Dick Asher, music industry pioneer and Anti-Payola Crusader, has died at the age of 92

Dick Ushera music industry titan who held presidential roles at both PolyGram and Columbia Records, has died at age 92, Variety has confirmed.

His son Jeffrey announced via Facebook that Usher died peacefully at his home in Boca Raton, Florida on Tuesday, July 25.

“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that my father, one of the legendary executives of the music industry, passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 92!! Here he is in London England presenting Mott the Hoople with awards for their album sales,” Geoffrey wrote alongside a photo of his father alongside the British rockers.

Born in New York in 1932, Asher's career in the music business spanned over four decades, with his tenure coinciding with the careers of some of music's biggest names, including Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi.

He began his professional journey after graduating from Tufts University and Cornell Law School. After serving in the Marine Corps, he joined CBS Records (now Sony Music) in the mid-1960s as vice president of corporate affairs.

Perhaps one of the most notable moments in Asher's early career was meeting Bob Dylan during the singer's recovery from a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 1966.

Usher traveled to Woodstock, New York to negotiate Dylan's contract renewal, a task few others were able to accomplish at the time. Reflecting on the meeting, Asher recounted once asking Dylan about his new music, to which Dylan replied, “It's just down the road.”

After a brief stint at Capitol Records, Asher returned to CBS in 1971 and worked closely with Clive Davis at Columbia Records.

He was instrumental in reviving the company's struggling UK division and was later promoted to head of international operations. In the late 1970s, as the music industry was facing a downturn due to the decline of disco, Asher was appointed vice president of Columbia Records, playing a key role in stabilizing the company's finances.

Asher's most significant contribution to the music industry came in the 1980s when he took a stand against the powerful network of independent promoters known as 'The Network'.

These promoters had monopolized radio through payola and other questionable practices.

As detailed in Frederic Dannen's book Hit Men, Asher tried to break free from their influence by releasing Pink Floyd's “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1” without their involvement.

However, the song initially faced significant resistance from major radio stations. Nevertheless, Asher's determination ultimately contributed to the congressional hearings that exposed and dismantled the network's operations in the mid-1980s.

Asher's tenure at Columbia Records ended in 1983 after clashes with label president Walter Yetnikoff. He then joined Warner Communications and later became president and CEO of PolyGram Records in 1985. During his tenure at PolyGram, the company released several blockbuster albums, including Bon Jovi's “Slippery When Wet” and “Hysteria” by Def Leppard.

Despite these successes, Asher left PolyGram in 1990 after a contractual dispute.

After leaving PolyGram, Asher returned to law and provided consulting services to various artists and companies.

He also became an original director for Electronic Arts, serving in that capacity for 24 years. In the 1990s, he moved to Florida and later joined Florida Atlantic University as an associate professor of commercial music, where he was instrumental in establishing the school's recording studio.

Asher is survived by his wife, Sheila, and son, Jeffrey. He also leaves behind four grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.