Mo Ostin (born Morris Meyer Ostrofsky; March 27, 1927 – July 31, 2022) was an American record executive who worked for several companies, including Verve, Reprise Records, Warner Bros. Records, and DreamWorks. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Warner/Reprise from 1972 to 1994, signing the Kinks and Jimi Hendrix to the label. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. Early life Ostin was born Morris Meyer Ostrofsky in New York City on March 27, 1927. His family was Jewish and fled Russia during the Russian Revolution. They eventually relocated to Los Angeles when Ostin was thirteen and operated a small grocery market close to the Fairfax Theatre. He attended Fairfax High School, before studying economics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He subsequently commenced studies at the UCLA School of Law, but ultimately dropped out to support his family. Career Ostin began his career in the mid-1950s as comptroller at Clef Records, a record company started by Norman Granz, brother of friend and neighbor, Irving Granz. The company was soon renamed 'Verve', where he was involved with Jazz At The Philharmonic, a worldwide concert promotion operation that provided a live performance platform for the label's touring stars. Frank Sinatra tried and failed to buy Verve, which was eventually sold to MGM Records. Sinatra was reportedly so impressed by the company's artists and the management's style that he formed his own Reprise Records in 1960 and hired Ostin to head it. Three years later, Reprise joined forces with Warner Bros. The first rock act Ostin signed to Reprise was the Kinks. He signed Jimi Hendrix in 1967 after seeing him perform at the Monterey Pop Festival. Ostin ultimately spent 31 years at Warner/Reprise from 1963 to 1994, serving as its chairman and CEO from 1972 onwards. He oversaw the signing of Prince, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, R.E.M., Madonna, Paul Simon, Talking Heads, the Grateful Dead, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Van Halen, the Who, and Randy Newman. He was noted for giving artists creative freedom and creating a company geared towards artists, attributing this outlook to his time with Sinatra. Ostin later recounted how he trusted Prince to the point where he would only listen to his music once it was completed. Ostin was also instrumental in the acquisition of the independent Elektra label by Warner Communications, as well