In Memoriam: Frank Ursoleo of Iconoclassic Records
Frank Ursoleo, a longtime music industry professional who founded reissue label Iconoclassic Records, died unexpectedly last week (May 5).
The recently reactivated label has posted a touching tribute to him, which you can read above. Jeremy Holiday, Iconoclassic’s vice president of business development and artist services, was effusive – both in our recent interview and in other conversations – in his praise of Ursoleo as a friend, mentor and music lover guided by tastes, instinct and quality, as well as an appreciation for those who let the same passions govern their work.
If The Second Disc can add any memory in tribute to his spirit, it’s this: I met Frank once, introduced to him by Jeremy at the Sony Music offices. Frank was a “music business survivor,” as Jeremy phrased it in reference to himself, Ursoleo and a long list of people who work in catalogue, particularly the third-party labels. Conventional wisdom might dictate that making the jump from major labels to more niche work – particularly in conjunction with the major music biz transitions of the 21st century – might make one feel jaded about the state of things, not unlike Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Not so with Frank. Our brief interaction was gregarious and also grateful. I thanked him for setting a great example for quality reissue work – a standard that the label he created still holds – and he thanked me for letting fans and buyers know about that work.
The honest truth of catalog music is this: no matter how many times you get to rub elbows with legends and experience their influence much closer than you might listening to an album or attending a concert, nearly everyone who gets to enjoy a career in reissues does it because they love sharing great music, both obvious and obscure, with like-minded people. The Second Disc was created to celebrate and connect people like that, and maybe even shed some light on how the sausage is made, so to speak.
It’s because of people like Frank that make our work such a joy, and so it’s only fair that we celebrate his light as well. Joe, myself and all of Second Disc HQ send our love and respect to Frank’s family and loved ones.
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5 thoughts on “In Memoriam: Frank Ursoleo of Iconoclassic Records”
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Very well said, Mike. Thank you
Though they haven’t produced many titles I’m interested in, I’m very happy with their releases of Carl Wilson solo albums. I hope the label can continue on without Frank Ursoleo’s guiding hand. We need people with a love for phsyical product reissues now more than ever.
Thanks Mike for your wonderful tribute to Frank. I lived near him on the Cape for many years and worked with him when I was VP at RCA in new York
Thank you for the kind remembrance of our friend, Frank Ursoleo. Frank was among the original persons who reincarnated BUDDHA Records, the reissue company through BMG Distribution and RCA, 1999, as head of Sales. (Jeremy Holiday was there, too!) Being called a “music man” is the greatest compliment I can confer and Frank was one of the greatest. And, funny, too! I will forever miss him. Thankfully, Jeremy continues the excellent, diligent work only a passionate and loving “music man” can attain.
Thank you to everyone at Iconoclassic records for their heartfelt remembrances of the one and only Frank Ursoleo. We were classmates at pre-school,grammar school, high school and Boston College. My brothers and sisters spent countless hours in the “cave” listening to his hundreds of albums. We all loved the Beatles of course but Frank made sure we heard the full spectrum of music. He asked us to listen to this unknown artist and we did. His name was Todd Rungren and we became huge lifelong fans. This week as I listened to many Rundgren classics I teared up every time! He was a lifelong friend to my entire family. We will miss him forever.