A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Martin Bandier
Born (1941-07-21) July 21, 1941 (age 82)
New York City, United States
CitizenshipUnited States
Alma materSyracuse University (B.A.)
Brooklyn Law School ( J.D.)
Occupationmusic industry executive
Spouses
  • Denise LeFrak (divorced)
  • Dorothy Harris
Children3
Awardsinducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Signature

Martin N. Bandier (born July 21, 1941) is an American music industry executive who was the CEO/Chairman of Sony/ATV Music Publishing for 11 years from 2007 until 2019. Prior to that he was the chairman and CEO of EMI Music Publishing Worldwide from 1991 to 2006. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Early life and education

Bandier was born July 21, 1941, and grew up in Queens.[1] He graduated from Stuyvesant High School at 16.[1] At Syracuse University he majored in political science and history and received a B.A. in 1961.[2][3][4] He then attended Brooklyn Law School, graduating in 1965.[5][6][7]

Career

Following graduation from Brooklyn Law School, he joined the New York firm of Battle, Fowler, Jaffin and Kheel.[1][5][6][7] In 1969, Bandier became General Counsel to the LeFrak Organization, where he rose to Senior Vice President.[1][5] In 1975, he formed The Entertainment Company with Sam LeFrak and Charles Koppelman as his co-principals.[1][5]

In the early 1980s Bandier and Denise LeFrak divorced, and in 1984 Bandier and Koppelman dissolved their partnership with LeFrak and formed the Entertainment Music Company and the Entertainment Television Company.[1][5] In 1986, the partners purchased the Combine Music Catalog.[1] That same year, Bandier and Koppelman teamed with financier Stephen Swid to form SBK Entertainment World, Inc. and purchased the 250,000 title CBS songs catalog for the then-record price of $125 million.[1][5] In 1989, Bandier helped engineer the sale of SBK's song catalog to EMI Music and the creation of SBK Records.[1] By the end of the first year at EMI, the company was named Billboard Magazine's number one music publisher.[1]

In 1991, EMI Music Publishing Worldwide, then the world's largest music publisher, named Bandier – until then its vice chairman – chairman and chief executive.[8] He was also president and chief operating officer of the SBK Records Group, a record label that EMI operated with its parent.[8] In 2005, Bandier asked EMI to sell him its publishing unit, and when it refused he resigned in 2006. A few months later he took over as head of the music publishing entity Sony/ATV.[5] In 2009, he was chief executive of Sony/ATV.[5] In 2007, Bandier assumed the position of chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing responsible for overseeing its global music publishing activities, including talent and copyright acquisitions, day-to-day operations, and the development and implementation of the company's long-term strategic initiatives.[9] In 2012, Sony/ATV Music Publishing consortium acquired EMI Music Publishing, reunited Bandier with his former company catalog he helped build.[10]

Bandier stepped down from the Chairman/CEO of the company in March 2019 and was succeeded by Jon Platt.[11][12]

Philanthropy

Bandier is a member on the boards of the City of Hope,[13] the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the NMPA, where he is Vice President of the Board of Directors.[14] He also serves as a trustee of the T.J. Martell Foundation[15] and Syracuse University.[16][17] The GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Foundation, the affiliated charities of The Recording Academy, also announced that their respective Boards had elected Bandier to be a MusiCares Director.[15]

In 2006 Bandier established a music and entertainment industry degree program titled The Bandier Program in Recording and Entertainment Industries at Syracuse University.[9][18][19] The program, initially housed at the College of Visual and Performing Arts was later moved to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2017.[20][21] Billboard has consistently ranked the Bandier program amongst the top music business programs in the nation.[22][23]

Awards

In 1990, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[1] In 1994, he won the Arents Award.[9] In February 2015 he received the President's Merit Award as a Grammy Icon at the Clive Davis Pre Grammy Gala in Los Angeles. He was the first music publisher to receive the award.[9]

In 2017, he received a Lifetime Service Award from the National Publishers' Association.[24] In May 2019, he was named BMI Icon at BMI's 67th Annual Pop Awards.[25]

Personal life

Bandier has been married twice. He met his first wife Denise LeFrak, daughter of housing developer Samuel LeFrak, during college at Syracuse.[5] They had two children before divorcing: Allison Bandier Koffman and Jenifer Lee Bandier.[26][27]

