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Thomas Daniel "Tommy" Mottola, who graduated from Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle, turns 65 on Monday.
Mottola, a music executive, co-owner of Casablanca Records in a joint venture with the Universal Music Group, was born July 14, 1949, in The Bronx. He headed Sony Music Entertainment, parent of the Columbia label, for nearly 15 years. Mottola entered in the music scene in the mid 60s as a recording artist for CBS Records under the name "T.D. Valentine". After his attempt to become a recording star himself failed, Mottola started working for publishing powerhouse Chappell Publishing and started his own management company, Champion Entertainment Organization. His role at Chappell put him in touch with many artists, and soon he signed his first successful management clients, Hall & Oates.
Mottola helped Daryl Hall and John Oates land a record deal and several high-profile endorsements. He was also recognized for successfully using new mediums for promotion, like music videos and corporate sponsorship for music tours.
Apart from Hall and Oates, Mottola is known as a mentor and former talent manager. His most famous protégés were Carly Simon, John Mellencamp, Diana Ross, and Taylor Dayne in the 1980s, Mariah Carey in the 1990s (who was his wife from 1993-1998), Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Anastacia and Jennifer Lopez in the early 2000s.
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