Sylvia Rhone, one of the few women and Black people to helm a major music company, will be stepping down from her role as Chair/CEO of Epic Records. The news was announced Monday (Sept. 22), with a source stating that Rhone will be leaving at the end of the month. She had served in the role for six of the 11 years she spent with the label.
Rhone broke the news label-wide in an internal memo. “It’s been an extraordinary journey: eleven years since my promotion to President of Epic Records and six years since my appointment as Chairwoman and CEO,” she began. “This role at Epic represents the third time in my career that I’ve been the first woman and first Black person to serve as CEO of a major record label owned by a Fortune 500 company. And today, I am moving on from this historic role at Epic and I’m very excited about the future.”
The 73-year-old executive is a certified legend in the music industry, beginning as an assistant with Buddah Records after graduating from the Wharton School of Business. She would become Senior Vice President of Black Music at Atlantic Records before becoming Chairwoman and CEO of Elektra Records. During that time, she saw the label flourish with a diverse roster of artists, which included Missy Elliott, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Busta Rhymes and rock icons AC/DC and Metallica.
Rhone would take over the same role at Universal Motown in 2004, which led her to oversee the careers of Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, India.Arie as well as boosting the distribution of Cash Money Records during their stellar run with artists like Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Drake. The current president of Epic, Zeke Lewis, and General Manager Rick Sackheim, are reportedly set to handle the day-to-day operations at Epic Records.
Rhone closed her memo where she recapped her achievements on an optimistic and appreciative note: “I have worked in our industry since vinyl ruled, and women were rarely if ever in line for C-level or even vice-presidential roles. I am proud of my achievements, and of my commitment to those who take inspiration from them. The many individual honors I’ve received —from Billboard, Fortune Magazine’s Most Powerful Women, Essence, Variety, Ms. Magazine’s Woman of the Year, and the recent honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music — serve as grace notes on my years of dedication. But they pale beside what we’ve all built together. They pale beside the glory of our musical culture.”
