Moss died Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles.
Jerry Moss, co-founder of A&M Records, has died. He was 88.
According to Variety, the record exec -- who along with his business partner, Herb Alpert, turned A&M into one of America’s leading independent record labels -- died Wednesday at his home in Bel Air.
"They truly don't make them like him anymore and we will miss conversations with him about everything under the sun. The twinkle in his eyes as he approached every moment ready for the next adventure," his family said in a statement to the Associated Press.
In a statement to ET, Alpert said, "I never met a nicer, honest, sensitive, smart and talented man than my partner Jerry Moss."
Dionne Warwick, who wasn't an A&M artist, but had been close to Moss ever since he helped promote her music in the early 1960s also released a statement, calling him one of the "kindest gentlemen" and her "dear friend."
"Another of my dear friends has made his transition. Jerry Moss was and will always be remembered as one that was always one of the kindest gentlemen I had the pleasure of calling my friend," Warwick's statement reads. "He cared about my wellbeing and while working as my promotion man at Scepter Records seemed to go the extra yard for me. I like so many others will definitely miss this Champion of a Man. Rest in Peace my Dear Friend."
Berry Gordy, founder of Motown, also shared a statement on Moss' passing with ET.
"Jerry Moss, my dear friend of many years, was truly a class act," the statement reads. "I admired this man of great honor and integrity. We came up as Independent Record Label owners at a time when big corporations were squeezing out the little guy. And we survived. At A&M, Jerry and his partner, Herb Alpert were brilliant as they moved through the decades and among different genres of music. Jerry and I also shared a great love of horse racing and we both cheered like crazy at the track if the other one was in that winner’s circle. I will miss him. My condolences to his family and friends."
Born Jerome Sheldon Moss, he grew up in the Bronx and graduated from Brooklyn College. He later moved to the West Coast and launched A&M Records, which became one of the most successful independent record labels.
Moss, who was inducted with Alpert into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, released a myriad of hit albums over the years, including Whipped Cream & Other Delights, Carole King's Tapestry and Peter Frampton's Frampton Comes Alive! They were home to the Carpenters, Cat Stevens, Janet Jackson, Soundgarden, Joe Cocker, Suzanne Vega, the Go-Gos and Sheryl Crow.
Among the label's big singles were hits like Alpert's "A Taste of Honey," the Captain and Tennille's, "Love Will Keep Us Together," Frampton's "Show Me the Way" and "Every Breath You Take," by the Police.
In recent years, Moss had shifted his efforts to philanthropy, including a 2020 gift of $25 million from him and his wife Tina Morse to L.A.’s Music Center, creating the complex's outdoor plaza, which was renamed after him.
His last public event came in January, where he was feted by the Music Center with a tribute concert at the Mark Taper Forum, with Alpert speaking, David Foster serving as host and Frampton, Warwick and Amy Grant all serenading the guest of honor.
"Jerry was dedicated to giving back to the community by supporting arts experiences that resonate in the hearts and minds of all Angelenos and meaningfully impact their lives," Rachel S. Moore, president-CEO of the Music Center said in a statement to Variety. "His artistic influence and business savvy, along with the opportunities he provided for numerous extraordinarily talented artists, changed the course of music forever. That was his gift to us all. We offer our heartfelt sympathies to Tina and the entire Moss family."
Moss's survivors include his second wife, Tina Morse, and four children -- Ron, Jennifer, Harrison and Daniela; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
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