Gregg Latterman

Last updated
Gregg Latterman
Born1967
Lansing, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater
  • Michigan State University
  • Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
  • University of Pennsylvania
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, academic, investor
Years active1990-present
Organizations
  • The Nantucket Project
  • Zell Scholars, Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern
Known forFounder and CEO, Aware Records
Board member ofTextUs, US Soccer Development Council (council member), Make Work Council
Website www.awarerecords.com

Gregg Latterman is an American entrepreneur, academic, and angel investor. The founder of Aware Records, he teaches "Positive Entrepreneurship: Profits and Meaning" at Northwestern University, and lectures on innovation and entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management.

Contents

A passionate music fan, Latterman put together a compilation CD of his favorite unsigned bands in 1993. He released it on his own label, and quit his job as a CPA on the day it came out. The label, Aware, became "one of the most durable and influential independent forces in music," with Latterman helping to launch the careers of artists including John Mayer, Train, Mat Kearney, Hootie & The Blowfish, and Five For Fighting. [1] [2]

In 2012, after more than 25 million records were sold on Aware, Latterman decided to return to school. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, and earned a master's degree in positive psychology under Martin Seligman. In 2014 he began teaching at Northwestern, where his classes examine work ethics, talent, and entrepreneurial drive, and encourage students to integrate their passions and values into their professions. [3] [4]

Early life and education

Latterman was raised in East Lansing, Michigan. The son of a lawyer and a teacher, he snow skied and water skied throughout his childhood, [5] and competed in both in high school and college. [6] A music fan, he made mixtapes for friends, who would in return send him CDs by independent bands. Latterman was also interested in business, and read magazines such as Forbes and Business Week as a teenager. [7] [8]

Latterman attended Northern Michigan University on a partial athletic scholarship. He transferred to Michigan State in 1987 and graduated in 1990 with a degree in accounting. In 1996, Latterman received an MBA in marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and in 2013 earned a master's degree in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. [8] [9]

Career

1990-1995: Launch of Aware Records, early success

After receiving his accounting degree, Latterman moved to Boston. He worked as a CPA at Coopers & Lybrand, a job he actively disliked, leading him to apply to MBA programs. [8] He made mixtapes of unsigned bands who had developed a local following, selecting his favorite songs, and in early 1993 decided to produce a compilation album. Based on his own experience, he thought people from one city or state would buy a record to hear bands they already knew, and would be introduced to bands from other areas. Latterman learned the mechanics of making a CD and took out a $10,000 loan, and in 1993, working out of his apartment, [10] he founded Madaket Records and put together Aware 1, a compilation CD of unsigned artists. On the day the album was released, he quit his job and moved to Vail, Colorado, where he coached the Vail Mountain ski team and developed strategies to promote the CD. [5] [11] Peter Margasak of the Chicago Reader later wrote that Latterman "knew little about the music industry when he came to it, but instead of dutifully learning and following its protocols, he developed his own." [8]

Latterman gave the bands included on the compilation posters and copies of the album, which they sold on tour, and gave free CDs and posters to retailers as an incentive. He created an Aware store, which first sold albums directly to consumers through an 800 number, and later at retail outlets through a national distributor. Among other marketing efforts, he built grassroots campaigns through street teams and bought targeted local advertising. Aware 1 ultimately sold more than 30,000 albums, and Latterman began working on a second compilation, changing the name of the label to Aware. [12]

As he prepared to release Aware 2, Latterman was accepted to the MBA program at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. He moved to Evanston, Illinois, and as a full-time student, he continued to build Aware Records. [13] Aware 2, released in 1995, featured songs from artists who would go on to achieve significant success, including Better Than Ezra, The Verve Pipe, Vertical Horizon, Hootie & the Blowfish, and the Edwin McCain Band. [11] Latterman became known for his ability to find and develop unsigned bands; within the music industry, an appearance on an Aware compilation was a "seal of approval, signifying an act worth pursuing." [14]

1996-2000: Aware/Columbia, A Squared Management

Latterman received his MBA in 1996. Aware had a staff of eight and an office in Chicago; it had released the third Aware compilation—which included a track from Tabitha's Secret, the precursor to Matchbox 20—and produced the first Aware Tour. The company had put out full-length albums by Stir and Thanks to Gravity, and had set up one of the first online music stores, as well as a traveling store with the exclusive right to sell CDs on the H.O.R.D.E. Tour. [15] Latterman had also served as an A&R consultant for Atlantic (in 1995) and MCA (in 1996). [16]

In 1997, Aware and Columbia Records launched a joint venture that provided distribution for Aware's developing artists through RED, Sony's independent distribution arm, while at the same time serving as a "farm team" for Columbia—at a certain sales threshold, releases were moved to the Aware/Columbia imprint and marketed through Columbia. In 1998, Aware/RED released Train's self-titled platinum debut., [14] [1] [12]

