LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Veteran label exec Steve Backer, who worked with artists such as Living Colour, Rage Against The Machine, and Cyndi Lauper, has died of complications from interstitial lung disease. He was 57.
Hailing from New Haven, Connecticut, Backer attended Skidmore College graduating with honors in a double major in Business and Political Science. Backer worked in various roles at labels such as CBS Records and Sony before he landed what he described as a 'career changing' gig as General Manager of Irving Azoff's joint venture with Warners, Giant Records.
After Giant, Backer was named executive vice president at The Enclave, a joint venture between EMI and Virgin, where he overaw marketing campaigns for the label's artists. He then did stints at EMI Music Publishing, V2 Records and One Haven Music Publishing/BMG Rights Management.
In 2006, he launched Backer Entertainment, a full-service marketing, and consulting company which provided traditional label services to independent artists.
In recent years, Backer had moved into real estate, running Backer Estates in Los Angeles.
Backer's family has asked that in lieu of flowers and cards, donations can be made to the Women's Guild Lung Institute at Cedars-Sinai in his memory. – Staff Writers
