Seymour Stein, the founder of Sire Records, died at the age of 80, per his daughter Mandy Stein. According to her, the music executive died of cancer in Los Angeles on Sunday. 

In a statement shared with the Hollywood Reporter, Mandy Stein reflected on how she grew up “surrounded by music”, thanks to her father’s involvement in the industry.

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“I didn’t have the most conventional upbringing, but I wouldn’t change my life and my relationship with my dad for anything, and he was a loving and caring grandfather who took pleasure in every moment with his three granddaughters,” she said in the statement. 

“He gave me the ultimate soundtrack, as well as his wicked sense of humor. I am beyond grateful for every minute our family spent with him, and that the music he brought to the world impacted so many people’s lives in a positive way.”

Stein was an iconic music producer in the industry and is credited with launching big names like Madonna and Talking Heads. He also helped found the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, and he was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2005.

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Stein was born on March 18, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in a Jewish household, Stein developed a love for music from an early age. He started his career in the music industry in the early 1960s, working for Billboard magazine and later for the King and Gone record labels.

In 1966, Stein co-founded Sire Records with Richard Gottehrer. Initially, the label struggled to find success, but they eventually hit it big with the signing of The Ramones in 1976, which launched Sire into the mainstream.

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He is survived by his wife Linda S. Stein and daughter Mandy Stein. His estimated net worth was between $3 to $5 million.