In 1999, Latterman founded A Squared Management. A Squared managed artists including Liz Phair, The Fray, Brandi Carlile, Michelle Branch, Motion City Soundtrack, Jack's Mannequin, Rachel Platten, Five For Fighting, and Mat Kearney. As The Fray's manager, Latterman worked with ABC to use The Fray's "How to Save a Life" on Grey's Anatomy,a placement that "catapulted the Denver band into another stratosphere, making its debut one of the best-selling albums of 2006." [17]

2000-2010: John Mayer, Five for Fighting, The Fray

In 2000, Latterman was sent an EP of John Mayer. [18] He included two of Mayer's songs on Aware 8, and in early 2001, Aware released Mayers debut album, Room for Squares , as an internet-only album. It was re-released on Columbia in September, and went on to sell more than 5 million albums. Mayer was one of three Aware artists to receive Grammy nominations in 2002; Train was nominated for the album Drops of Jupiter, and Five for Fighting was nominated for their song "Superman (It's Not Easy)." Mayer won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Your Body is a Wonderland." [16] The ninth Aware compilation was released in January 2002; it was followed in October by a 14-song Greatest Hits collection. [19] In 2009, The Fray's songwriters Joseph King and Isaac Slade filed a lawsuit against Latterman on the grounds that he failed to disclose that A Squared obtained ownership to a portion of the band's music when a publishing agreement was signed in 2005. [20] Latterman countersued, alleging breach of contract. The suit was settled out of court in 2010. Although the terms of the settlement were undisclosed, a magistrate judge ruled that Latterman could argue at trial that the band's attorney was aware of terms of the publishing deal. [21]

2010-Present: Aware/Universal Republic; Positive Entrepreneurship: Profits and Meaning

Aware released more than 50 records in partnership with Columbia; [3] in addition to multiple hit records from Train, Mayer, and Five for Fighting, the label had significant success with Guster, The Thorns, and Mat Kearney. [22] In 2010, with more than 25 million records sold over the 15-year period of the joint venture, Aware entered into a new distribution agreement with Universal Republic. [2]

As the new venture was built, Latterman realized that the day-to-day business of running the label limited his ability to be creative; rather than finding music and mentoring artists, he was focused on logistics and crisis control. [3] In 2012, at 45, he decided to return to school. He enrolled in a master's program at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2013, studying with Martin Seligman, he earned a master's in the field of Positive psychology. [3] [4]

Latterman began teaching at Northwestern shortly after he received his degree. In addition to teaching "Positive Entrepreneurship: Profits and Meaning," he created and teaches a class titled "NUvention: Entrepreneurship for the Arts." He serves as a Program Lead for the Zell Fellows New Venture Track, a selective venture accelerator program designed to help student entrepreneurs successfully launch new businesses and has invested in startups including TextUS, Popular Pays, Limitless Coffee, Music Audience Exchange, Reverb, and Teamsnap. [23] [4]

Personal life

Latterman lives in Chicago, with his wife, Sue, and their three children. He is on the advisory board for the Nantucket Project and a member of the US Soccer Development Council. [7] [24]

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Records</span> American record label

Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in the recorded sound business, and the second major company to produce records. From 1961 to 1991, its recordings were released outside North America under the name CBS Records to avoid confusion with EMI's Columbia Graphophone Company. Columbia is one of Sony Music's four flagship record labels: Epic Records, and former longtime rivals, RCA Records and Arista Records as the latter two were originally owned by BMG before its 2008 relaunch after Sony's acquisition alongside other BMG labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epic Records</span> American record label

Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical music label in 1953, but later expanded its scope to include a more diverse range of genres, including pop, R&B, rock, and hip hop.

Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Music Group and Interscope Communications, it differed from most record labels by letting A&R staff control decisions and allowing artists and producers full creative control. Interscope's first hit records arrived in under a year, and it achieved profitability in 1993. Chair and CEO until May 2014, Iovine was succeeded by John Janick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Days of the New</span> American rock band

Days of the New was an American rock band from Charlestown, Indiana, formed in 1995. The band later relocated to Louisville, Kentucky. They consisted of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians. They are best known for the hit singles "Touch, Peel and Stand", "The Down Town", "Shelf in the Room", and "Enemy", as well as radio hits "Weapon and the Wound", "Hang On To This" and "Die Born". "Touch, Peel and Stand" was named, ″Greatest of All-Time Mainstream Rock Song″ by Billboard Magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Five for Fighting</span> American singer-songwriter

