Sting pays tribute to “mentor” Jerry Moss
Former Police frontman Sting has paid tribute to the late music executive Jerry Moss, the founder of the band’s longtime record label, A&M Records, who released all five of their studio albums.
Jerry Moss died on Wednesday, aged 88. Famously, he once claimed that if he could own only one album, it would be Sting’s 1985 solo debut, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Now, in a new interview with Billboard, the ‘Roxanne’ songwriter reflected on his relationship with Moss and his importance to his career.
“I first met Jerry Moss in 1979. I just got to California with the band and I hugged a palm tree. I’d never seen a palm tree in my life,” Sting recalled. “We booked into the Sunset Marquis and obviously sat at the swimming pool. And then in walked Jerry Moss and (A&M executive) Gil Friesen, two very tall, handsome, distinguished-looking Californian businessmen.”
He continued: “Jerry really looked the part, I have to say: Such a striking, handsome guy. Jerry very quickly became a family friend rather than a record executive.”
Sting said: “But if I’m asked why I think they were so successful as a record company, I would say Jerry was, not to my knowledge, a cutthroat businessman, he was a gentleman first.”
The former Police leader then went on to describe the late Moss as a “friend”, “mentor”, and “confidante”, maintaining: “I think his success was based on those very human qualities, rather than being some kind of shark.”
“They were the perfect company for us. They were artist (friendly), they would be patient, and they knew what they were talking about,” Sting concluded. “They weren’t like just the set of accountants, who are guessing. These guys knew the business.”
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