Thursday, March 28, 2024

Morace Landy Set to be Honored at Living Legends Foundation Awards Show and Dinner

morace landy - nighttime

*Morace Landy, who is slated to receive the Music Label Executive Award at the Living Legends Foundation Awards Show and Dinner on October 5started his involvement in the music industry as a guitarist in the NYC area performing in stage productions, both on and off-Broadway.

The interview opened with an inquisitive Lee Bailey asking Landy about the pronunciation of his name. To him (Lee Bailey), he couldn’t wrap his head around hearing it pronounced “Morris,” but it’s spelled Mor-ace.” And that’s how Lee thought it was pronounced. That’s when Landry schooled EURweb’s founder on what the real deal is as far as his name. And guess what, there’s a real simple and logical explanation.

“It’s Morace, like Horace. Just throw an M in-front of it. My uncle’s name was Horace and my father just decided to throw an M in-front of it one day.”

Duh!

OK, back to our story.

The music expert has had his hands busy in the entertainment world for over 2 decades and counting. It all started with him taking on an extra job at Tower Records in 1982 as a sales clerk to support/fund his goal of having his own recording studio. Who knew after one year, he would be promoted to buyer of the urban department?

“Then from there I met over a three year period at Tower Records, in the village of Manhattan, I met numerous (entertainment/music industry) people,” Landy explained.

While working at Tower Records, Landy became friends with some amazing people who later created a pathway for his entry into the music industry such as Rita Roberts, Clarence “CB” Bullard, Joe Talley (WEA), Martha Reynolds (Indie) and Terri Rossi (Billboard).

Landy’s first label opportunity started at Profile Records, the home of the legendary rap group, Run DMC. After a 3-year stint at Profile Records, he received a call from Warner Bros. Records executive Ernie Singleton in 1986 that led to him joining the Warner Reprise urban promotion staff as Northeast Regional rep. Landy met Singleton through Terri Rossi whom he also met at Tower Records.

“Ernie I met through Rita Roberts. Actually really, from Terri Rossi. I met Ernie through Terri and I met Terri when I was at Tower Records and Terri and I always stayed in contact with one another.”

After Warner Reprise, he spent 16 years with Atlantic Records, rising to EVP of Promotion. He then departed and started his own company, Evolution 3. He also joined forces with Empire Distribution as Chief Marketing Strategist where he is involved in A&R, promotion and marketing. Ghazi Shami is the CEO/Owner of Empire Distribution. By the way, earlier this year, for the first time, Empire Distribution garnered 6 Grammy nominations.

Morace Landy

When Landy isn’t working on other people’s projects, he finds his way back to his guitar.

“It’s what I love doing. It help remind me why I got involved with music. It wasn’t for the business. I actually had no desire to get into the music business but I kept getting pulled in this direction.” He received numerous opportunities to play when he left his Tower Records gig. Even at the age of 57 the chief marketing strategist has no desire to be known as “Morace Landy The Artist.”

“My ego doesn’t need that. I enjoy playing music just for the sake of playing music.”

Recently, Landy has recorded a project which will soon be released through empire. You can expect a funk fusion jazz project. All of the influences along with childhood friends will be embedded in the album.

Over the course of his career, Landy feels very thankful to have worked for some of the industry’s most amazing executives such as Ronnie Johnson, Ray Harris, Ernie Singleton, Johnny Barbis, Benny Medina, Rick Bisceglia, Polly Anthony and Tommy Mottola, all of whom have helped to shape who he is today as a music executive. He remains passionate about the music industry and loves developing and bringing new artists to the forefront, as well as guiding the next generation of music executives.

“I wanted to definitely thank the people that were really really instrumental and helping me just kind of focus my energy and really put me on the right course. People like Ernie Singleton and Pat Shield and so many other people that were at the Warner System during that period.”

Next month he will be receiving the Music Label Executive Award at the Living Legends Foundation Awards and Dinner. He expressed his excitement for the recognition and is eager to showcase the metal.

“I have awards kinda around the house I don’t put up a lot. But this one means a lot, so I wanna put it up in the studio.”

The Living Legends Foundation Awards and Dinner is scheduled for Thursday, October 5, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. at Taglyan Cultural Complex, 1201 N. Vine Street, Hollywood, CA.

Click HERE for MORE info.

 

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