History
In 1989, Baumann hired veteran Warner Bros. Records' music executive Ron Goldstein. As Private Music's President & CEO, Goldstein moved the offices from New York City to Los Angeles, hiring former publicist for U2, Tony Bennett and Warners’ “Musicians for Life,” Karen Johnson, to expand the label's image and veteran-artists' re-development. Baumann recruited the respected mainstream A&R executive Jamie Cohen, in demand at the time for his work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Visual image was important to Goldstein, who brought on Award-winning Art-Director Melanie Penny (previously of Virgin Records and Warner Bros. Records), as VP, Creative Services, through the life of Private Music.
Private Music's recordings earned multiple Grammy Awards (including Etta James' first), and many more Nominations, achieving high recognition on national television, with numerous artist appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Entertainment Tonight, etc. The label's recordings by Taj Mahal spawned the Phantom Blues Band who continue as a mainstay in blues recordings and concerts. (Private also entered into a joint venture with House of Blues‘ record label, featuring such artists as Cissy Houston). In 2001, Private Music became part of the short-lived Arista Associated Labels which also included Windham Hill; by 2004, after Sony and BMG merged, the label's releases switched to RCA. Currently, no reissues have been scheduled. Like its mentor (Warner Bros. Records), Private Music's business model leaves an example for indie artists who exemplify (Goldstein's A&R criteria of) "quality and excellence." Following his Private Music tenure, Goldstein served as President & CEO of the Verve Music Group label at Universal Music Group, in New York City. Karen Johnson directs KJPR Publicity and Artist Relations in Los Angeles. Sadly, Jamie Cohen and Melanie Penny passed in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
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