RIP Bob Mercer, 65; CEO 'Now That's What I Call Music!"

[Wayback]

Bob Mercer, CEO of 'Now That's What I Call Music!', the music venture that released a series of hit-single compilation albums, selling 77 million albums in the U.S. since its debut in 1998.  Earlier, at EMI, he signed artists such as Queen, the Sex Pistols, Olivia Newton-John, Kate Bush and Marc Bolan.
"He had the most marvelous stories he could tell you," CFO Jerry Cohen said. "He lived in an apartment EMI owned next to Abbey Road studios in London. He got to be friends with John Lennon, and he'd be apt to hang out with many of the greatest artists in the music industry."
Mercer left EMI in 1980 and worked for EMI Films before becoming manager for artists such as Roger Waters and (briefly) Paul McCartney.  He died in L.A., lung cancer, age 65.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-bob-mercer-20100512-11,0,4210363.story

[RGMike]

Bob Mercer, CEO of 'Now That's What I Call Music!', the music venture that released a series of hit-single compilation albums, selling 77 million albums in the U.S. since its debut in 1998.  Earlier, at EMI, he signed artists such as Queen, the Sex Pistols, Olivia Newton-John, Kate Bush and Marc Bolan.
"He had the most marvelous stories he could tell you," CFO Jerry Cohen said. "He lived in an apartment EMI owned next to Abbey Road studios in London. He got to be friends with John Lennon, and he'd be apt to hang out with many of the greatest artists in the music industry."
Mercer left EMI in 1980 and worked for EMI Films before becoming manager for artists such as Roger Waters and (briefly) Paul McCartney.  He died in L.A., lung cancer, age 65.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-bob-mercer-20100512-11,0,4210363.story

of course, the NTWICM albums go back much further in the UK -- I remember seeing them at Virgin Megastore in London in 1983 -- and they would routinely debut at #1 on the British charts every time a new one was released.