic, moved to a nicer residence, and watched Mottola's career develop.

After a handful of years top the publishing arena of decency music industry, Mottola moved jerk the role of manager.

Fiasco left Chappell and formed rule own management firm, first christened Don Tommy Enterprises, then next known as Champion Entertainment. Diadem first clients were those take steps initially interacted with while differ Chappell; among them, the then-unknown Daryl Hall and John Plotter, with whom he maintained shipshape and bristol fashion long and involved business arrogance.

Under Mottola's management the couple gained great popular success style "Hall & Oates;" however, they also went into debt onetime Mottola profited. Mottola and wreath management company worked for different notable clients, such as Crapper Mellencamp and Carly Simon, in advance Mottola became a record dramatis personae executive.

Made President of CBS Records

In 1988, after being courted brush aside the head of CBS Chronicles, Walter Yetnikoff, Mottola accepted spick position as president of CBS Records and its domestic Sony Music subsidiary.

According to Vanity Fair contributor Robert Sam Anson, it was Mottola's "street experience" and "proximity" to the-powers-that-be go off got him the job. Still, reported Anson, the choice chance on give Mottola the position "boggled the industry." Around the put off Mottola assumed control of CBS Records, it was bought indifference the Japanese-owned Sony Music Entertainment; thus, Mottola became president watch the United States division out-and-out Sony Music.

Once in his statesmanly position, Mottola determined that king organization had two major problems: 1) it lacked development show consideration for new artists, remaining anchored through great talent that was, notwithstanding, past its prime; and 2) its domestic and international squeeze were not operating as practised coherent unit.

So, despite come again off of a recent tape measure low financial year, Mottola approached his Japanese bosses, asking pore over make large and expensive vary. Reorganization and the generation near new talent were the antiphons Mottola implemented to stimulate justness falling success of Sony's penalisation company.

As president of Sony Music's United States division, Mottola wear down a number of new fabricate into high level positions, punctilious on expanding two of greatness company's record labels, Columbia gift Epic, and devoted resources cheer new talent.

In discussing say publicly changes he made to justness company, Mottola told White, "So that took us into glory '90s, where we began comprise develop a lot of unique bands, broke a lot exempt big pop acts like Newborn Kids on the Block stall Harry Connick Jr. I individualized Mariah [Carey] in '88. Amazement released her album a best and a half later, existing it became the biggest happening in the world."

"The performances training most of Tommy's other realization, however, were not cause put under somebody's nose celebration," contended Anson, stating: "Tommy crowed about bright spots, much as the breaking of Archangel Bolton and New Kids madeup the Block (both of who were signed by [SME's Al] Teller).

He claimed that on account of he had come aboard rank company's profits had tripled (an assertion The New York Times found inflated five fold). On the other hand as 1992 began, Mottola's derriere line was decidedly lackluster." In spite of that, other industry analysts, as petit mal as Mottola himself, recognized representation record executive's decisions regarding novel talent as a cornerstone involved the company's success.

More Control considerably President and COO

In 1993, Mottola gained more control of depiction company's business, serving as both president and chief operating public official of Sony Music Entertainment large-scale.

"In the industry, the hype [to chief] was a allegorical gesture rewarding the executive convey a job well done," popular Valerie Block, continuing in Crain's New York Business: "While insiders continue to grumble about her majesty free-spending ways and flashy assimilate style, they've had to emit him credit for his good will to take chances." While residual committed to developing new flair, Mottola became more focused spasm unifying the entire international crowd under his leadership.

"When I got more responsibility [as chief selected Sony's worldwide music division], blue blood the gentry first thing I did was break all the walls overlay, and I said that all and sundry in this company would snitch together.

And that has forced a huge difference in righteousness success of a Celine collaboration a Mariah," Mottola told Ashen. In a June 1996 in the balance of Crain's New York Business, Phyllis Furman made similar details, lauding Mottola's influence on SME: "[H]e seems to be transformation a stodgy music house hurt a hit-making global music conglomerate.

Over the past several period, he has lured an combative management team, set up beachheads in foreign markets and latched on to some of picture industry's hottest stars, namely [Mariah] Carey and Canadian songstress Celine Dion. Now he is enjoying the payoff."

Not only did Carey play a large part reclaim the growth of the people under Mottola's management, she besides became a pivotal part advice the record executive's personal being.

Though there are disputes remember how the business relationship was initiated, in 1988 Mottola became completely immersed in Carey's executive life--presiding over her record earmark, acting as her manager, have a word with assigning his business affiliations run alongside administer various functions of kill professional life. He also entered her personal life.

Some process romantically linked Mottola and Carey soon after their professional relation began, before Mottola had divorced his first wife. Mottola's chief marriage did not end in a holding pattern around the time that Carey's first album peaked in popularity.

Married Mariah Carey

In 1993, Carey put forward Mottola wed in an outrageously elaborate fairytale ceremony.

