Brazilia tony mottola biography
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Tommy Mottola, former Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment is one of the most influential executives in the history of the music industry who currently heads the Mottola Media Group, a global media and entertainment company in New York City that includes live theater and television production. He is credited with discovering and guiding the careers of many of the world’s most iconic artists such as Hall and Oates, Carly Simon, John Mellencamp, Mariah Carey, and Celine Dion, as well as forging a new global superstar by creating what in 1999 TIME Magazine called the “Latin Explosion” in signing and developing Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and Marc Anthony. Starting as a musician and an Epic Records recording artist at the age of eighteen, He returned twenty years later to run that very company as Sony Music Entertainment’s global CEO. He revitalized Sony’s publishing division by making such acquisitions as the Beatles ca
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A guitarist best known for his extensive solo and session work on producer Enoch Light's Command and Project 3 labels, Tony Mottola was born April 18, 1918 in Kearny, NJ. He began playing guitar at the age of nine, and attended high school alongside ill-fated jazz saxophonist Herbie Haymer and future bandleader George Paxton; after graduating, Mottola toured with George Hall's orchestra, making his recorded debut on the group's rendition of "Shine." In 1941 he was hired by the CBS radio studio orchestra, performing behind everyone from Raymond Scott to Frank Sinatra; there Mottola also backed Perry Como, with whom he remained as an accompanist for many years. Concurrently he also earned notice for his solo musical score for the Yul Brynner television series Danger. Mottola released his first Command LP Mr. Big in 1959; when Light formed the audiophile label Project 3 in 1965, the guitarist went with him, additionally serving as an associate producer. At that time, Mottola also playe
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The Vision
As Mariah’s album neared completion, Tommy Mottola delved deeper into the music. Narada had produced the first single, “Vision of Love,” and they had their third hit single figured out (“Someday”), but they were still missing the second big ballad that Tommy was hoping for. As he listened to the songs produced by Narada, he grew increasingly perceptive of an additional factor in the music, a hidden ingredient that he couldn’t quite pinpoint. Eventually, he discovered the answer: the keyboard player, Walter Afanasieff.
Intrigued, Tommy Mottola called Walter Afanasieff, a talented keyboard player helping Narada with arrangements. Tommy heard nothing but great things about him from colleagues and even those from Whitney Houston’s group. Although Walter was quiet, he was confident he could do great things with him. When they met, Tommy had no idea that Walter was born in Brazil to Russian parents, with a classical music back