Gary Stewart of Rhino Records, RIP

One of the greats of the reissue industry. RIP.

 

Here is Andrew's Facebook post:

"I am deeply saddened to mark the untimely passing of my friend and mentor, Gary Stewart. I met him when I was 15 at the Rhino Record store and he literally changed my life. At my 18th birthday party in January 1990 I told him the thing I wanted most was a job at the Rhino Record label. A day or so later, he called me in the late afternoon and told me to report the next morning.

We collaborated on a lengthy list of projects after that, including the Elvis Costello and Love catalogs as well as, of course, The Monkees. We had a rocky relationship at times, but I think age was always a factor in this. Still, I may never have escaped my troubled home, been able to live on my own and be a self-supporting teenager if it wasn't for Gary's belief and innate good.

He really loved this song by The Monkees: "Dream World" - and included it on the Monkee Flips LP he compiled way before my time. I never dug it, until I got to a place where it would remind me of him. He was obsessive and generous and many other wonderful things people will tell you about elsewhere. But to me, he was real. The first time I had to leave Rhino, I wrote him a note about the difference between the music business and the music friendship. I gave him a copy of the Beethoven Soul album. I really loved the guy and he had to know it.

Your record collections would not be the same without him and many people in Los Angeles wouldn't have had a dollar in their pocket or a roof over their heads if it wasn't for him. Gary Stewart, goodbye from one of your oldest music friends. The business meant less than being your friend always." - andrew

 

RIP

 

Sad news.
Just seeing his printed name on an album cover or liner notes guaranteed a high level of quality.

 

I used to go to his Christmas parties because I knew several folks at Rhino, and knew Gary indirectly. The invitations around this time said "Loser's Christmas Party" as if we were all the misfits of the world getting together for our own party. Like record people by nature are misfits. I used to love to look through his record collection, where there would be in some cases hand written notes inside of the outer sleeves by the artists to him. He loved the Jam, and walls in several rooms were covered in live Jam photos/posters/postcards with Weller flying through the air '77-'78 era.

I was thrilled to see he had landed at Apple Music at some point after Rhino became something else. I figured he would always be on the scene in the background curating playlists and comps, etc. And now he isn't. Wow. He was the Clive Davis of reissues in a way. Very sharp about what a listener and buyer wants in a collection of songs. I once mentioned to him on the phone that Alex Chilton and Johnny Thunders deserved expanded collections. Not long after Rhino did a a double Chilton set. He did state Thunders' material was too far off the tracks for Rhino.

 

Rest In Peace.

 

Assume folks here would visit and enjoy the website he had a hand in... Trunkworthy. Obviously a labor of love.

 

Gary apparently committed suicide because he had advanced prostate cancer, a health issue he hid.

 

wow, terribly sad news. I also do remember getting a phone call out of the blue after writing and thank the label for a couple reissues in late 80's...Gary was a really nice advocate for getting material done and out there for music fans....

RIP Gary Stewart, and thank you for the music!!

Condolences to all who knew him, family friends and who bought Rhino back in the day.

​

 

Yes, I got a phone call too. He was like that, he would follow up with people, and was humble and unpretentious to say the least.

62 is just way to young. It must have been an illness or sudden heart issue.

 

"Gary Stewart was a great man and a dear friend. He was truly the architect and guiding spirit of Rhino. He defined what it meant to be a catalog label… not only for Rhino, but for the entire music industry. His passion for music and meticulous curation still provide the template for how we approach our releases to this day. He was not only the creative backbone of Rhino, but he also set the standard for our social consciousness and was a leader in the community whose impact will be felt for decades to come. If you have ever enjoyed a rare demo or b-side that you never knew existed, or marveled at holding a beautiful boxed set from one of your favorite artists, then you owe a debt of gratitude to Gary Stewart. Rest in peace my friend. " - Rhino President Mark Pinkus

 

Rest in peace. I'm not enough into the industry side of things to know the name, but I have a truckload of Rhino CDs and LPs.

 

Well that sucks. Made his mark and then some.

 

So sad. I admit that he's not a name I recognised but I have a lot of Rhino reissues so his influence must be all over my music collection.

If he has taken his own life, it makes it all the more tragic that he had got to that stage or way of thinking. Mental health issues need to be taken far more seriously, as much as physical illnesses at least. There should be no more stigma around mental health problems either.

RIP Gary Stewart from a fellow music lover.

 

I knew him well. He was the best. Would give you the shirt off his back. His obits all have stories about him giving people albums and dvds--if you hadn't heard something he loved or seen a tv series he loved, he would give it to you because he thought you would and should love it. He got me into Breaking Bad and The Wire that way. And for those who didn't know, he wasn't just a record business guy, he did a lot of community activism, philanthropy and all kinds of good guy stuff. And for those who never saw him, here's Gary getting an award for his great non-music business work (although he does talk a lot about music within). And for those who don't know, the walk on music they play when Gary is introduced is "Down in the Hole" by the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, which was the theme song to the tv series The Wire.

 

Very sad news.

RIP Gary.

Big Rhino fan here.

 

Gary was not mentally ill. He was terminally ill. He made a choice to leave this world and not suffer the ravages of cancer, with all the pain and expense and torment it brings. He was quite sane. Your post is woefully uninformed.

 

I hadn’t seen Gary for years and then he popped up at an acoustic show our little band did two weeks ago at a tiny place in Echo Park. He was so supportive and positive; he always made you feel like you were part of something bigger than yourself. Hard to believe and very sad.

 

My apologies. If someone could delete it that would be great. A horrendous ordeal for him to have gone through.

I was totally uninformed and presumptuous and jumped to the wrong conclusion. I'm sorry for any upset or distress this may have caused.

I'm going through a tough period regarding my own mental health at the moment and recently. My intentions, though misguided, were good and honourable, and I stand by the sentiment and message of my post. But if a member of staff wishes to delete this and my first post, I understand and approve of that.

 

R.I.P. and my deepest respect.

 

His name is on some of my favorite releases. Rest in peace.

 

What a sad ending to such a great life. At least he is at peace now and not in so much pain.

 

No worries. It’s all good.

 

As music lovers, oldies fans, and so much more. We would have less choices, costly (and hard to get imports for many) if there was no Gary Stewart and Rhino Records. Music fans everywhere owe a lot to him, and our world is sadder now with his demise. R.I.P. Gary Stewart, thanks for making this world a better place.

 

Very sad. I will always be grateful to Gary for giving me the opportunity to work on The Best of Melanie for Rhino. I learned that "you can't always get what you want" as far as tracks from various labels when an artist has recorded for nearly every major label. And even though I was guided to stick with the "Buddah" material, we were able to get some of the Neighborhood recordings. Sadly, Atlantic declined anything from 'Photograph', which many fans consider her highwater mark. I will always remember when Gary and I were talking about Robin Lane & The Chartbusters, I mentioned how much I liked the song "Why Do You Tell Lies" and he told me "You like the wrong songs!' RIP, Gary.