Howie Klein

Former Sire and Reprise exec Howie Klein, who’s passed away at 77, in 1984. Photo Credit: Iris Schneider

Former Sire exec and Reprise president Howie Klein has passed away at 77 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

That unfortunate news surfaced on Down With Tyranny!, the self-described progressive politics blog founded by Klein in 2000. Additionally, the exec’s sister confirmed the passing on social media.

After establishing 415 Records (the home of The Nuns and Romeo Void, to name a couple) in 1978, Klein joined Sire Records in 1987. From there, the professional was boosted to president of another Warner label, Reprise Records, in 1989.

Remaining in the latter post until 2001, he helped develop all manner of well-known acts during his decade-plus with Reprise.

Just in passing, Klein’s time with Sire brought releases from The Ramones (including 1989’s Brain Drain, the legendary group’s final Sire album), Ice-T (including his 1987 debut, Rhyme Pays), and k.d. lang (a 1988 debut solo album entitled Shadowland).

And Klein’s 12 or so years with Reprise delivered high-profile releases including but definitely not limited to Eric Clapton’s Journeyman (1989), Neil Young’s Harvest Moon (1992), Depeche Mode’s Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993), Green Day’s Dookie (1994), and the 1997 Fleetwood Mac live reunion album The Dance.

In other words, plenty of Sire and Reprise releases, having arrived under Klein in what was arguably a completely different music industry, remain significant (and valuable from the IP perspective) today.

On the speech and activism sides, Variety noted Klein’s work as “an outspoken purveyor of free speech in the business” – including in the face of censorship efforts from the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC).

Though described as a right-wing organization by the same outlet, PMRC was bipartisan and co-founded by Tipper Gore, the wife of former VP Al Gore.

(In the end, PMRC successfully lobbied for the introduction of the ugly Parental Advisory sticker on albums. The aforementioned Ramones took aim at the warning label with 1992’s “Censorshit,” released as part of Mondo Bizzaro via Radioactive in their first post-Sire project.)

On social media, industry professionals are celebrating the life of Klein, including with pictures of the exec alongside Stevie Nicks, U2, and others. Meanwhile, political observers and elected officials are also offering kind words about the Blue America PAC founder and treasurer.