Mary Ellen Cataneo, Longtime Music Publicist, Passes After Bout With Cancer

Mary Ellen Cataneo

Music industry veteran MARY ELLEN CATANEO has passed away, it was revealed today by her family and ex-husband JOE McEWEN, longtime A&R executive now at CONCORD RECORDS. 

MARY ELLEN had served as SVP at SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT and left the company in 1995 to raise her two young sons.   She came to that post from COLUMBIA RECORDS, where she was Vice President, National Press & Public Information.  At the label she worked closely with the label’s roster of artists including BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, ROLLING STONES, BOB DYLAN, HARRY CONNICK JR., RAY DAVIES and THE KINKS and BRANFORD MARSALIS, among others, 

She joined COLUMIBA in 1984 after an administrative stint at MUSICIAN MAGAZINE, where she worked closely with editor (and SUFI expert) VIC GARBARINI.  Her first job, after attending NYU, was at a MANHATTAN restaurant where JERRY SEINFELD was her co-worker and introduced her to the entertainment business at a very macro level.  

She is survived to her sons,JAMES McEWEN and  CHRISTOPHER McEWEN, a film producer and her former husband, music industry executive JOE McEWEN.  In AUGUST, amidst a struggle with fast-moving cancer from which she succumbed, she was able to attend the wedding of her son CHRISTOPHER to NATALIE BEACH - a joyous and celebratory occasion.   

« see more Net News