and become the biggest selling and most influential band of all time. Rowe subsequently signed several Liverpool bands and musicians to Decca, including Beryl Marsden and The Big Three. On George Harrison's recommendation, he also signed The Rolling Stones. In the 1960s, he remained one of the most important producers and record executives in the United Kingdom, and signed Them (featuring Van Morrison), the Moody Blues, the Zombies, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Tom Jones, the Small Faces, the Marmalade, the Animals, Cat Stevens, Procol Harum, Kathy Kirby, and Gilbert O Sullivan amongst others. Rowe retired in 1975, and died as a result of diabetes in 1986 at the age of 64. List of productions As a producer he had several number ones in the singles chart, and his discography includes: The Stargazers: "Broken Wings" released Feb 1953 Lita Roza: "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" Mar 1953 Jimmy Young: "Unchained Melody" Apr 1955 Jimmy Young: "The Man from Laramie" Sep 1955 Dickie Valentine: "Christmas Alphabet" Nov 1955 Billy Fury: "Halfway to Paradise" (reached number 2 in 1961 in the UK) Billy Fury: "Jealousy" (reached number 2 in 1961) Jet Harris and Tony Meehan: "Diamonds" 1963 Jet Harris and Tony Meehan: "Scarlett O'Hara" (reached number 2 in 1963) Jet Harris and Tony Meehan: "Applejack" (reached number 4 in 1963) Engelbert Humperdinck: some tracks on Greatest Love Songs Them (featuring Van Morrison): "Gloria" The Bachelors: "Marta" Jul 1967 (reached number 20) Neil Reid: "Mother Of Mine" Dec 1971 (reached number 2) Legacy His son, Richard Rowe, a solicitor working at CBS Records/Sony Records and was president of SonyATV music publishing (and made the deal to create a joint partnership with Michael Jackson to publish the Beatles catalogue as Sony/ATV when he ran the publishing division of Sony Music). References 1921 births 1986 deaths British record producers A&R people Deaths from diabetes 20th-century British businesspeople