Alvin "Skip" Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1946 |
| Origin | New York, New York, U.S. |
| Died | September 4, 2009 (aged 62–63) |
| Genres | Rock,soul,pop,rap,jazz |
| Occupation | Record executive |
| Years active | 1971–2009 |
| Labels | Motown,RCA |
Alvin "Skip" Miller (1946 - September 4, 2009) was an American recording industry executive. He worked for 17 years atMotown Records (1971–1988) and served as the label's last president before the company was sold to MCA. While at Motown, he was credited with developingRick James,DeBarge and theCommodores. After the sale of Motown, Miller worked for a decade atRCA Records, where he was credited with rejuvenating the label's black music division and helping to develop therap genre. He later worked as the manager ofLionel Richie's solo career.
Born in New York City,[1] Miller was the son of a fireman.[2] He graduated fromHofstra University with a degree in chemistry.[3] Miller joined theU.S. Army in 1968 and served in theVietnam War.[1][2]
In September 2009, Miller died of a heart attack while being treated for an intestinal infection atCedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.[2] After Miller's death, Smokey Robinson called Miller "an integral part of . . . our Motown family. He was my brother, and I loved him very much. What a loss."[2]
Miller began his career in the recording industry as a stock clerk for Motown in 1971.[4] He was promoted through the ranks at Motown to positions in sales, marketing and artist relations.[4] He received theRecording Industry Association of America's Music Executive of the Year award in 1980[3][5] and became the president of Motown Records in 1987.[4] He remained president of Motown until the company was sold to MCA in 1988.[5] In his 17 years at Motown, Miller has been credited with being a key to the success of numerous artists, includingRick James,DeBarge and theCommodores.[2] He also worked withStevie Wonder,Smokey Robinson andDiana Ross.[5]
After the sale of Motown, Miller worked for a decade at RCA Records.[3] He was the senior vice president of black, jazz and progressive music at RCA,[5] where he was credited with rejuvenating the label’s black music division.[2] He discovered and developedSWV,Me Phi Me andStacy Earl.[3][5] He also helped develop to the rap genre, working withDJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (Will Smith),Kool Moe Dee,Too Short andKRS-One.[3][5]
In 1998, Miller he took over Lion Tracks, where he was the manager ofLionel Richie's solo career.[3] In 2004, he established Panda Entertainment Group, a talent management company where he worked with Richie,R. Kelly, Lina,Nathan Stone andMegan Peeler.[5]