Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948)[1] is an American businessman, record executive, television producer, theater producer, film producer, investor, and serial entrepreneur. Mottola is Chairman of Mottola Media Group, cofounder of NTERTAIN Studios, founding partner of Range Media Partners, and was Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, parent of the Columbia label, for nearly 15 years.[2] Since 2000, he has been married to Mexican actress and singer Thalía.
Early life
Mottola was born in The Bronx to a middle-class Italian American family.[1] He graduated from Iona Grammar School in 1962 and Iona Prep in 1966. He attended military school briefly and then high school. After dropping out of Hofstra University on Long Island, he pursued a music career as a guitarist and singer with The Exotics, an R&B cover band.[3]
Mottola entered the music scene in the mid-1960s as a recording artist for CBS Records, under the name "T.D. Valentine". After his attempt to become a recording star himself failed, Mottola started working for publishing company Chappell Publishing and started his own management company, Champion Entertainment Organization. His role at Chappell put him in touch with many artists, and soon he signed his first successful management clients, Daryl Hall & John Oates. Mottola helped Hall and Oates land a record deal and several high-profile endorsements.
Mottola managed the black rock group Xavion successfully using new media for promotion, such as music videos and music tours.[4]
Sony/Columbia
In 1988, Mottola was hired by Sony Music (then known as CBS Records) by Walter Yetnikoff to run its U.S. operations. In 1990, he replaced Yetnikoff as Chairman CEO of the newly named Sony Music. While Mottola was at Sony Music, Sony expanded its businesses into over sixty countries and became the first major music company to make digital downloads available commercially. By the year 2000, Sony had over $6 billion in annual revenue.[5]
He also worked with Michael Jackson from the time he began recording his Dangerous album. During the promotion of Jackson's album Invincible in 2001, Jackson later stated that his relationship with Mottola dissolved based on corruption in Mottola's working practices and accused him of being a "racist who exploited black talent". Jackson would later state that "the recording companies really, really do conspire against the artists."[8]
After Sony
Mottola was the head of Sony Music Entertainment until January 2003. Since leaving his post as chief of Sony Music, Mottola has been building a new entertainment company complete with recorded music, television production, theater, and fashion, alongside a branding and management company that has recently launched. He was instrumental in re-launching the various careers of such artists as Marc Anthony and Lindsay Lohan.[9] Later signings included Cassie Ventura and Mika.[10]
Mottola published a book titled Hitmaker in January 2013, which he co-wrote with Cal Fussman.[12]
Mottola Media Group
Under Mottola Media Group—founded in 2003 after his departure from Sony—Mottola has gone on to produce several projects, including the musical adaptation of Chazz Palminteri's A Bronx Tale. Palminteri credits Mottola with the realization of the project, developed over the past two years. Mottola brought the idea for A Bronx Tale Musical to producing partner Dodger Properties and "put the musical on his back".[13] The show officially opened on Broadway in December 2016 and closed on August 5, 2018. A national tour in Los Angeles began in October 2018 at the Pantages Theatre.[14]
In 2018, Mottola's Mottola Media signed a multi-year first look deal with eOne, now Lionsgate Canada, to develop scripted and unscripted TV.[15]
Mottola created and produced documentaries for HBO entitled The Latin Explosion: A New America (2015) and 15: A Quinceanera Story the latter of which garnered a DGA nomination.
NTERTAIN Studios
In March 2021, Mottola, along with Neon16 CEO and Co-founder Lex Borrero, and representation firm Range Media Partners formed NTERTAIN Studios –"an entertainment and media company that creates, develops and produces content across multiple mediums, highlighting Latino stories and representing Latino talent, brands and culture."[16]
Current productions include Los Montaners for Disney+ (renewed[17] for a second season), Thalia's Mixtape: El Soundtrack de Mi Vida for Paramount+, La Firma (The Signing) and Neon for Netflix.
A strategic partnership[18] was established with Audio Up Media. This collaboration is focused on developing and acquiring original content across various media verticals, with an emphasis on Latino podcast programming.
NTERTAIN is based in Miami with Mottola and Borrero heading the company in partnership with Peter Micelli, CEO of Range Media Partners.[16]
Personal life
Mottola has been married three times. He converted to Judaism to marry his first wife, Lisa Clark, daughter of ABC Records head Sam Clark, in 1971. The couple divorced in 1990 after having two children.[1]
On June 5, 1993. Mottola married his second wife Mariah Carey. They announced their separation on May 30, 1997,[19] and later divorced on March 5, 1998. He married his third wife, Thalía, on December 2, 2000, at New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral.[20] Their daughter was born in October 2007[21] and their son was born in June 2011.[22]
Awards and recognitions
City of Hope Spirit of Life Award (1990):[23] Recognizing his philanthropic efforts and contributions to the City of Hope's mission.
Billboard Power Player of the Year (1993): Acknowledging his influence and leadership in the music industry.
TJ Martell Foundation, Humanitarian of the Year: Honoring his commitment to supporting cancer, leukemia, and AIDS research.
National Italian American Foundation, Honoree:[24] Celebrating his achievements and contributions as a prominent figure of Italian-American heritage.
Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2019):[25] A testament to his enduring impact and legacy in the world of entertainment.
In popular culture
Hall & Oates' song "Gino (The Manager)", from the duo's album Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975), was written about Mottola.[26] The record jacket insert reads: "And introducing Tommy Mottola as 'Little Gino'".[27]
The character of Gene Balboa, in the Channel 101 Internet TV series Yacht Rock, is loosely based on Mottola, in particular his time as Hall & Oates' manager.[28]
Mariah Carey wrote a song called "Petals" on her album Rainbow (1999), which addresses her marriage to Mottola. In the song, Carey refers to Mottola as "Valentine"— alluding to his former stage name, T.D. Valentine. She later addressed her marriage to Mottola in detail in her 2020 memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey.
In The Sopranos season 4 episode 2, No Show, Janice says “Tommy Mottola at Sony, looks like he's gonna offer us a deal." Later in the same episode Tony states "That Tommy Mottola is one slow motherfucker"[29]
In JAY-Z's song "Success" featuring Nas, track 12 from his studio album American Gangster, Nas mention's "Mottola" in the last line of his third verse. "Up your catalog, dog, mine's worth too much. Like Mike Jacks ATV pub, Mottola can't touch. Let this bitch breathe! (Ha heh)"[30]
Written works
Mottola, Tommy, A New America: How Music Reshaped the Culture and Future of a Nation and Redefined My Life (Celebra, 2016) ISBN 0451467787.
Mottola, Tommy with Cal Fussman, Hitmaker: The Man and His Music (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2013) ISBN978-0446585187.
Tosches, Nick, Dangerous Dances: The Authorized Biography (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1984) ISBN0283991895.
Notes
^Sources differ on when Mottola was actually born – but the majority state July 14, 1948.[1]
^Doughterty, Steve (June 16, 1997). "Swan Song". People. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
^"Thalía is pregnant!". People en Español. June 12, 2007. Archived from the original on November 6, 2009. The couple was married on Dec. 2, 2000 in New York. The article appears in English. NOTE: The U.S. edition of People gives the wedding date as October 11, 1997: Silverman, Stephen M. (October 13, 1997). "Music Mogul Marries". People. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
