Music Business

Marty Thau, NY Dolls Manager and Red Star Records Founder Passes

image from www.celebrityaccess.comLegendary New York music manager and producer Marty Thau has died. He was 75 at the time of his passing. A major figure in the early NYC punk scene, discovered and managed The New York Dolls, as well as signed bands such as The Fleshtones, Suicide and The Real Kids to his label Red Star Records.

A native of New York, Thau attended New York University and began his career in the industry managing Tony Orlando. Thau next joined Cameo-Parkway Records with Neil Bogart and then followed Bogart to Buddha Records in 1968.

Thau also spent a tenure at Inherit Productions, while the company released albums by Van Morrison, John Cale and Kass Elliot. After Inherit, Thau served as A&R manager at Paramount, where he managed The New York Dolls until the group disbanded in 1975.

Other artists that Thau worked with include The Ramones, Blondie, Brian Setzer, and Richard Hell & The Voidoids. Thau was reportedly working on his memoir when he passed from complications from renal failure on Feb. 13th. – via CelebrityAccess

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