THE music executive behind the likes of Sinéad O'Connor, The Boomtown Rats and Thin Lizzy has died aged 70 in Los Angeles.
Nigel Grainge, the man who signed numerous musicians at the very start of their careers, died on Sunday, June 11 following complications after a recent surgery, his family said.
Sinéad O'Connor was signed by Nigel Grainge at the beginning of her career. (Picture: ALESSANDRO DELLA VALLE/AFP/Getty Images)Mr Grainge, a London-native who spent his youth in his father's record shop in north London in the early 1950s, began his music industry career in 1970 as a credit control clerk in the accounting department at Phonogram which would later become Mercury Records, where his encyclopedic knowledge of music led to several promotions.
In 1973, he was appointed label manager for all US repertoire where he played a key role in the success of British hits It’s Four in the Morning by Faron Young and My Ding-A-Ling by Chuck Berry.
Eventually becoming the head of A&R for Phonogram, he signed Thin Lizzy, Steve Miller Band, 10cc, Eddy Grant, Graham Parker and the Rumour and Clover.
Founding his own label in 1976, Ensign, Nigel Grainge signed The Boomtown Rats, who later achieved more than a dozen top 40 hits in Britain, as well as the Waterboys, and Sinéad O'Connor who achieved worldwide success with her cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2 U in 1990.
The label would also release many influential reggae and jazz-funk recordings.
According to Billboard Magazine, of the first 50 singles released by Ensign, more than half of them charted, “a virtually unprecedented success for the UK record industry.”
He was dubbed by Billboard Magazine as “one of the most respected and knowledgeable A&R men in the business.”
In 2000, Ensign was sold to Chrysalis Records, and in 2002, Grainge moved to Los Angeles where he served as a consultant to artists, publishers and record companies.
In addition, his incredible knowledge of the history of music made him a highly sought after lecturer.
Grainge served as a consultant on the HBO series Vinyl.
His most recent venture was a Los-Angeles based start-up, TunesMap - a company dedicated to “visualizing the world around your favorite music.”
The early-stage company is currently working with several major music companies.
A family man and lifelong Arsenal supporter, Nigel Grainge is survived by his two daughters, Heidi and Roxie; his sister, Stephanie Grainge, two brothers, Sir Lucian Grainge and Justin Grainge and his grandson, Jasper.
