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Who Was Dick Asher? All You Need to Know About Music Industry Veteran and Anti-Payola Crusader as He Passes Away at 92
Dick Asher, the former President of Polygram and Columbia Record has passed away at 91 on July 23, his son Jeffery confirmed.
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Dick Asher, former President of Polygram and Columbia Records has passed away at 92
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Exploring Dick Asher's life, career, and time with Polygram and Columbia Records
TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to an individual's death.
Dick Asher, an iconic figure of the music industry who held executive positions at PolyGram and Columbia Records, has passed away at 92, Variety confirmed. Throughout his illustrious career, Asher has collaborated with a variety of musicians, including Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen.
Music Industry Pioneer, Dick Asher Passes Away at 92
Asher's son Jeffrey confirmed his death by announcing that he passed away quietly at home in Boca Raton, Florida on Tuesday, July 23. He wrote, "It is with a heavy heart to inform y’all that my father, one of the legendary executives of the music industry, passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 92!!"
Who was Dick Asher?
Dick Asher was born in 1932 in New York City. He first served in the Marine Corps before going on to earn degrees from Cornell Law School and Tufts University. He joined CBS Records in the mid-1960s as VP of business affairs. Over four decades, Asher worked in the music industry with some of the biggest stars in the industry.
Asher's stint with Columbia Records and Polygram Records
Asher returned to CBS in 1971 after a brief stint with Capitol Records, where he collaborated closely with Clive Davis of Columbia Records. He was ultimately promoted to the position of head of international operations for his crucial role in reviving the company's flagging U.K. business.
As disco's fall in the late 1970s caused a downturn in the music industry. Asher was appointed deputy president of Columbia Records during this period, and he was instrumental in keeping the company's finances stable.
In 1983, Asher left the company. He moved to executive positions at Warner Communications, however, he went on to become president and CEO of PolyGram Records in October 1985. In 1990, Asher departed the organization due to a disagreement over a contract.
Asher-the anti-Payola Crusader
Asher's biggest contribution to the music business occurred in the 1980s when he stood up against The Network, a potent network of independent promoters. These promoters, through payola and other dubious means, had monopolized radio airtime. Asher released Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1 independently to break free from their influence.
Major radio stations did, however, initially oppose the song strongly. But in the end, Asher's perseverance led to congressional hearings that revealed the network's activities and led to their dismantling in the mid-1980s.
In the 1990s, he moved to Florida, where he worked as an affiliate professor of commercial music at Florida Atlantic University. Among other things, he assisted in opening the school's recording facility. Dick Asher is now survived by Jeffrey, his son, his wife Sheila four grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.
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