Record company executive who signed the Grateful Dead and Van Morrison, and enjoyed massive success with the EaglesHaving worked in the
music industry since the early 1960s and risen to become president and chief executive of Capitol-EMI, Joe Smith, who has died aged 91, quit the business in 1993. He said he regretted that it was “no fun any more” and was run by people “who are more business-oriented than those of us who were very music-oriented”.
Smith could console himself that he had helped to bring about revolutionary changes during his career. In 1961 he went to
Los Angeles to work in promotion for Warner Bros, at a time when its big acts included the
comedy dance band Ira Ironstrings and singing celebrities such as Connie Stevens. He described the label at that time as “dumbfoundingly dull”.