Before he had even graduated from high school, Mr. Harrell had his first big break in the music business — as a rapper, Dr. Jeckyll, half of the duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde with his high school friend Alonzo Brown. They released a handful of successful singles in the early 1980s, most notably “Genius Rap” in 1981 and “A.M./P.M.” in 1984. [1] He was 59, and news of his death was first announced on Instagram by D-Nice. In 1986, recently a rapper, he formed Uptown Records, into the 1990s a leader in hip hop, R&B, and their fusion, " new jack swing." He was 59. They named him Gianni Credle-Harrell. Sure!, a charismatic and preternaturally smooth R&B singer; Heavy D & the Boyz, a genial and approachable hip-hop outfit; Father MC, a loverman rapper. Andre’s impact on the culture and on us has been immeasurable and profound. Movies. Sure!, Guy and many more. But his vision for the music wasn’t always in line with his peers’ — he preferred a splash of sophistication and an approach that would speak to older and younger generations alike. From left, Mr. Harrell, Sean Combs and Russell Simmons at an awards gala in New York in 2011. [1] He also hosted Champagne & Bubbles on Sunday nights from 6 to 9pm on Emmis Urban AC WRKS (98.7 Kiss FM)/New York. With his tragic passing, BET is committed to ensuring that the Uptown limited series event tells both the Uptown story and Andre’s story -- that of the incredible music innovator, man and friend to so many.”, "We mourn the loss of Andre Harrell, the founder of Uptown Records, one of R&B and hip-hop’s most significant labels, where he molded a distinct sound and launched the careers of many seminal artists who continue to influence music today," reads a statement from parent label Universal Music Group about Harrell's death. [11] Harrell was the CEO of Harrell Records, which is distributed through Atlantic Records. Harrell and Combs remained friends through the years, leading to Harrell accepting a position as Vice Chairman of REVOLT, the music television network and multi-platform brand started by Combs in 2013. Andre O’Neal Harrell (September 26, 1960 – May 7, 2020) was an American music executive and multimedia producer. What's on TV & Streaming What's on TV & Streaming Top Rated Shows Most Popular … 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. [4], Otherwise, Harrell studied at Baruch College, then transferred to Lehman College. With the rise of hip-hop and the departure of Combs, Uptown began to slide from relevance in the back half of the '90s, and Harrell left the label in 1995 to become CEO of Motown. B. “I told him I’d wash cars, quit school — anything — a priceless chance to be in your presence,” Mr. Combs told The Times in 2005. At Revolt, Harrell was responsible for the creation of the REVOLT Music Conference, which began in 2014 and lasted for a half-decade before being rebranded the REVOLT Hip-Hop Summit. All rights reserved.Billboard is part of MRC Media and Info, a division of MRC. Mr. Combs quickly became indispensable and began doing A & R, working with Ms. Blige and Jodeci and helping to infuse them with hip-hop credibility. [5][1] After three years, he withdrew and began working for a local radio station. After he had multiple successful releases, in 1992, MCA offered Harrell a multimedia deal, which involved film and television productions. In 1989, she was signed to the label, and she became the company's youngest and first female solo artist. His father, Bernie, worked at the Hunts Point produce market in the Bronx; his mother, Hattie, was a nurse’s aide. The pair had a handful of minor hits on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart -- the biggest being the No. “I’m promoting the whole spectrum of black lifestyles, from the teenage street hip-hop lifestyle to an adult, upwardly mobile black lifestyle,” he told Upscale magazine. It was the beginning of the game. I was crazy happy.”. After his rap duo disbanded, Mr. Harrell went to work for Rush Management, run by Russell Simmons, who was also the head of the titanic rap label Def Jam. Though he had initially wanted to become a newscaster, Mr. Harrell worked as an account executive at two New York radio stations in the early 1980s: WWRL, which played gospel, and WINS, the news station. “I reflect the image an artist has already created.”. [3] The group had the hit songs "Genius Rap" in 1981 and "AM/PM" in 1984. Harrell's work in R&B continued well into the 21st century, as he was instrumental in kickstarting the career of a young Robin Thicke in the '00s, and in the early '10s launched Harrell Records, though the new label failed to produce hits or stars on the level of his earlier ventures. During the week he sold advertising time; on the weekend he rapped. He gave Sean "Diddy" Combs his 1990 start in the business,[2] and later was CEO of Motown Records. Sure!, Guy and many others. [14], Harrell died on May 7, 2020, at his home in West Hollywood, California. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Combs founded Bad Boy Records, which would become one of the most important labels in rap history and — given how he extended the music’s reach — in pop history, too. [7] Her mother's boyfriend at the time later played the cassette for Jeff Redd, a recording artist and A&R runner for Uptown Records. Hired by Def Jam, Harrell quickly worked his way up to vice president and general manager of the label, but left shortly thereafter to start his own New York City-based label: Uptown Records. "I am thrilled to partner with BET Networks and Jesse Collins Entertainment to share my story, the rise of Uptown Records and successful black entrepreneurship, and the management and cultivation of some of the most iconic artists to come out of the late '80s and '90s hip-hop, R&B and soul music era,” said Harrell to The Hollywood Reporter. as his