Angelica Cob-Baehler
Born
Angelica Cob

(1971-11-09)November 9, 1971
San José, Costa Rica
DiedNovember 21, 2018(2018-11-21) (aged 47)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles
OccupationMusic industry executive
Board member ofGenerosity Water, The Thirst Project
SpouseChapman Baehler
Children2

Angelica Cob-Baehler (November 9, 1971 – November 21, 2018) was a Costa Rican American music industry executive and television producer. The head of music operations at The Firm, and the chief marketing officer for the basketball league Big 3,[1] she previously held senior positions at Columbia Records, EMI and Epic.[2][3][4][5]

Early life

Cob-Baehler was born in San José, Costa Rica, in 1971 and moved with her family to Burbank, California, in 1981. She attended UCLA and graduated with a degree in political science in 1993.[6]

Career

Cob-Baehler interned at Elektra Records during her senior year in college, and was hired as an assistant in the publicity department at Atlantic Records in 1993.[7] She was promoted shortly thereafter, and as a publicist for the label she worked with artists including Kid Rock, Sugar Ray, P.O.D., Jewel, and Stone Temple Pilots.[7] In 1997, she was promoted to national director of media relations, and transferred from Atlantic's Los Angeles office to their New York headquarters.[8][9] She left the company in 2001 to accept a job at Columbia Records.[10]

At Columbia, Cob-Baehler supervised the label's West Coast press department while working with John Mayer, System of a Down, The Offspring, Coheed and Cambria, and the Raveonettes, among others.[11][10] She was named Vice President of Publicity in 2002 and soon met then 17-year-old Katy Perry, who had yet to release an album on the label, and became one of her earliest supporters.[12][13]

In 2005, Cob-Baehler was named senior vice president of publicity at Virgin Records.[10] At Virgin, she was responsible for press campaigns for artists including Thirty Seconds to Mars, Joss Stone, KT Tunstall, and Iggy Pop and the Stooges.[10] When the Virgin label was merged with Capitol/EMI, she was appointed to the position of senior vice president of media and creative services for EMI Music's associated labels: Angel, Astralwerks, Blue Note, Capitol, Capitol Latin, Manhattan, and Virgin.[8]

With Perry's album unreleased by Columbia, Cob-Baehler began a campaign to bring her to Capitol Music Group in 2005 (by grabbing the files from Columbia).[13] She gained the support of Jason Flom, then the CEO of the label, and Perry was signed to Capitol/Virgin in 2006.[13] Cob-Baehler was credited for creative direction and A&R on Perry's album One of the Boys, which went on to sell more than 5,000,000 albums worldwide. She also served as the creative director for Perry's Teenage Dream.[13][14] Cob-Baehler continued to work closely with Perry until Cob-Baehler left EMI in 2011 to become executive vice president of marketing at Epic Records.[15][14]

In addition to heading marketing at Epic, Cob-Baehler served in an a&r capacity. Among other artists, she signed the controversial hip hop band Death Grips, who were named Spin magazine's "Artist of the Year" in 2012.[16][17][18]

In February 2013, Cob-Baehler joined The Firm/The Online Network as the head of marketing and associate producer.[19] Then known as Prospect Park Productions, she led the marketing campaign for the soap operas All My Children and One Life to Live about which The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Not only are they (TOLN) the first company to revive a long-running daytime drama (thus changing the game for the genre entirely) they are taking two brands with a combined age of over 80 years and basically making them cool again.”[19] Production was halted in 2013 due to a dispute with ABC, and both series were ultimately cancelled.[20][21] Following the cancellation, Cob-Baehler transitioned to a position as an artist manager.[22] She was promoted to head the Firm's music operations in June 2016,. She also served as the chief marketing officer for Big 3, a basketball league founded by Jeff Kwatinetz and Ice Cube.[5][1]

Cob-Baehler appeared on Billboard's 2011 list of prominent women in music.[18] She co-produced the 2017 20-episode season of Hip Hop Squares. She served on the board of directors for Generosity Water, the Thirst Project and MusiCares.[18]

Personal life

Cob-Baehler lived in Los Angeles with her husband, photographer Chapman Baehler, with whom she had two daughters.[23] Cob-Baehler died in Los Angeles from cancer on November 21, 2018, at the age of 47.[24]

References

  1. ^ a b "Katy Perry pays touching tribute to mentor who 'willed me into existence as a young artist'". Retrieved December 4, 2018.
  2. ^ Billboard Staff (2011). "Women in Music 2011". Billboard. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  3. ^ Scariano, Ross (April 29, 2013). "A Few Lives to Live: Riff Raff, James Franco, and "One Life to Live"". Complex. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  4. ^ Ginsberg, Merle (October 15, 2014). "Hollywood's Top Female Execs Reveal New Rules for the Power Suit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Stutz, Colin (June 23, 2016). "Angelica Cob-Baehler Promoted to Head The Firm's Music Group". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ Julie, Naomi (April 25, 2012). "New EVP at Epic Records". Entertainment Industry Insider. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Anderson, Kyle (August 10, 2012). "Attack of the '90s Music Stars". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Hits staff (November 3, 2008). "EMI MUSIC UPS COB-BAEHLER TO SVP, ADDS CREATIVE SERVICES". Hits Daily Double. Hits. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  9. ^ Billboard staff (April 3, 1999). "Executive Turntable". Billboard. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d Gallo, Phil (November 15, 2006). "Virgin spins praise post to Cob-Baehler". Variety. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  11. ^ Hochman, Steve (May 23, 2004). "Kravitz is taking on a new label". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  12. ^ Owings, Lisa (January 1, 2015). Katy Perry: Chart-Topping Superstar. Essential Library. p. 36. ISBN 978-1624035463. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d Blumentrath, Jan (January 21, 2011). "NEWS: correction to the interview with Chris Anokute". Hitquarters. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  14. ^ a b Halperin, Shirley (September 27, 2011). "Angelica Cob-Baehler Leaving EMI to Join LA Reid at Epic: Sources". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  15. ^ Deitch, Maude (June 28, 2012). "Katy Perry Looks Unrecognizable In 'Vogue Italia'". MTV Style. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  16. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (April 23, 2012). "Death Grips Talk Epic Record Deal & New Music". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  17. ^ Weingarten, Christopher (November 20, 2012). "Artist of the Year: Death Grips". Spin. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  18. ^ a b c Hits staff (April 25, 2012). "Angelica Cob-Baehler Rises at Epic". Hits Daily Double. Hits. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  19. ^ a b Rosenberg, Mark Brenna (April 26, 2013). "How To Watch 'All My Children' And 'One Life To Live' Online". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  20. ^ Gardner, Eriq (January 15, 2014). "ABC Doesn't Want Prospect Park to Extend Soaps License". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  21. ^ Kroll, Dan (November 12, 2013). "Prospect Park closes the book on All My Children and One Life to Live". Soap Central. Retrieved May 21, 2014.
  22. ^ Ginsberg, Merle (October 15, 2014). "STYLE NEWS HOLLYWOOD'S TOP FEMALE EXECS REVEAL NEW RULES FOR THE POWER SUIT". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  23. ^ "Rumour Mill". The Baby Junebug. Hits (via The Baby Junebug). April 23, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  24. ^ Aswad, Jem (November 21, 2018). "Angelica Cob-Baehler, Veteran Music Industry Executive, Dies at 47". Variety. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
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