Bhaskar Menon

Bhaskar Menon (29 May 1934 – 4 March 2021) was a music industry executive of Indian origin. He hailed from Palakkad, Kerala, India. He initially worked with The Gramophone Company of India Ltd. (Saregama His Master's Voice) Dum Dum, Calcutta, India as the chairman and MD. From there he was taken to the United Kingdom by EMI.

As the first chairman and CEO of EMI Music Worldwide, Bhaskar Menon was best known as a music industry executive, overseeing the EMI Group’s worldwide operations and subsidiaries.

Overview A citizen of the United States, Menon was born in India where he was educated at The Doon School and received a B.A. Honours degree from the University of Delhi. He earned a master's degree from Christ Church, Oxford University, and joined EMI Limited in London. Transferred to India and the Far East, he was appointed chairman, managing director and chief executive of EMI's Indian subsidiary.

Menon returned to London as divisional director and general manager (overseas) of EMI Limited responsible for the group's interests and investments outside the UK. He was concurrently appointed managing director of EMI International Services Limited with direct operating responsibility for companies in 25 countries. He represented EMI on the boards of several subsidiary and associated companies, including Capitol Industries in the US and Toshiba EMI Limited in Japan.

Menon transferred to Los Angeles and was elected president and chief executive officer of Capitol Industries Inc., a public corporation in which EMI held majority interest. He was appointed a director of the parent board of EMI Limited, and elected chairman of the board of Capitol Industries Inc. in addition to remaining president and chief executive officer of all its operating companies in North America, including Capitol Records, the Merco & MusicDen Retail Group, Capitol Magnetic Products division, and of the Screen Gems and Colgems music publishing companies and United Artists Records, which he acquired for Capitol/EMI. He was also chairman of EMI Films Inc. and EMI Television Programs Inc.

Menon turned around the financially troubled Capitol EMI into a successful major player in the music industry. In a 1978 article, the publication New Musical Express noted, "Within a year he had turned Capitol's $15 million loss into a profit. His motto for his employees was simple: 'Uncompromising excellence in what you do goes without saying. We expect more than that.

A recent posting on the FYI music site had this to say about Menon's achievements at EMI."Menon pulled the British companies sprawling assets, spread over 46 countries, under one roof and created EMI Music Worldwide in 1978. Menon was a great team builder, he had a passion for music and he loved entertaining and hanging out with musicians. Just like the incredible team that built Warner, Elektra and Atlantic. From what I remember of Bhaskar Menon, his kindness, generosity and sharp intellect were appreciated by the stable of talent the company acquired and held on to in those years."

Early life Menon was born on 29 May 1934 in Trivandrum, in modern day state of Kerala in India, to Saraswathi and KRK Menon. He was exposed to music with the Indian classical music that he was exposed to from his mother's side. This event was the first significant benefits concert for humanitarian causes organized and supported by musicians.

It was later revealed that Menon was not the cause of the delay, but rather Harrison's manager, Allen Klein, who was attempting to leverage Capitol's desire to release the album in time for the Christmas shopping season in order to secure financial gain for himself. Klein later served prison time for, in part, having illegally profited from sales of the album.

Awards and honors Menon served as president of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the trade association of the world recording industry, with 1,100 members and national groups in 71 countries. He was elected to the newly created position of chairman of the board of the federation. He was awarded the IFPI "Medal of Honor" in recognition of his services to the worldwide music industry . He remained a director of the American Recording Industry Association, (RIAA) from 1971 to 1990.

In 1990, Menon was appointed to the rank of "Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the French Minister of Culture. This order is one of the principal decorations conferred by the French Republic to honor individuals who had distinguished themselves by their contributions to the influence of the arts and literature. Other recipients of the Award include Herbert von Karajan, Wilhelm Kempff, Ray Charles, Leonard Cohen and Jack Nicholson.

After EMI Menon became the chairman of I.M.I. (International Media Investments Incorporated), which he founded in 1995.

Menon died on 4 March 2021 at the age of 86 and was survived by his wife and two sons.