Charles Koppelman facts for kids

Charles Koppelman (March 30, 1940 – November 25, 2022) was an American businessman and music expert. He worked as a musician and music producer. He held important leadership jobs at companies like EMI and Steve Madden. He was also the Chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. At the time of his death, he was the CEO of CAK Entertainment.

Early Life

Charles Koppelman was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1940. His parents were Ruth and Irving Koppelman. His family was Jewish.

His uncle, Morris Koppelman, was an inventor. He held a special patent for creating the egg carton.

A Career in Music

Charles Koppelman started his career in the music world. He was part of a music group called The Ivy Three. In 1960, their song "Yogi" became a Top 10 hit. The song was named after the cartoon character Yogi Bear.

From Songwriter to Executive

Soon after, Koppelman and his bandmate Don Rubin became songwriters. They worked for Aldon Music. Famous musicians like Carole King and Neil Sedaka also worked there.

When Columbia Pictures bought Aldon Music, Koppelman got a promotion. He became a director at the new company, Screen Gems/Columbia Music.

In 1965, Koppelman and Rubin started their own company. It was called Koppelman/Rubin Associates. They signed popular groups like The Lovin Spoonful. Later, in the early 1970s, Koppelman moved to CBS Records. He held many roles there. As Vice President of A&R, he helped sign many artists. These included Billy Joel, Journey, and Janis Ian.

Building Music Empires

By the mid-1970s, Koppelman was a Vice President at CBS Records. He oversaw music publishing around the world. In 1975, he started The Entertainment Company. This company helped manage song catalogs. It also produced music for stars like Barbra Streisand and Dolly Parton.

In the early 1980s, Charles Koppelman's son, Brian, found a talented musician named Tracy Chapman. Charles Koppelman quickly signed her to a record deal.

In 1986, Koppelman and his partners formed SBK Entertainment World, Inc. They bought 250,000 songs from CBS Songs. This was a very large purchase at the time. SBK became the biggest independent music publisher in the world. It helped the careers of artists like Michael Bolton and New Kids on the Block.

In 1989, SBK Entertainment World, Inc. was sold to EMI Music. As part of the deal, Koppelman and his partner created a new record label. It was called SBK Records. Koppelman became the Chairman and CEO of this new label. He also became Chairman of EMI Music Publishing.

SBK Records quickly became successful. They signed artists like Technotronic, Wilson Phillips, and Vanilla Ice. In 1991, Koppelman sold his share of SBK Records to EMI Music. He then became Chairman and CEO of EMI Records Group North America. During his time at EMI, Koppelman helped Frank Sinatra reunite with Capitol Records. This led to the very popular album Duets. Koppelman worked as CEO until 1997.

Beyond Music

From 2000 to 2004, Koppelman was Chairman of Steve Madden, Ltd. He helped lead the company during a challenging time.

In 2005, Koppelman became Chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. He also appeared on NBC's The Apprentice: Martha Stewart in 2005. He was like Martha Stewart's main helper on the show. He served as the company's CEO from 2008 to 2011. He then left to grow his own company, CAK Entertainment.

Since 2010, Koppelman also served on the board of directors for Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. He was also on the board of Las Vegas Sands.

CAK Entertainment, Inc.

Koppelman started CAK Entertainment in 1997. This company helps artists and businesses with marketing and brand development. They have worked with stars like Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. They also helped Adam Levine and Nicki Minaj with their clothing lines.

Family Life

Charles Koppelman was married twice. His first wife was Brenda "Bunny" Koppelman. They had three children: Brian, Stacy, and Jennifer. Brenda passed away in 2008. In 2011, he married Gerri Kyhill Koppelman.

His daughter, Jennifer Hutt, is a radio personality. She has hosted several radio shows. His son, Brian Koppelman, is a screenwriter. He wrote movies like Rounders and Ocean's Thirteen.

Charles Koppelman passed away from cancer on November 25, 2022. He was 82 years old.