Music Industry Profile: Gil Friesen of A&M Records
Gil Friesen
Gil Friesen served as President of Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss’ A&M record label for twenty-nine years until that company’s acquisition in 1998 by Seagrams/UMG. He joined the label in the early 1960s (he was the company’s second paid employee), and soon became instrumental in A&M’s transformation from a small yet prestigious label into the largest independent record company in the US. As President, Friesen worked with many of the most notable pop music artists of the past forty years, including The Carpenters, Squeeze, Bryan Adams, Janet Jackson and The Police.
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Description:
Former President of A&M Records Gil Friesen discusses a wide range of topics – from how he got his start in the music business, how he came to A&M, A&M’s business model, to thoughts on leadership, the role of businessmen in a creative industry, and the future of the music business.
