Steve Popovich

Steve Popovich (July 6, 1942 – June 8, 2011) was a Serbian American record company executive, the founder of Cleveland International Records, and notable for launching and guiding the careers of many famous artists through his work with the CBS label family, including The Jacksons, Cheap Trick, Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, Bob Dylan, and, perhaps most famously, Meat Loaf.

Popovich was born in Nemacolin, Pennsylvania, a coal-mining town. In the late '50s, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he joined a Cleveland-based rock band, the Twilighters, part of a small group of popular local R&B-based bands who launched the area rock scene in the pre-Beatles era.

In 1962, he began an inventory control job in the warehouse at Columbia Records' local branch. His enthusiasm and ear for music was noticed, gaining him a promotion to the sales desk, where he handled local Cleveland sales and radio and TV promotion for such artists as The Buckinghams, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Billy Joe Royal, Johnny Cash, Paul Revere & the Raiders, and Simon & Garfunkel. His talent was soon noticed by executives and in 1969 Ron Alexenburg, Director of Promotion at Columbia, promoted him to become his assistant.

In 1972, at the age of 30, in recognition of his work, legendary record executive Clive Davis appointed him the first Vice President of Promotion for Columbia Records, making him the youngest VP at CBS at the time. As VP of Promotion, his local and regional staff continued their work with The Buckinghams, Johnny Cash, and Paul Revere & the Raiders, and also worked to maximize the careers of such artists as Loggins & Messina, Jerry Vale, O.C. Smith, Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show, Shel Silverstein, Boz Scaggs, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Santana, Janis Joplin, Marty Robbins, Lynn Anderson, Tom Rush, David Bromberg, The New York Rock & Roll Ensemble, Dave Mason, West, Bruce & Laing, Mahavishnu Orchestra, It's a Beautiful Day, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Johnny Mathis, Chicago, Percy Faith, Tony Bennett, Peter Nero, Earth, Wind & Fire, Taj Mahal, The Manhattans, The Wombles, Mark Lindsay, Tony Bennett, Eric Andersen, Andy Williams, Ray Coniff, David Essex, Chambers Brothers, Miles Davis, Mott the Hoople, Johnny Winter and others.

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