Vladimir John Ondrasik III, also known by his stage name Five for Fighting, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. He is best known for his piano-based soft rock, such as the top 40 hits "Superman " (2001), "100 Years" (2003), and "The Riddle" (2006). He also had a string of moderate hits on the adult contemporary charts in the late 2000s and into the 2010s, including "World" (2006) and "Chances" (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seether</span> South African rock band

Seether are a South African rock band founded in 1999 in Pretoria, Gauteng. The band originally performed under the name Saron Gas until 2002, when they moved to the United States and changed it to Seether to avoid confusion with the deadly chemical known as sarin gas. Lead vocalist and guitarist Shaun Morgan is the band's longest serving member, bassist Dale Stewart joined shortly after formation while drummer John Humphrey joined them for the band's second album. Since 2018, the band has been employing second guitarist Corey Lowery. Several notable guitarists like Corey's brother Clint and Troy McLawhorn have toured or recorded with the band, however, Shaun has recorded most guitar parts for the band's records.

<i>Room for Squares</i> 2001 studio album by John Mayer

Room for Squares is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer, originally released on June 5, 2001, and re-released on September 18, 2001, by both Aware and Columbia Records. Upon its release, it peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard 200 and received generally positive reviews from critics. It earned Mayer a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the single "Your Body Is a Wonderland".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundazed Records</span> American independent record label

Sundazed Music is an American independent record label founded in Coxsackie, New York and currently based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. It was initially known as a '60s-centric surf, garage, and psych label. Over time with the additions of imprints such as Modern Harmonic, Americana Anthropology, Beat Rocket, Dot Matrix Recordings, and Liberty Spike Recordings, their reach spans most genres and many decades while still firmly rooted as an archival label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loud Records</span> Hip hop record label

Loud Records, LLC. is a record label founded by Steve Rifkind and Rich Isaacson in 1991. Rifkind served as the chief executive officer while Isaacson served as the president of the label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demo (music)</span> Song recorded for limited circulation or for reference use

A demo is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed format, such as cassette tape, compact disc, or digital audio files, and to thereby pass along those ideas to record labels, producers, or other artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fray</span> American rock band

The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut studio album, How to Save a Life (2005) was released by Epic Records and received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as well as platinum certification in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Its release was supported by their first hit single, "Over My Head ", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The band saw their furthest success with its follow-up, "How to Save a Life", which peaked at number three on the chart and was also a hit in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Both songs received Grammy Award nominations: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Rich</span> American country musician

John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar, co-writing his inaugural #1 hit song called "Come Cryin' to Me" and sharing lead vocal duties with Richie McDonald. Departing from Lonestar in 1998, he ventured into a solo career under BNA Records in the late 1990s, where he released two singles and recorded Underneath the Same Moon, which was delayed until 2006. In 2001, he singlehandedly released Rescue Me, an album inspired by a cancer patient named Katie Darnell. By 2003, he teamed up with Big Kenny to establish the duo Big & Rich, achieving success with three albums under Warner Bros. Records as well as ten singles, notably chart topper "Lost in This Moment". After Big & Rich went on hiatus in 2007, Rich began work on a third solo album, Son of a Preacher Man, yielding two more chart singles including the Top Ten hit song "Shuttin' Detroit Down." In 2011, he released two extended plays, Rich Rocks and For the Kids, before re-vitalizing Big & Rich in 2012. They launched Big and Rich Records in 2014, experiencing considerable success with big hits like "Look At You", "Loving Lately", and "Run Away with You."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C/Z Records</span> Seattle record label

C/Z Records was a Seattle-based punk rock record label established in early 1985 by Chris Hanzsek and Tina Casale. It started with the release of Deep Six, which collected early recordings of what later came to be known as grunge. After Deep Six proved commercially unsuccessful, Hanzsek and Casale sold the label to Daniel House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dovetail Joint (band)</span> American rock band

Dovetail Joint was a rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1992. The band featured guitar/vocalist Charles Gladfelter, guitarist Robert Byrne, bassist Jon Kooker, and drummer Joe Dapier. After several years of playing locally, as well as independently releasing their self-titled album in 1995, the band started to garner interest after their song "Level on the Inside" was featured on an annual compilation disc of local radio station WKQX Q101. Columbia Records quickly signed the band and released 001 in early 1999. "Level" turned out to be the band's only commercial hit, and Columbia dropped the band before releasing a second album. An independently released EP released in 2002 would turn out to be their last.

