NASHVILLE, TN (CelebrityAccess) — Robert Weingartz, veteran artist manager and Chairman and Founder of the digital music distributor AirPlay Direct, died in Nashville on June 22 following complications from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He was 66.
His passing was announced in a statement from AirPlay Direct, the company he founded in 2005, which grew to become a primary digital distribution channel for broadcasters around the world.
“Robert approached his life and music with fierce passion. He loved the artists he encountered and worked with throughout his career. He had a special ear for music and approached each project with personal affection and uncompromising intensity. Songs were the lights that lined his path throughout his life,” the statement read.
According to the company, Weingartz died after experiencing sudden respiratory complications related to Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a disease he had been battling for 2 years.
Weingartz launched his career in music as co-manager of a Sunset Strip rock band following a stint in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service. He later went on to manage Americana artists, including Clay DuBose.
Frustrated by the challenges independent artists faced getting on the radio, Weingartz founded AirPlay Direct, helping establish the company as a key distributor in the non-commercial and specialty radio space.
In addition to his work in management and distribution, Weingartz was also a songwriter. He collaborated with Nashville writers and had recently completed a cycle of Christian compositions with Clay, his former Americana partner.
Robert is survived by his wife, Lynda; children, Zachariah, Quinn, and Alexandra; granddaughters, Foster and Livesay Lee; former spouse, Anne; mother, Connie; siblings, Vickie and George; best friend, Clay DuBose; and Goddaughter, Teresa.
