Gary Stewart, Veteran of Rhino Records and Apple Music, Dies at 62

Gary Stewart, a veteran of Rhino Records and Apple Music and a widely known figure on the Los Angeles rock scene for more than 40 years, has died, the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office confirmed to Variety. He was 62; the cause of death was pending at press time.

A Los Angeles native, several of Stewart’s close friends spoke of first meeting him in the mid-1970s at the old Rhino record store in Westwood, where he was an archetypal “record store guy” who loved little more than “turning people on” to music or films that he thought they would love — his friends said quality remained with him for his entire life. Stewart soon moved up to Rhino’s fast-growing record company, where he was one of the first people hired by founders Harold Bronson and Richard Foos, and ultimately rose to the position of Senior VP of A&R for Rhino Entertainment. In recent years he worked two separate stints at Apple Music, where he applied his voluminous musical knowledge to catalog curation.

Stewart was also deeply involved in Rhino’s charity efforts — the company required employees to dedicate a day or two to community service every year — and in recent years worked closely with the Community Coalition and was chairman of the Liberty Hill Foundation. Over the years he was also involved with the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy and served on the board of the Social Venture Network, a nonprofit organization of socially responsible business leaders.

A bachelor, Stewart was renowned for his generous spirit — friends recall him buying dozens of tickets to Sparks and Wild Honey concerts and giving them away because he thought people should see those shows — and threw “Losers’ Christmas” parties every Christmas Day for more than 30 years, at which his wide social circle of musicians, executives and other friends congregated.

He is survived by a brother.

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