L.A. Reid
L.A. Reid | |
|---|---|
Reid in 2011 | |
| Born | Antonio Marquis Reid June 7, 1956 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Education | Harvard Business School (Exec. Ed) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | The Deele, Pure Essence |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5 |
| Signature | |
Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer who served as president and CEO of Arista Records from 2000 to 2004, as well as chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Music Group from 2004 to 2011 and Epic Records from 2011 to 2017. He co-founded the record label Hitco Entertainment in the latter year, which was sold to Concord in 2022.
Early in his career he was a musician, joining the Ohio R&B bands Pure Essence in 1973, and The Deele (with future business partner Babyface) in 1981 as a drummer. Reid also has an extended musical career serving as a record producer, programmer, and instrumentalist for various recording artists. He founded Hitco Music Publishing in 1996, and co-founded LaFace Records with Babyface in 1989. Reid appeared as a judge on the first two seasons of the U.S. version of the television show The X Factor, after which he focused on the release of Xscape (2014)—the second posthumous album by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson.
Reid has won three Grammy Awards, including as a songwriter for his work on Boyz II Men's "End of the Road." His life is documented in his 2016 memoir Sing to Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who's Next, which also made The New York Times bestseller list.