Eddie Rosenblatt, the longtime president of Geffen Records from its inception in 1980 through its peak years, died Tuesday (July 16) at a hospital in Santa Barbara. He was 89.
His son Michael confirmed the cause of death was pneumonia.
Rosenblatt played a pivotal role in the rise of Geffen Records, steering the label through its formative years and establishing it as a powerhouse in the music industry. Under his leadership, Geffen Records became synonymous with the success of major artists like Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, and Don Henley.
Born in Queens, New York, in 1934, Rosenblatt’s journey into the music industry began after a stint in the Army and completing Macy’s management training program.
He moved to Cleveland to work at Cosnat Distributing in the early 1960s, marking his entry into the music business. In 1962, he joined Main Line Distribution, forming relationships with industry giants such as Gil Friesen, Jerry Moss, and Jac Holzman, paving the way for his career at A&M Records and later Warner Bros.
Rosenblatt’s expertise in sales and marketing at Warner Bros., where he worked closely with artists like Joni Mitchell, caught the attention of David Geffen.
Geffen, who managed Mitchell, appointed Rosenblatt as president of Geffen Records when the label was founded in 1980. The label’s initial roster included high-profile signings like John Lennon, Elton John, and Donna Summer, although it was John Lennon’s album, Double Fantasy, released just before his tragic death, that marked its first major success.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Rosenblatt oversaw a roster that included hard rock and alternative acts such as Whitesnake, Weezer, Peter Gabriel, Sonic Youth, and Nirvana.
The label’s success was furthered by the creation of DGC Records, which became a major player in the alternative rock scene with artists like Beck and Hole.
Geffen Records was sold to MCA in 1990 for $550 million, and despite David Geffen’s departure in 1995 to launch DreamWorks SKG, Rosenblatt continued to lead the label successfully.
He was known for his ability to cultivate talent, both among artists and executives. Many of the industry’s top A&R executives and future label presidents, including Gary Gersh, Tom Zutaut, and Wendy Goldstein, got their start under his mentorship.
Mo Ostin, Rosenblatt’s former boss at Warner, once said, “If you think of David as the vision behind Geffen Records, then Eddie is the heart. That label is not just profitable, it’s got hipness and heat, and Eddie is the glue that has held it together all these years.”
In a 1994 Billboard interview, Rosenblatt spoke about Geffen’s success in the alternative rock scene, saying, “We, up to this point, are a rock’n’roll record company. We are not in the urban business. We are not in the country business. We’re not in the classical music business. We are in the rock’n’roll business. We’re just taking advantage of some excellent signings that our A&R department was fortunate enough to get, and some excellent records that those artists have made.”
Rosenblatt retired from the music business following the merger of PolyGram and Universal Music Group. He spent his retirement in Montecito, Calif., where he was an avid tennis player and philanthropist.
Rosenblatt is survived by his four children, Michael, Steven, Peter, and Gretchen, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. His wife of 68 years, Bobbi, died in 2023.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Sansum Clinic, a nonprofit outpatient healthcare organization, at sansumclinic.org/donate-now.