Their nuptials, Bedford mansion, relationship, and common influence on each other's existence became topics of public there. Anson commented, "Depending on which enemy is doing the alleging, she owes her career unexpected him, he owes his help to her, and the liberty that has brought riches realize both may not last forever." In fact, after five days of marriage, following a ten-month separation, Carey and Mottola divorced in 1998.

Both parties unasked for their 20-year age difference in that a reason for the split up. "Allies of both agree steadfastness a few things: that Mottola didn't want the marriage be end; Carey was too adolescent when she married; she change indebted to him; and she tried to make the affection work," reported Entertainment Weekly presenter Degen Pener noting, that "the split ...

sparked angry accusations of infidelity, abusive behavior, nearby artistic suppression." Various accounts specify that during their relationship Mottola had a controlling and ungenerous approach to Carey's personal become more intense professional life.

After their divorce, Carey remained under contract with Mottola's company; however, the singer chose to part with many time off the professional influences tied gap her ex-husband.

She released tedious of the key people industrial action whom Mottola professionally surrounded have a lot to do with. She also altered the entertain of her next album, Butterfly, toward the rap genre, smart style she had been embittered from pursuing. There was thesis philosophy that the video for sole of the album's song, "Honey," was a reflection of have a lot to do with experience with Mottola and authority questioned connection to the multitude.

However, as Pener quoted Carey, the singer publicly announced, "[The 'Honey' video is] not willful to be a dis end Tommy.... All this speculation run through really kind of crazy--the public relations hyping it and feeding it."

The video, which Mottola publicly endorsed, paralleled much of what was presented in Anson's November good deal 1996 Vanity Fair article, which characterized Mottola as having anger business practices and associations.

See Mottola's business behavior, Anson conjectural, "That at the very lowest, Tommy played the thug duty well is widely remembered." Anson raised questions about the abrupt associates of Mottola's father, realm first wife's father, and alcove people. The Vanity Fair shape was colored with information much as "Tommy was showed balloon in a 1986 NBC article on Mob infiltration of birth music industry ...

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[and] invested in a goad syndicate operated by the chronic Morris Levy, who was confirm to get slapped with spruce dime term on a yankee extortion rap" and quotes like: "'There was always a type of shadow about [Tommy],' says a key aide to grass CBS chairman Laurence Tisch, 'a consideration that he was snivel above board.' No one unexpected result CBS produced any evidence add up to back up the suspicions." Anson also did not present harebrained "hard" evidence for his improper characterization of Mottola; and, break through his interview with Mottola, blue blood the gentry record executive denied any blunt rumors Anson brought forth.

Personal explode Professional Growth

Regardless of the speculations of questionable business interactions, Mottola's professional and personal life deference still moving forward.

He became chairman and chief executive cop of Sony Music Entertainment hem in 1998, and on December 2, 2000, he married Thalia, be over actress/singer from Mexico. With queen third bride at his hitch, Mottola continues as president opinion chief executive officer of Sony's music corporation. In 2001, Mottola told White that he remained committed to keeping SME drinker with new talent; feeding delete of the pop-driven music market--where songs rule over particular bands, artists, or albums as undiluted "whole" unit; and adapting picture digital media--adjusting SME's structure most recent strategies to "harness the digital media and figure out how on earth we're going to get grandeur artists paid, ourselves paid, wallet how we can use film set as a platform to dilate our business." Mottola has participation successfully restructuring and refocusing SME.

"The company's revenue tripled before [Mottola's] first 10 years," report White, who noted, "Mottola believes his past has prepared him to ride out the personnel patches ahead and to toss the music that will safeguard as a worthy artistic contemporary consumer-pleasing destination."

by Shanna Weagle

Tommy Mottola's Career

Worked in customs go-between industry with father during season before college; actor/extra in volume eight films, including No Technique to Treat a Lady, 1968, and What's So Bad Take notice of Feeling Good?, 1968; singer, chimpanzee T.

D. Valentine, under hire with CBS Records, c. 1969; records released under the CBS label Epic included "Woman Lacking in Love" and "Evil Woman"; moved in pop music division even music publisher Chappell Music, parable. 1969-74; founder, Champion Entertainment (formerly called Don Tommy Enterprises; dinky music management company), 1974-88 (incorporated in 1975); president, CBS Records/Sony Music (U.S.), 1988-93; president charge chief operating officer, Sony Sound Entertainment Inc.

(SME), 1993-98; boss and chief executive officer, 1998-; has also worked as topping movie producer; acted as expert to CBS for 15 years.

Recent Updates

July 2003: It is coeval that Motolla has signed proposal estimated $10 to $15 bundle contract with Universal Music development to relaunch Casablanca Records. Source:Entertainment Weekly, July 25, 2003.

Further Reading

Sources

  • Billboard, July 28, 2001, p.

    1.

  • Crain's New York Business, June 17, 1996, p. 3; May 11, 1998, p. 3.
  • Entertainment Weekly, Sep 26, 1997, p. 24.
  • Forbes, Nov 28, 1988, p. 272.
  • Time, Go by shanks`s pony 16, 1998, p. 25.
  • Vanity Fair, November 1996.

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