Andre Harrell, Music Executive Who Discovered Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs, Dies at 59 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

MA · 05-09-2020, 05:48 AM

https://variety.com/2020/music/news/...bs-1234602676/

Andre Harrell, a veteran music executive best known as the founder of Uptown Records, where Sean “Puffy” Combs got his start in the business, who later went on to head Motown Records, has died. He was 59. The cause of death is as yet unclear.

DJ D-Nice revealed the sad news while spinning on Instagram Live for his popular Club Quarantine series Friday night (May 8). Variety has yet to receive official word though sources have confirmed Harrell’s passing.

A native of New York, Harrell started his career in music as an artist, one-half of the early rap duo Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, whose single “Genius Rap” was a minor hit in 1981. In 1983 Harrell teamed with Russell Simmons, the founder of Def Jam Records, and had one of his early experiences in the business working as a vice president and later GM of the label.

He left to start his own record company, Uptown Records, in 1986. Stylish, sophisticated and fashion-forward, the label played a key role in the development of the New Jack Swing style of R&B, courtesy of acts like Guy (featuring the hugely influential producer-performer Teddy Riley), Al B. Sure and Jodeci, as well as crossover hip-hop via Heavy D and the Boyz and Father MC. Harrell also signed the teenage Mary J. Blige in the late ’80s, though her career at the label didn’t fully take off until the early ’90s, with help from Harrell’s enterprising former intern, Sean “Puffy” Combs, who was quickly elevated to an A&R position at Uptown.

Combs’ A&R gig led to him discovering the demo tape for a rapper named Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G. As the story goes, Diddy was fired from Uptown in 1993 after which he launched Bad Boy Records and promptly signed Wallace to a deal with his own label.

Harrell would later find a home for Uptown at MCA where he simultaneously developed multiple projects in film and television in the 1990s, including the movie and soundtrack “Strictly Business.” In 1995, he went on to run Motown Records as president and CEO for a brief period not long after the label’s acquisition by PolyGram.

Harrell and Combs remained longtime friends and business associates and Harrell served as vice chairman of Revolt, Combs’ multi-platform music network, and a producer on its panel show “State of the Culture.”

A pioneer of hip-hop and R&B and black entertainment in general, serving as executive producer of the series “New York Undercover,” Harrell could be seen at many red carpet events on both coasts. He appears in Diddy’s 2017 documentary “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story” and, according to IMDB, had been working on a TV miniseries about Uptown that was in the development phase at BET. The three-part miniseries titled “Uptown” had Harrell on board as executive producer and was scheduled to hit the airwaves in 2020.

Hawkee · 05-10-2020, 04:20 AM

I do remember hearing a lot about Andre Harrell because I happened to be a Mary J. Blige fan and I remember on my copy of Mary's What's The 411? Remix album that there was an intermission called Mary And Andre where he talked about producing Mary J. Blige's What's The 411 album and it was because of Andre Harrell that Mary J. Blige got really famous and he became her crush but Mary and Andre broke up when Mary started dating K-Ci Hailey from the group Jodeci which is a group that Andre Harrell also signed to Uptown Records
Bestie

Hawkee · 06-15-2020, 02:37 AM

Did they ever find out the cause of Andre Harrell's death? I'm just curious to know?
Bestie

MA · 06-19-2020, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBestia

Did they ever find out the cause of Andre Harrell's death? I'm just curious to know?
Bestie

According to Wendy Credle, Harrell's ex-wife, he had been suffering from heart problems in the time leading up to his death.

Hawkee · 06-22-2020, 03:15 AM

Andre Harrell had heart problems? That's really surprising because at 59 you still have loads of energy to spare. I also discovered that Andre Harrell also produced albums by the group Zhane which is also a favorite group of mine. Andre Harrell will be missed for his talent for finding new groups to become huge in the music industry
Bestie

MA · 06-22-2020, 07:55 AM

Yes.

