Nick Hunter Passes
Longtime label executive Nick Hunter passed away early this morning (12/15). He was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and friends report he fought the disease with grace.
Hunter’s career in radio promotion and sales included time among the top leadership at Warner Bros. Records, Giant Records, and as General Manager of Koch Records.
On Sunday (12/12), Hunter enjoyed a jovial visit with friends and industry colleagues Al Cooley, Neal Spielberg and Jack Purcell.
Friends say Hunter’s devotion to baseball was second only to his commitment to his family. He was a passionate music lover who was said to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the Nashville music business.
He is survived by wife Margie, daughter Kate and son Sam.
Services are pending.
Sarah Skates has been a writer and editor in the music business since 2004. She is a longtime contributor to MusicRow.
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Nick was an great guy! We had some fun times together – I remember playing for the Playboy Records softball team and he was our coach and leader. Barbi Benton was on our team!! We lost to another music team composed of guys whose connection to the music industry was lifting jukeboxes (seriously). I also remember teaching him racquetball. He showed up at Vanderbilt with Eddie Kilroy and a giant sheepdog who stayed on the court with us.
I was a new artist on Warner Bros back in 91. Nick was head of promotion. I was scared to death when I first met him. He turned out to be one of the most refreshingly honest and supportive people I have ever met in the music business. I was not a baseball fanatic like Nick but I was inspired by his passion for both baseball and country music. I feel honored to have known him. He will be missed by many.
Thank you very much for your kind words and memories of my father. I am so glad that will be remembered so fondly by so many.
I met Nick when he and Simon Renshaw came to Koch Records to pitch his label Audium for distribution. We were all impressed with his experiences in the music industry. He ended the meeting by saying if any of us ever wanted tickets to a playoff or world series game he could get us tickets. I took him up on that in 2001 when the Yankees played the Mets. He was a very kind and honest man and I missed him when he no longer work for Koch. He’ll be missed.
I was saddened to hear about Nick’s passing. We had known each other for decades. Back in the 70’s he and I judged a talent contest at Nashville Shores, and Nick was his usual honest self about the aspiring artists. But when it was over, one of the contestants who did not make the cut, came over and let me have it, cause Nick was larger than me, I was a better target. Nick loved it! RIP my friend.
When James Stroud and I started Giant Records.. our first CRS, we wanted something to make our suite special. We reached out to Nick and he said he would get Pete Rose to come to the suite for a couple of hours and have his picture taken with all the radio folks in a Giant Records hat. Who else but Nick could have pulled THAT off? It was quite a night. Nick was one of a kind and I will really miss him.
I knew him well…I’m so sorry, he was such a great guy. I wish the best for his family.