Source: Jeff Kravitz / Getty
Andre Harrell was found dead at his apartment Friday evening at age 59, according to a tweet from journalist Roland Martin. His cause of death is unknown at this time.
Harrell, who founded Uptown Records, was responsible for launching the careers of Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, Heavy D, Jodeci, Anthony Hamilton, Teddy Riley and more. In 1995, he became the president and CEO of Motown Records, overseeing Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Queen Latifah, all the while launching the careers of 98 Degrees and Mario Winans. As a mentor to Diddy, he later went on to work side-by-side with the rap mogul as president of Bad Boy Records and later, vice chairman of Revolt TV & Media.
Outside of his music endeavors, Harrell dabbled in film, producing Honey, which starred Jessica Alba, Strictly Business starring Tommy Davidson and Halle Berry, and created the first multicultural major network drama to hit TV: New York Undercover.
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Andre Harrell Has Passed Away At 59 Years Old was originally published on zhiphopcleveland.com