19 Wheels was an American alternative rock band from East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded by Chris Johnston, Scott Owens (guitar), Tim Marzorati (bass); drummer Rob Dickey joined in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fearless Records</span> American independent record label

Fearless Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 1994. Fearless is based in Culver City, California, and is best known for its early pop punk moments captured in the Fearless Flush Sampler and Punk Bites releases, as well as additional releases by bands such as Bigwig and Dynamite Boy; and later Sugarcult; Plain White T's; The Aquabats; Amely; and post-hardcore releases by At the Drive-In and Anatomy of a Ghost. However, the label has experimented with different styles in recent years. Acts such as Blessthefall, The Word Alive, Ice Nine Kills, Mayday Parade, Pierce The Veil, Starset, The Pretty Reckless, Underoath and The Color Morale have showcased post-hardcore, metalcore, hard rock and alternative rock bands that have emerged in recent years. Fearless Records' releases were distributed in the US by RED Distribution, but after Concord Music Group's purchase of the label in 2015, it is now distributed by Universal Music Group worldwide.

Deep Elm Records is an independent record label releasing albums by bands such as Lights & Motion, The Appleseed Cast, Brandtson, The White Octave, and Planes Mistaken for Stars. It also released the compilation series The Emo Diaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWE Music Group</span> American record label

WWE Music Publishing, Inc.; trade name WWE Music Group, LLC., is an American record label funded and operated by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a division of TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It was manufactured and co-marketed by Columbia Records and was distributed by Sony Music. The label specializes in the production of theme songs serving as the WWE wrestlers' entrance music, sometimes by contributing performing artists, but also releases titles that have been actually performed by the wrestlers themselves, including the various-artists album WWE Originals and John Cena's You Can't See Me, peaking at number 12 and 15 on the US Billboard 200, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aware Records</span> American record label

Aware Records is an American record label. The label has worked with a range of artists, including John Mayer, Train, Five for Fighting, Mat Kearney, and Guster.

The Kottonmouth Kings is an American hip hop group formed in Placentia, California in 1996 by Johnny Richter, D-Loc and Saint Dog. The group advocates for legalizing cannabis, and their lyrics frequently refer to smoking marijuana. The group plays hip hop, punk and rap rock songs that sometimes incorporate elements of other genres, including psychedelic rock, reggae, dubstep, bluegrass, rip hop and jam band.

References

  1. 1 2 Grimes, Taylor (September 1, 2007). "The Billboard Interview: Gregg Latterman". Billboard. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 Beer, Lenny (July 14, 2010). "Aware Lands at Universal Republic". Hits Magazine. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Max, Samantha (October 12, 2015). "From records to lectures". North by Northwestern. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Gregg Latterman – Innovation & Entrepreneurship – Adjunct Lecturer of Innovation & Entrepreneurship". kellogg.northwest.edu. Kellogg School of Management. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  5. 1 2 Hughes, Mike (December 2, 1993). "Native Son Gives Band Big Boost". Lansing State Journal (subscription required). Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Kowalski, Wll (February 2, 1984). "East Lansing High Skiers Sitting Atop League". Lansing State Journal.
  7. 1 2 Rodkin, Dennis (November 1, 2002). "Total Awareness". Chicago Magazine. pp. 74–81.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Margasak, Peter (March 5, 1998). "Fully Aware". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  9. ↑ Bongiorno, Lori (March 18, 1996). "To B-School or Not to B-School". Business Week. pp. 47, 48.
  10. ↑ Appleton Grant, Elaine (October 1, 2002). "Creation Nation". Inc. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  11. 1 2 Newman, Melinda (July 20, 2002). "Building Awareness". Billboard. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  12. 1 2 Bell, Carrie (May 8, 1999). "Indie Aware Grows Careers". Billboard. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  13. ↑ Appleton Grant, Elaine (October 1, 2002). "Creation Nation". Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  14. 1 2 Newman, Melinda (November 22, 1997). "Columbia, Aware in Joint Venture". Billboard. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  15. ↑ Rotschild, David (September 6, 1996). "Evanston's Aware Label Basks In Its Own Shrewdness". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
  16. 1 2 Lance Gould (February 20, 2002). "A Small Record Label That Made Itself Heard". New York Daily News. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  17. ↑ Moss, Corey (December 12, 2006). "The Fray Hit It Big, With SOme Help From Dr. McDreamy". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  18. ↑ Wood, Mikael (March 28, 2002). "Room at the Top". The Dallas Observer. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  19. ↑ Staff (September 23, 2002). "Aware Readies Greatest Hits Compilation". Billboard. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  20. ↑ Associated Press staff (May 10, 2010). "Ex-manager of band The Fray wins round in court". Boston Globe. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  21. ↑ Associated Press staff (May 21, 2010). "Members of The Fray settle suit with ex-manager". Boulder Daily Camera. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  22. ↑ "Aware Records discography". awarerecords.com. Aware Records. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  23. ↑ "Advisory Board". sound.northwestern.edu. Northwestern Communication. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  24. ↑ "The Nantucket Project, Advisors". nantucketproject.com. The Nantucket Project. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.