Who

Bruce Lundvall is the president and CEO of Blue Note, the jazz and classics label that produced Norah Jones.

Backstory

In 1957, Lundvall walked into the office of Blue Note in search of a job. He didn't get hired, but he returned 25 years later to run the company. His career in music started at Columbia Records, which he joined after a two-year stint in the Army, eventually rising through the ranks to become president of Columbia's domestic division in 1976. In 1982, he was tapped by Warner Bros. to serve as president of Elektra, moving to EMI as president two years later. It was at EMI that Lundvall revived the long-dormant jazz label Blue Note, and later stepped in as CEO of the company. He's been one of the most prominent champions of jazz in the mainstream music business for three decades now.

Of note

Over the years Lundvall has been responsible for signing an impressive roster of talent, including Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, Wynton Marsalis, Natalie Cole, Suzanne Vega, and Anita Baker. His biggest hit—which came as a big surprise to everyone at the label—was Norah Jones's insanely successful debut album in 2002, Come Away with Me. A No. #1 Billboard hit with a No. #1 hit single ("Don't Know Why"), it earned Jones an album of the year Grammy, not to mention paid Blue Note's bills for years to come.

Personal

He and wife Katharine have been married for more than 40 years. They have three sons—Eric, Tor, and Kurt—and live in Wycoff, New Jersey; the house has a converted barn that serves as Lundvall's studio.