DICK ASHER,
1932-2024

Dick Asher, the longtime record executive who held top posts at CBS and PolyGram and who, at CBS, played a key role in curtailing payments to the informal alliance of independent record promoters known as the Network, as chronicled in the book Hit Men, died on 7/23 at age 92. Variety reported that Asher died at his home in Boca Raton, Florida.

A former Marine turned lawyer, Asher got his start in the music business working for attorney Paul Marshall, whose clients included Al Nevins and Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music. Aldon employed the hitmaking group of songwriters synonymous with New York’s Brill Building: Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Neil Sedaka, Gerry Goffin and Carole King

“Carole used to park her baby daughter’s playpen in front of my secretary’s desk… while Carole was in the music room writing with Gerry,” Asher told journalist Mike Sigman.

In 1966 newly installed Columbia Records president Clive Davis recruited Asher to join the label as vice president of business affairs, in which capacity he negotiated Bob Dylan’s contract renewal. “I went up to Woodstock and hung out in a barn with Dylan and [manager] Albert [Grossman], and we hammered out a deal,” said Asher.

After a brief stint at Capitol, Asher went back to Columbia, this time as executive vice president of CBS International, and then moved to London to become managing director of CBS Records U.K. Asher returned to Black Rock in 1975 to run CBS International, where he championed singer Julio Igelsias, among others.

In 1979, CBS Inc. CEO John Backe, a former Air Force squadron commander himself, appointed Asher deputy president of CBS, working alongside larger-than-life CBS president Walter Yetnikoff. While Yetnikoff, a top-tier dealmaker, wined and dined artists and fully enjoyed the perks of the position, Asher was his bottom-line-aware lieutenant. Though the two often clashed, together they presided over a period of enormous success, with a roster that included top-selling artists Men at Work, Loverboy, The Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd and, most crucially, Michael Jackson, whose Thriller shattered sales records.

Asher with George Clinton and Yetnikoff; with Jon Bon Jovi

Despite the label’s record profits, tensions grew between Yetnikoff and Asher, with the money paid to independent promoters—and the unsavory nature of some of those promoters—one source of disagreement. Things came to a head in April 1983, and CBS, at Yetnikoff’s urging, fired Asher.

Asher would do a brief turn as SVP at Warner Communications before being named president/CEO of PolyGram Records in October 1985. Under his leadership, PolyGram trailed only CBS and Warner, propelled by top-selling hard-rock acts Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Cinderella and the Scorpions. He also got a measure of revenge on CBS by poaching Bob Jamieson to become general manager, Dick Wingate to run A&R and Jim Urie for sales.

Asher’s PolyGram tenure ended in 1989 when he and the company could not resolve a contract dispute over compensation.

After he returned to practicing law, Asher became an original director for Electronic Arts software. He also served as an affiliate professor at Florida Atlantic University.

Asher is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Sheila, a son, Jeffrey, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.