{{Short description|US music industry executive}} {{Multiple issues| {{More footnotes|date=July 2011}} {{Original research|date=January 2017}} {{sources|date=January 2017}}}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Russ Regan | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | background = non_performing_personnel | birth_name = Harold Rustigian | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|10|15}} | birth_place = Sanger, California, U.S. | origin = | death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|05|27|1928|10|15}} | death_place = Palm Springs, California, U.S. | genre = | occupation = Record executive | instrument = | years_active = <!-- YYYY–YYYY (or –present) --> | label = UNI, 20th Century, Motown | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} or {{Official URL}} --> }}

'''Russ Regan''' (born '''Harold Rustigian'''; October 15, 1928 in Sanger, California<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iYneCQAAQBAJ&dq=Russ+Regan+June+15%2C+1929&pg=PA117|title=Becoming the Beach Boys, 1961–1963|first=James B.|last=Murphy|date=8 June 2015|publisher=McFarland|isbn=9781476618531|accessdate=13 October 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> – May 27, 2018 in Palm Springs, California)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/music/news/russ-regan-music-executive-who-signed-elton-john-and-neil-diamond-dead-1202823708/|title=Russ Regan, Music Executive Who Signed Elton John and Neil Diamond, Dies at 89|date=29 May 2018|website=Variety.com|accessdate=13 October 2018}}</ref> was an American record executive who was President of both UNI Records and 20th Century Records<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=621}}</ref> and was vice-president of A&R at Motown.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1987/Billboard-1987-03-07.pdf|format=PDF|title=Georgio Groomed For Stardom |website=Americanradiohistory.com|access-date=13 October 2018}}</ref> Regan is the rare executive to have seen No. 1 hits in four successive decades.

==Career== He started his career in the 1950s as a composer and record producer. His first notable hit was a 1959 Christmas novelty song, inspired by "The Chipmunk Song", titled "The Happy Reindeer" credited to '''Dancer, Prancer and Nervous''' (No. 34, Pop) issued by Capitol Records.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://bsnpubs.com/mca/uni/uni.html |title = Universal City Records &#91;UNI&#93; Album Discography |first1 = Dave |last1 = Edwards |first2 = Patrice |last2 = Eyries |first3 = Mike |last3 = Callahan |date = April 24, 2007 |work = Discographies |publisher = Both Sides Now Publications |accessdate = July 2, 2011 |quote = }}</ref> In the early 1960s, Regan recorded "Joan of Love", backed with "Adults Only", which was released under the name Russ Regan.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} He also recorded "Calling All Cars" under the name Davy Summers for Warner Brothers with producer Sonny Bono.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} In the mid-1960s, he was drafted in to help form a musical direction for Warner Brothers' fledgling pop/soul music subsidiary, Loma Records.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

Regan started in record promotion with Motown in the early years of the company.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} His first project there was the company's first Billboard Hot 100 number one record, "Please Mr. Postman" by The Marvelettes in 1961.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} He would go on to promote songs by The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and Marvin Gaye.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} He suggested the name of The Beach Boys when a Los Angeles group called Carl & The Passions had just recorded a song called "Surfin'".<ref name="LarkinGE"/> He also helped Frank Sinatra record his No. 4 hit, "That's Life" in 1966.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} He struck a deal with Jimmy Miller Productions when Miller left The Rolling Stones, which resulted in albums from B.B. King, Henry Gross, Bobby Whitlock, and others.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} Regan also signed Ambrosia and Harriet Schock to 20th Century Records.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

Russ Regan played a major role in the careers of a number of recording artists, as he headed up labels such as Uni, 20th Century and Phonogram Records.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Dozens of recording artists, including Elton John, Neil Diamond, Barry White, Olivia Newton-John and The Beach Boys had Regan to thank for opening the doors for their success.<ref>{{cite magazine | last1 = Freedland | first1 = Nat | date = August 31, 1974 | title = Sometimes Nice Guys Come In First: The Russ Regan Story | magazine = Billboard | volume = 86 | issue = 35 | pages = | location = | publisher = Nielsen Business Media, Inc. | issn = 0006-2510 | accessdate = July 2, 2011 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=PQkEAAAAMBAJ&dq=dancer+prancer+and+nervous+regan&pg=PT14 | quote = }}</ref> One of his most surprising successes while at UNI was South African trumpeter Hugh Masakela's "Grazing In The Grass" in 1968, which sold over a million and reached the top spot in the Billboard pop chart.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

While President of 20th Century Records, Regan was inspired from a dream to create the movie ''All This and World War II'', which saw Fox News footage from WWII backed with various artists singing Beatles songs.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} The movie was never released on video, and it remains in the vaults of 20th Century Fox.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} Regan also supervised the soundtracks for the movies ''Endless Love'', ''Breakin''', ''The Karate Kid'', ''All The Right Moves'', ''Love At First Bite'', ''This Is Spinal Tap'', and ''A Chorus Line''.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} Regan was also the Music Supervisor for four Academy Award-winning songs from the films ''The Poseidon Adventure'', ''The Towering Inferno'', ''Flashdance'', and ''Chariots of Fire''.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

==Notes== {{Reflist}}

==References== * {{cite web |url = http://www.spectropop.com/RussRegan/index.htm |title = Russ Regan Interviewed |first = Artie |last = Wayne |author-link = Artie Wayne |year = 2006 |publisher = Spectropop |accessdate = July 2, 2011 |quote = }} * {{cite web |url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2007_Jan_20/ai_n17135420/ |title = Clearvision International, Inc. and Velocity Entertainment, Inc. Sign Letter Of Intent |date = January 20, 2007 |work = BNET |publisher = CBS Interactive |location = Hollywood, California |accessdate = July 2, 2011 |quote = }}

==External links== * {{cite web |url = http://www.lomarecords.com/index.htm |title = Discography of Loma Records |access-date = 2008-02-03 |archive-date = 2007-12-25 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071225134742/http://www.lomarecords.com/index.htm |url-status = dead }} * {{discogs artist|Russ Regan}} * {{imdb name|0716474}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Regan, Russ}} Category:1929 births Category:2018 deaths Category:Record producers from California Category:People from Sanger, California Category:Businesspeople from California Category:Songwriters from California Category:20th-century American businesspeople