His second wife is Dorothy Harris. They have one son: Max Harris Bandier.[28][29] The couple are members of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, Florida.[30]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "1990 Award and Induction Ceremony Induction Ceremonies". Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  2. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (November 21, 1991). "EMI Music Publishing Fills Chairman's Post". New York Times. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Stephanie English (March 1991). "On Our Short List". Syracuse University Magazine. Vol. 7, no. 3. p. 8. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  4. ^ Loughlin, Wendy S. (April 26, 2017). "'A Conversation With Martin Bandier '62' to Be Held May 1 at Newhouse School". SU News. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Creswell, Julie (August 22, 2009). "Turning Music Into Dollars at Sony/ATV". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  6. ^ a b O'Grady, Harold. "BLS LawNotes". ISSUU. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  7. ^ a b Cassy, John; Teather, David (March 2003). "The man who sold the world music". The Guardian. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  8. ^ a b Fabrikant, Geraldine (November 21, 1991). "EMI Music Publishing Fills Chairman's Post". New York Times. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  9. ^ a b c d Grammy.com November 12, 2014 Press release: Pre-GRAMMY Gala To Honor Martin Bandier
  10. ^ "Sony/ATV-led group swoops for EMI Music Publishing for $2.2bn". Music Business Worldwide. November 11, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  11. ^ "Martin Bandier confirms he'll be leaving Sony/ATV in March 2019". Music Business Worldwide. September 17, 2018. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  12. ^ Aswad, Jem; Halperin, Shirley (September 25, 2018). "Jon Platt to Officially Succeed Martin Bandier at Sony/ATV Music Publishing". Variety. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  13. ^ Trakin, Roy (September 14, 2018). "'Songs of Hope' Raises $400,000 for Cancer Research, Honors 2018's Top Music Makers". Variety. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  14. ^ King, Ashley (September 18, 2018). "Sony/ATV Music Publishing Chief Marty Bandier Is Officially Leaving". Digital Music News. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  15. ^ a b "Iconic Music Publisher Martin Bandier To Be Honored With Visionary Leadership Award: Songwriters Hall of Fame". www.songhall.org. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  16. ^ "Alumni: New York City". nyc.syr.edu. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  17. ^ Lewis, Randy (May 17, 2018). "'Music is a growth business again' — Sony/ATV Music Publishing CEO Martin Bandier". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  18. ^ Aswad, Jem (November 19, 2020). "Martin Bandier Establishes Scholarship for Diverse Students at Syracuse University's Bandier Program". Variety. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  19. ^ Loughlin, Wendy S. (November 19, 2020). "Martin Bandier '62 to Establish Marquee Scholarship Program for Students Pursuing Careers in the Music Industry". SU News. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  20. ^ Hanley, James (April 3, 2017). "Martin Bandier Program joins Newhouse School". Music Week. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  21. ^ Sugiyama, Satoshi (April 19, 2017). "Bandier program's move to Newhouse creates tension". The Daily Orange. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  22. ^ Duffy, Thom (March 25, 2019). "Billboard's 2019 Top Music Business Schools: Taking Classes From The Grammys To SXSW". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  23. ^ Duffy, Thom; Daniel, Danica (April 27, 2020). "Revealed: Billboard's 2020 Top Music Business Schools". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  24. ^ NMPAorg (July 10, 2017), NMPA 2017: Martin Bandier Accepts Lifetime Service Award, retrieved June 18, 2019
  25. ^ Desk, TV News. "Sting, Imagine Dragons, and Martin Bandier Honored at BMI's 67th Annual Pop Awards". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  26. ^ New York Times: "WEDDINGS; Allison Bandier and Jeffrey Koffman" April 9, 1995
  27. ^ New York Times: "WEDDINGS;Jennifer Bandier, W.J. Diggins 3d March 17, 1996
  28. ^ Zuckerman, Joshua (June 17, 2018). "Alexandra McDonough, Max Bandier". The New York Times. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  29. ^ Palm Beach Daily News: "Sony/ATV CEO Martin Bandier pays $3.3 million of Il Logano Condo by Augustus Mayhew, November 3, 2009
  30. ^ Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County: "2012 Honor Roll retrieved October 18, 2014
Categories