Pioneering British Jewish music entrepreneur Nigel Grainge, who signed and developed a wide range of successful recording artists and founded Ensign Records, has died aged 70 in Santa Monica, California from complications following recent surgery.
Grainge, who began his music career in the 1970s, signed and developed artists ranging from Sinead O’Connor to The Boomtown Rats, Thin Lizzy, The Waterboys, 10cc, Steve Miller Band and Eddy Grant. For his A&R role talent-scouting and developing recording artists and songwriters, he was described by Billboard magazine as “one of the most respected and knowledgeable A&R men in the business.”
Born in North London, Grainge grew up surrounded by music. His parents Jeanette, who worked for the CEO of a bank, and Cecil, who owned a record shop, developed in him an obsession for music. His younger brother Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman of Universal Music Group, recalled:
“On Nigel’s third birthday, dad started giving him a 78rpm record every weekend. Those records covered every conceivable genre: from Beethoven to Ray Charles to Louis Armstrong to Bill Haley.”
