NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — Marc Nathan, the noted A&R and promotion executive, died in Nashville on April 9th after a long illness. He was 70.
A cause of death was not disclosed but an obituary provided by his publicist said that Nathan “finally succumbed to a variety of afflictions” at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.
With a career that spanned 5 decades, Nathan got his start in the industry while still a 15-year-old student at Forest Hills High School in Queens, NY. After hearing Todd Rundgren’s first solo album Runt on Bearsville Records, he wrote a letter to the Ampex, label’s distributor regarding an error on the album’s label. He was then contacted by Paul Fishkin, who at the time was Ampex’s promotions manager, who told Nathan that he had acquired one of just a few copies of an early pressing of the album which had leaked and been withdrawn.
The letter began a friendship between Fishkin and Nathan that led to a promotions position at Bearsville Records for the young fan.
Nathan went on to demonstrate an ear for hits and an ability to break developing acts secondary and tertiary markets and he went on to A&R and talent development roles at Universal, Capitol, Atlantic/Atco and other imprints.
His accomplishments include orchestrating Universal’s acquisition of Cash Money Records as well as the signing of 3 Doors Down. He also worked with artists such as Barenaked Ladies Kon Kan, Linear, King Missile, Terry Tate, Merril Bainbridge and The Hunger.
He was also an artist manager, overseeing the careers of acts such as The Rubinoos, Meryn Cadell and The Explorers Club, among others.
Most recently, Nathan helped to develop the career of metal/country/folk/alternative artist Dan Spencer from working in a Nashville pizza shop to touring nationally with Post Malone.
“I lost my best friend of 55 years. Marc Nathan walked like he talked as well as anyone I’ve ever known. His irascible, acquired taste persona was what I enjoyed the most, even though maddening at times. We had much in common chiding and deriding phonies and pretentious fools in sports, politics, but most importantly, the music business. We occasionally enjoyed busting each other as well. We delighted in having our own sometimes hilarious shorthand putting us on the floor at times with uncontrollable laughter. He was a great record man, and a baseball and hockey chronicler supreme, among his many talents and passions. And yes, I have stories! But most important was his loyalty and support for all the right people and issues. And he never let me down in all those 55 years,” stated Paul Fishkin.
