Sad news - we were due to lunch next time the ex head of RCA came down here.

I saw a post about this on Facebook. I see Record Of The Day has mad a reference to it on their daily news email. BUT NO MENTION OF IT IN MUSIC WEEK's online news service!

John, who died on Saturday, was Chairman of BMG Records, (one of the 5 majors at the time) throughout most of the 1990s, overseeing RCA Records, Arista, Jive and many other great labels. He was also chairman of the BPI.

You're very quickly forgotten once you leave the Record Industry!

Music Week have now posted a story. And a very good one too, so I withdraw my previous comment:
www.musicweek.com/labels/read/annie-lenn...-john-preston/070579

Yes a very nice obit indeed; endorsed by all of us who knew him well.

Incidentally not picked up by many commentators, John's wife Roz was Tony Blair's personal assistant for many years; that was when I first met Blair (at a Springsteen gig at Wembley with John and Roz).

I'm actually surprised this story hasn't had wider coverage. I never knew Roz, but I was aware she was connected to Tony Blair at the time. Tony Blair addressed the BPI at an AGM in the mid-1990s. (possibly when John was BPI Chairman). I was very pleased to have John's support when I needed it. BTW, I'm retiring at the end of the year, but will be doing a bit of consulting next year.