Dave Glew, who turned 80 on Groundhog’s Day, has the perfect surname. During his decades in the music biz, he was the glue guy at Atlantic (1971-88), and he subsequently played the same role at Sony Music until he retired in 2003.

Although Dave was part of Tommy Mottola’s inner circle—dubbed the 55th Street Gang—along with Don Ienner, Mel Ilberman and Michele Anthony, the Epic chief nimbly managed to stay above the fray, the voice of reason, his ego always in check, his intellect and humanity immediately apparent.

He generously gave of his time to nurture the young executives who worked under him, including Steve Barnett and the late Polly Anthony, and the respect and affection with which he’s viewed by his peers and proteges is comparable to Andy Reid’s beloved status within the coaching fraternity.

“I pride myself on my people,” Glew told History of the Music Biz author Mike Sigman in 2017, deflecting attention from himself, as always. “I had incredible people. I treated them right, and they really worked hard… I tried to lead by example.” (You can read the full profile here.)

As he enters his ninth decade, Dave remains as fit as he was back in the glory days when he was known as Mr. Cleveland; his regimen includes pumping iron, playing tennis and hiking Canyon Ranch. With his wife Ann by his side, he’s enjoying life as much as ever because, as he showed throughout his distinguished career, Dave Glew knows how to live.