marquee artist, but the relationship remained amicable: "I knew it was time for him to grow," he explained to the Wall Street Journal in 2014.). Details of his death are not yet known, but Harrell's passing was first announced by DJ D-Nice on his Instagram Live early Saturday morning (May 9), and sources have separately confirmed it to Billboard. [13], Harrell was the Vice Chairman of Revolt, Diddy's multi-platform music network. Join to Connect. Everyone in the REVOLT family is devastated by the loss of our friend, mentor and Vice-Chairman. Mr. Harrell ascended to vice president and general manager — working with artists like Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Whodini — before setting out on his own to found Uptown Records. TV Shows. Syracuse University. Andre Harrell, the record exec who hired Sean "P. Diddy" Combs as an intern at his Uptown Records label, is dead at the age of 59. He was 59. “I was 28 years old. [1], "Andre Harrell, Executive Who Bridged Hip-Hop and R&B, Dies at 59", "Andre Harrell dishes on how he helped take Diddy from shirtless 'bad boy' to music mogul", "Legendary hip hop and R&B record label founder Andre Harrell has died", "Andre Harrell Dies: Hitmaking Music Entrepreneur And Executive For Several Record Labels Was 59", "Mary J. Blige's most iconic '90s hits collected in new box set", "Making a Difference; It's a Sweet $50 Million For Andre Harrell's Lineup", "Music Executive Andre Harrell Dead at 59: 'He Made His Living Uplifting Others,' Russell Simmons Says", "RIP: Hip Hop Executive Andre Harrell Passes Away At 59", "Andre Harrell Speaks on Music Being the Pulse of America", "Revolt's Inaugural Music Conference Kicks Off in Miami with Sean Combs, Guy Oseary, Craig Kallman and Many More", "Usher, Mariah Carey, John Legend & More React to Andre Harrell's Death", https://www.computertutorialslive.com/biography-of-andre-harrell-september-26-1960-may-8-2020/, Profile of Andre Harrell and Uptown Records, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Andre_Harrell&oldid=984944861, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 23 October 2020, at 01:15. Mr. Harrell and Mr. Combs reconciled, and for most of the rest of his career the two were in close orbit. In 1992, Mr. Harrell signed a $50 million deal with MCA for a new company, Uptown Entertainment, which spanned music, film and television. In 1978, he graduated from the Charles Evans Hughes High School. Andre Harrell, music mogul and founder of influential R&B and hip-hop label Uptown Records, has died. “I always believed I’d have a wonderful life.”. © 2020 Billboard. Mr. Harrell was appointed chief executive of Motown in 1995 and remained there for two years. [12] He partnered with budding Atlanta-based production company L7 Entertainment for the release of their new artists Hamilton Park and Netta Brielle. Andre Harrell, music mogul and founder of influential R&B and hip-hop label Uptown Records, has died. This was a fertile time in hip-hop’s development, and the moment when R&B began to reckon with its insurgent younger sibling. Harrell was born in The Bronx, New York City, on September 26, 1960. He was a producer of films, including “Strictly Business” and “Honey,” and an executive producer of the hip-hop-generation television police drama “New York Undercover.” He later helped found an ad agency, Nu America. “I grew up thinking wonderful things could happen,” he told Vanity Fair in 1993. [6] In 1988, Mary J. Blige recorded an impromptu cover of Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture" at a recording booth in a local mall. “I don’t try to recreate black artists,” Mr. Harrell told The New York Times in 1992. Andre Harrell, founder of Uptown Records, and one-half of the rap duo Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde died on May 8, 2020. [8], In 1988, Harrell was offered a label deal MCA Music Entertainment Group. Two. In December, it was announced that Harrell would be working with BET to bring the Uptown Records story to life as a 2020 three-night scripted miniseries. [3][15] According to Wendy Credle, Harrell's ex-wife, he had been suffering from heart problems in the time leading up to his death. Was happy. Release Calendar DVD & Blu-ray Releases Top Rated Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Showtimes & Tickets In Theaters Coming Soon Coming Soon Movie News India Movie Spotlight. “Andre was tremendously excited about sharing the origin story of Uptown Records, and its pivotal role in the urban music landscape. For almost a decade it was one of the most musically important and financially successful record labels in the country, building the careers of Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Al B. "She really had a strong effect on the people here that she worked with," said Chris Stirling, executive producer of "Chronicle." Andre O’Neal Harrell was born in the Bronx on Sep. 26, 1960. Andre Harrell, an innovative music executive who in the late 1980s founded Uptown Records, a crucial bridge between the worlds of hip-hop and R&B, and who gave the first career break to Sean Combs, today one of hip-hop’s signature moguls and global ambassadors, died on Thursday night at his home in West Hollywood, Calif. “We are mourning the loss of a cultural icon, Andre Harrell, a chief architect of the modern hip-hop and R&B sound,” said BET President Scott Mills in a statement following the exec's passing. [1][3] His father, Bernie, worked at a produce market in Hunts Point; his mother, Hattie, was a nurse's aide. Uptown became a magnet for artists who limned the borders between the two: Guy, an R&B trio that in the hands of Teddy Riley helped pioneer the brash sound known as New Jack Swing; Al. The dough was flowing. Mrs. Hall joined WCVB-TV in 1985 as a reporter and producer for "Chronicle."
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