Steve Backer, Longtime Music Executive At EMI Music Publishing, Sony Music, Passes At 58

Steve Backer

STEVE BACKER, a well-loved fixture in the music industry through stints at SONY MUSIC, EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING, GIANT and V2 RECORDS, passed away after complications from Interstitial Lung Disease at the age of 57.  His wife, PIPER TAYLOR, made the announcement on her FACEBOOK page last night. BACKER had been involved in real estate at KELLER WILLIAMS with his own BACKER ESTATES for the past three years.

BACKER graduated from SKIDMORE COLLEGE and began his music business career in MARCH, 1981 at CBS RECORDS, where he held a number of posts in promotion and marketing for 13 years, running the college marketing department, video and Top 40 promotion and as the first VP/Alternative Marketing, working with such artists as MICHAEL JACKSON, OZZY OSBOURNE, SOCIAL DISTORTION, CELINE DION, CYNDI LAUPER, LIVING COLOUR, PEARL JAM, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and the "Singles" soundtrack.

He was the named GM at IRVING AZOFF's GIANT RECORDS in FEBRUARY 1993, where he ran the label and was its liaison to WARNER BROS. RECORDS, overseeing the marketing campaign for "Common Thread: The Songs Of The EAGLES" and the "Dazed And Confused" soundtrack.

STEVE was named EVP at THE ENCLAVE, a division of EMI's VIRGIN RECORDS,in SEPTEMBER, 1987, where he spent a year before joining EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING as EVP/GM for West Coast, where his signings included BLINK-182, NEW RADICALS, THE LIVING END, SLIPKNOT and AT THE DRIVE-IN among others.

In NOVEMBER, 2002, BACKER was appointed EVP/GM at V2 RECORDS, where he worked with THE WHITE STRIPES, MOBY and THE CRYSTAL METHOD before moving on to form his own ONE HAVEN MUSIC PUBLISHING, a joint venture with BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT, leaving in DECEMBER 2012.

He formed his own BACKER ENTERTAINMENT in 2006 until 2013, a full-service marketing and consulting company, until joining KELLER WILLIAMS in NOVEMBER, 2013.

Wrote PIPER: "A celebration of life gathering for friends, colleagues and all of those people who loved STEVE will be planned in the coming weeks. Details to follow."

In lieu of flowers and cards, donations can be made to the WOMEN'S GUILD LUNG INSTITUTE at CEDARS-SINAI in his memory.

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