Seymour Stein, Sire Records Co-Founder Who Launched Madonna’s Career, Dead at 80

Seymour Stein, the music executive who signed Madonna, Talking Heads, The Ramones, and The Pretenders, has died. He was 80. The Sire Records co-founder also helped establish the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and was inducted into the Rock Hall himself in 2005. Stein died of cancer in Los Angeles, his family said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Stein was born on April 18, 1942, in New York City and began his career in the music industry working for Billboard magazine while still in high school. King Records owner Syd King asked Stein to work for him in Cincinnati and joined the company in 1961. However, he soon returned to New York City two years later.

While working in the Brill Building, Stein became friends with record executive Richard Gottehrer. In 1966, they would create the company that became Sire Records. The label initially focused on bringing European acts to the U.S., Stein began signing acts popular in the New York club scene, beginning with The Ramones in 1975. Stein would go on to play an influential role in the new wave scene of the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1982, Stein heard a demo of Madonna’s song “Everybody.” He signed the singer, and the song became her debut single. Sire released all of Madonna’s now-iconic albums and singles through 1992 when she left to start her own Maverick imprint. Madonna shared a tribute to Stein on Instagram Monday, recalling how she first met him when he was in the hospital with a heart ailment. She played him the demo of “Everybody” and he jokingly asked her if she was related to the Virgin Mary. At that moment, they knew they would work well together, Madonna wrote.

“This moment changed the course of my Life Forever,” Madonna wrote. “And was the beginning of my journey as a Musical Artist. Not only did Seymour hear me but he saw me and my Potential! For this, I will be eternally grateful! I am weeping as I write this down. Words cannot describe how I felt at this moment after years of grinding and being broke and getting every door slammed in my face.”

“Anyone who knew Seymour knew about his passion for music and his impeccable taste. He had an Ear like no other!
He was Intense – Wickedly Funny – a little bit Crazy And Deeply intuitive,” Madonna continued. “Dearest Seymour you will never be forgotten!! Thank You! Thank you Thank you! Shine on!!!”

Ice-T, who also recorded for Sire, shared a tribute on Twitter. “The Legend Seymour Stein passed away… He signed Me, BodyCount, Madonna, Lou Reed, Talking Heads, The Ramones, and many more incredible groups,” Ice-T wrote. “He asked me of all people the induct Him into the RockNRoll Hall of Fame. It’s a Sad day for me and all of music. Love you, Seymour. RIP.”

Stein was briefly married to the late record promoter and real estate executive Linda Adler, with whom he had two children, filmmaker Mandy Stein and Samantha Lee Jacobs, who died from brain cancer in 2013. Stein came out as gay in 2017 and never remarried. He also wrote a memoir, Siren Song: My Life in Music, published in 2018.