Charlie Walk | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Walk in 2014 | |
| Born | (1968-09-02)September 2, 1968 (age 56) |
| Alma mater | Boston University |
| Spouse | Lauran Walk |
| Website | www.musicmastery.com |
| Signature | |
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Charlie Walk (born September 2, 1968) is an American music executive and entrepreneur. He was the president ofRepublic Records from 2016–2018, and the president ofEpic Records from 2005–2008.[1] In 2018, he appeared as a judge on theFox reality seriesThe Four: Battle for Stardom.[2][3][4]
Walk said he first wanted to work in the music industry when he was eight years old, when he listened to Boston'sWRKO on his portable radio.[5] Walk started out in 1987 as a college marketing representative forSony Music Distributions New England branch while he was attendingBoston University's School of Management (Questrom School Of Business).[6] He graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree inBusiness Administration.[7]
Walk married Lauran Miller in 1997. The couple lives inTribeca andWater Mill since 2003 and have four children.[8]
Walk worked atColumbia Records in 1990 as a marketing and promotion manager covering the Northeast Region. His first job was to work with theNew Kids on the Block over their first days on their local promotion, trying to break them into the mainstream.[9] Since 1994, he is Director, since 1997 Vice President in Pop Promotion.[7]
During his time at Columbia he became vice president for promotion at the label, and was profiled byThe New York Times as one of the music industry's "young guns" in 1998.[10] At Columbia he worked withDestiny's Child andBeyoncé Knowles,[11]Will Smith,Maxwell,John Legend,Mariah Carey,The Fugees,Lauryn Hill,Wyclef Jean,John Mayer,Bruce Springsteen, andAerosmith.[12][failed verification]
He was named executive vice president, promotion, in 2000 from the position of senior vice president of pop promotion. In 2004, he was promoted to executive vice president of creative marketing and promotion at Columbia where he was in charge of developing strategies in non-traditional marketing areas, along with licensing.[13][14]
In December 2005, Walk became president ofEpic Records.[15]Jessica Simpson moved from Columbia to Epic to follow Walk.[16] He also worked with the label’s established artists, includingRedOne.[17]
He also created a partnership with ABC to integrate Epic artists with their programming, which enabled viewers to purchase songs they heard on ABC television shows.[18] Walk also broke new artists at Epic includingThe Script,Sean Kingston,The Fray,Sara Bareilles andNatasha Bedingfield.[19] He was let go from the label in December 2008.[20]
In February 2009, Walk started his own entertainment company CWE Media to create content forEndemol, with a talent management and strategic branding divisions.[7][21] Walk was executive producing the television content developed by the company.[18][22] The company was functioning until 2011.
Later in 2009, Walk co-founded RJW Collective, later known as JWALK.[23] The company's clients include the retailerLacoste and the television broadcasterABC.[12][24]
In 2013 Walk joined Republic Records as its executive vice president.[6] His position involves overseeing the marketing, PR and promotion teams for the label.[23][25][26] On July 2, 2014, Walk produced a one-off revival episode ofTotal Request Live on MTV entitled "Total Ariana Live".[27] He has also helped bring inJohn Varvatos Records.[28]
In 2014, Walk ledEnrique Iglesias' "Bailando" single campaign, which crossed the song over from Latin radio to Top 40 radio. The song has a blend of English and Spanish lyrics, and became the highest charting bilingual single since "The Macarena" in 1996.[29] Walk spearheaded Taylor Swift’s "Shake It Off" campaign which led Swift to become the first artist to have a single debut at number one on the pop music radio charts.[30] Additionally, Walk led the promotion for Lorde's quadruple platinum single "Royals".The Wall Street Journal wrote that Walk "is working on creating partnerships with radio stations, concert venues and music publications or blogs that will circulate her music without catapulting it into the mainstream. Instead of sending her music to KIIS, a famous top-40 Los Angeles radio station, they've turned to San Francisco's Live105 and Chicago's Q101, alternative stations."[31] Walk also signedHailee Steinfeld to Republic.[32][5]
In February 2016, Walk was named president of the Republic Group, a newly formed grouping under the Universal Music Group, where he was charged with developing strategic partnerships with sister labels in addition to his role in charge of promotions and artist development.[33] In 2016 Walk co-founded Guess Music, after approaching Paul Marciano to discuss his expanding their partnership into a full-fledged label.[34] He also signedDNCE.[35]
In 2023, Walk launched Aspen Artists, a media platform for marketing, branding and promoting music artists. Their offices are located in New York City and Mexico City[36][better source needed]
Walk was accused ofsexual misconduct on January 29, 2018. He denied the allegation. On January 31, Republic placed him on leave, pending an investigation. He resigned from his position as a judge onThe Four: Battle for Stardom on February 1. Ina statement, he said: "Out of respect for the contestants, my fellow judges and everyone involved with the show, I have made the decision not to attend the finale ofThe Four. I do not want my presence to be a distraction. Needless to say this is very upsetting."[37][38]
In March 2018, following an internal review, Universal and Walk agreed to "mutually part ways."[39][40][41][38][42]
In March 2021, Walk filed a lawsuit seeking $60 million in damages fromMarc Kasowitz, the attorney who negotiated his Universal exit deal. The suit stated that rather than defending Walk against "facially incredible claims," Kasowitz and his law firm "passively cooperated with UMG, leaving Mr. Walk defenseless."[43] The suit was dismissed in January 2022 byNew York Supreme Court Justice Andrew Borrok.[44]
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Preceded by | Chairman & Chief Executive Officer ofEpic Records 2005–2008 | Succeeded by |