R.I.P., GARY ARNOLD

Gary Arnold, the beloved former executive at Disc Records, Trans World Entertainment and Hollywood Records who built Best Buy’s recorded music business, died Monday at home in San Diego after a long battle with cancer.

During his 18 years at Best Buy, Arnold took the retailer into the exclusives business, starting in 1995 with a complimentary Beatles interview CD included with every purchase of Anthology 1. His efforts were key in making the retailer a force in the music industry.

Arnold secured exclusives such as Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy, The Rolling Stones DVDs Four Flicks and Biggest Bang and the live-streamed final concert of The Police.

He was promoted to Senior VP, Entertainment Marketing, and later SVP of Best Buy’s U.S. entertainment business, which included movie, music, gaming and PC software and video game hardware.

He also launched the company’s in-house label Redline Entertainment, and among the signings was Joe Satriani’s Chickenfoot. Satriani, Sammy Hagar and Matt Sorum were among the artists offering condolences on social media.

A member of the board of the Grammy Foundation, in 1999 he became the first retailer to serve on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Committee. He was a supporter of Farm Aid as well.

In 2011, he founded his own technology and entertainment consultancy.