Died On This Date (June 12, 1960) Eli Oberstein / Successful Record Producer & Label Head
themusicsover Eli Oberstein
December 13, 1901 – June 12, 1960
Eli Oberstein was a successful record producer and label executive during the early part of the 20th century. He went to work for Victor Records as a salesman during the ’20s and by the early 30s, he was running his own Crown Records. He also helped for the legendary Bluebird Records. As a producer, Oberstein helped create hits for the likes of Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Ernest Tubb and Bill Monroe. In 1936, he became head of A&R at Victor and Bluebird Records and was instrumental in bringing Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw to the label. During the latter part of his life, Oberstein worked at numerous labels, including RCA and Columbia. He passed away at the age of 58. He may or may not be related to Joel Oberstein.
Adalah Bennett Shaw was a longtime music industry leader who followed in the footsteps of her father, Alvin Bennett, a former president of Liberty Records. Shaw moved from farming into the music business in the early ’90s when she purchased the Hi Records masters, which included those of Al Green, Ace Cannon and Ann Peebles. Shaw is credited with revitalizing the label through license deals with EMI Music in the US and Demon Music Group in Europe. Adalah Bennett Shaw passed away at the age of 55. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Morris Levy’s checkered career in the music industry began in the late ’40s when he owned multiple New York City nightclubs, including the famous jazz venue, Birdland. Because of his venues, Levy learned that performers were required to pay royalties on the songs they performed to the publishing owners, so he started his own publishing company where he began making his fortune. In 1956, Levy launched Roulette Records which was, at one time or another, home to 
Neil Bogart is best remembered as co-founder of Casablanca Records, the one time home of such acts as KISS, Angel, Donna Summer, the Village People, Parliament and Cher. Casablanca was one of the labels closely associated with the rise of disco. In the late ’70s, Bogart founded Boardwalk Records which he hoped would be to new wave what Casablanca was to disco. Joan Jett was one of the flagship artists of the label. Bogart died of lymphoma at the age of 39.