Tom Corson ’82, co-chairman and COO of Warner Records and chair of the Dean’s Board of Advisors for The Herb Alpert School of Music, was honored Oct. 15 by City of Hope, one of the nation’s largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations, with its annual Spirit of Life Award.
An online article on Corson discusses the deeply personal nature of the award for the honoree.
The honor has added personal and professional meaning for Corson: His wife and son are cancer survivors, and the very first City of Hope honoree, back in 1973, was legendary Warner Bros. Records Chairman and CEO Mo Ostin.
“This is very personal for me, as well, because of my family’s battles with cancer. About 13 years ago, my wife Susan was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She went through a very aggressive form of treatment. And she’s cancer free. Her journey through that was inspiring.
And then, almost eight years ago, I was starting this job on Jan. 2, 2018. Right before Christmas, my son was diagnosed with cancer. He was 29. And knock on wood, he’s doing great. He just had his first child a year ago, our first grandson.
So it’s very personal to me. But look, cancer touches everybody eventually, either directly or peripherally. And the work that they do at City of Hope is extraordinarily inspiring. This is the least I can do.”
The City of Hope press release describing Corson’s career reveals the scope of his music industry experience and influence:
Tom Corson is the Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records, overseeing all aspects of the record label’s operations. He joined the company in January 2018, and has since led the label to even greater prominence, reaching #3 in market share, earning nine “Best New Artist” Grammy nominations and chart-topping success with such new and established artists as Dua Lipa, Zach Bryan, Michael Bublé, Benson Boone, Teddy Swims, Rufus Du Sol, Linkin Park, Cher, Dasha, Red Hot Chili Peppers, JISOO, Josh Groban, Gary Clark Jr., Green Day, The Black Keys, Saweetie, NLE Choppa, Omar Apollo and more.
Tom came to Warner Records from RCA Music Group, where he spent nearly 18 years of his career and most recently served as President & COO. Having also overseen operations for J and Arista, Tom played a leading role in talent development at RCA, helping to guide the careers of Alicia Keys, A$AP Rocky, Pitbull, Bleachers, Bryson Tiller, Chris Brown, Foo Fighters, G-Eazy, Justin Timberlake, Khalid, Kings of Leon, Kygo, Pentatonix, P!nk, Miley Cyrus, Sia, SZA, Usher, and many others.
Tom began his career in the music industry as a college intern at IRS Records. Upon graduating from UCLA with a B.A. in Business/Economics, he joined the label as Director of West Coast Sales, working with artists such as R.E.M. and The Go-Go’s. Tom moved to A&M Records in 1985, advancing to Vice President of Marketing where he assisted in developing a variety of artists, including Soundgarden, Simple Minds, Sting and UB40. In 1990, Corson was named Senior Vice President of Marketing at Capitol Records with a talent roster ranging from Radiohead to MC Hammer. From 1996 to 2000, he served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Columbia Records, spearheading a genre-spanning string of breakout campaigns for Fugees, Train, Lauryn Hill, System of a Down, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey and others.
Tom Corson has appeared on the Billboard Power 100 list the last 14 years, and he was just named 2024 VarietyHitmakers “Executive of the Year” alongside Warner Records Co-Chairman and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck. He is a member of NARAS and the Music and Entertainment Industry Board for City of Hope and also sits on the executive committee of the board of directors for the T.J Martell Foundation and is the Chairman of the UCLA School of Music Business, board of advisors.