05-09-2020, 05:48 AM	#1
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,322	Andre Harrell, Music Executive Who Discovered Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs, Dies at 59 https://variety.com/2020/music/news/...bs-1234602676/ Andre Harrell, a veteran music executive best known as the founder of Uptown Records, where Sean “Puffy” Combs got his start in the business, who later went on to head Motown Records, has died. He was 59. The cause of death is as yet unclear. DJ D-Nice revealed the sad news while spinning on Instagram Live for his popular Club Quarantine series Friday night (May 8). Variety has yet to receive official word though sources have confirmed Harrell’s passing. A native of New York, Harrell started his career in music as an artist, one-half of the early rap duo Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, whose single “Genius Rap” was a minor hit in 1981. In 1983 Harrell teamed with Russell Simmons, the founder of Def Jam Records, and had one of his early experiences in the business working as a vice president and later GM of the label. He left to start his own record company, Uptown Records, in 1986. Stylish, sophisticated and fashion-forward, the label played a key role in the development of the New Jack Swing style of R&B, courtesy of acts like Guy (featuring the hugely influential producer-performer Teddy Riley), Al B. Sure and Jodeci, as well as crossover hip-hop via Heavy D and the Boyz and Father MC. Harrell also signed the teenage Mary J. Blige in the late ’80s, though her career at the label didn’t fully take off until the early ’90s, with help from Harrell’s enterprising former intern, Sean “Puffy” Combs, who was quickly elevated to an A&R position at Uptown. Combs’ A&R gig led to him discovering the demo tape for a rapper named Christopher Wallace, aka Notorious B.I.G. As the story goes, Diddy was fired from Uptown in 1993 after which he launched Bad Boy Records and promptly signed Wallace to a deal with his own label. Harrell would later find a home for Uptown at MCA where he simultaneously developed multiple projects in film and television in the 1990s, including the movie and soundtrack “Strictly Business.” In 1995, he went on to run Motown Records as president and CEO for a brief period not long after the label’s acquisition by PolyGram. Harrell and Combs remained longtime friends and business associates and Harrell served as vice chairman of Revolt, Combs’ multi-platform music network, and a producer on its panel show “State of the Culture.” A pioneer of hip-hop and R&B and black entertainment in general, serving as executive producer of the series “New York Undercover,” Harrell could be seen at many red carpet events on both coasts. He appears in Diddy’s 2017 documentary “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story” and, according to IMDB, had been working on a TV miniseries about Uptown that was in the development phase at BET. The three-part miniseries titled “Uptown” had Harrell on board as executive producer and was scheduled to hit the airwaves in 2020.
	__________________ ~-Mikaela-~

05-10-2020, 04:20 AM	#2
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,776	I do remember hearing a lot about Andre Harrell because I happened to be a Mary J. Blige fan and I remember on my copy of Mary's What's The 411? Remix album that there was an intermission called Mary And Andre where he talked about producing Mary J. Blige's What's The 411 album and it was because of Andre Harrell that Mary J. Blige got really famous and he became her crush but Mary and Andre broke up when Mary started dating K-Ci Hailey from the group Jodeci which is a group that Andre Harrell also signed to Uptown Records Bestie
	__________________ Hawkee and Aguilar, Hoping to be a great team

06-15-2020, 02:37 AM	#3
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,776	Did they ever find out the cause of Andre Harrell's death? I'm just curious to know? Bestie

06-22-2020, 03:15 AM	#5
Hawkee Michael Fassbender Fanatic Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Location: California Posts: 10,776	Andre Harrell had heart problems? That's really surprising because at 59 you still have loads of energy to spare. I also discovered that Andre Harrell also produced albums by the group Zhane which is also a favorite group of mine. Andre Harrell will be missed for his talent for finding new groups to become huge in the music industry Bestie

06-22-2020, 07:55 AM	#6
MA Member Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: May 20, 2017 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 127,322	Yes.