GABRIEL BLOWS HIS HORN AT WARNER BROS. RECORDS

Howard Gabriel has joined Warner Bros. Records as Executive Vice President Marketing. In this role, Gabriel will lead and oversee the company’s marketing initiatives, while also helping drive long-term strategy as a member of WBR’s senior management team.

Gabriel comes to the company following two decades with Sony’s RED Distribution, where he was most recently SVP Label Management. He’ll relocate from New York to the WBR ski lodge in Burbank. Like label prexy/ head of A&R Dan McCarroll and Like EVP/head of promotion　Peter Gray, Gabriel will report directly to Chairman/CEO Cameron Strang.

Gabriel and Strang have maintained a strong relationship since 1997, when Strang’s inked a distribution deal with RED for his then newly launched New West Records. 　

"I've known Howie for many years, and I’m a great admirer of his artist-driven approach to marketing and long-term development," Strang noted in Monday’s announcement. "He brings a real fan’s enthusiasm to his work, and his tremendous creativity, entrepreneurial drive and approachable leadership style make him a perfect fit with our mission to be the most nurturing home for the best talent. I’m thrilled to be working with him again and join everyone at WBR in welcoming him to the team."

Gabriel was similarly enthused in his statement. "It’s an honor to join such a legendary label at such an exciting time in its history," he said. "It’s always been my view that the role of marketing is to support A&R, to use every avenue possible to expose and develop artists and to help them realize their dreams and visions. The level of talent at Warner Bros.—within the executive team and across its artist roster—is phenomenal, and I thank Cameron for the opportunity to contribute to this label’s ongoing renaissance."

Early in his career, Gabriel worked for the sister blues labels Yazoo and Blue Goose. While at the latter, he did publicity and bookings for a variety of artists, including legendary cartoonist R. Crumb. Gabriel later served as VP Marketing for both the Relativity and Important labels, which evolved into RED Distribution, becoming part of Sony Music in 1993. Before becoming SVP Label Management, he served as SVP/GM of Red Ink, the company’s in-house marketing and label services arm.