Donald Dempsey

Who was Donald Dempsey?

Donald Dempsey Sr. was an American recording executive who helped launch Ozzy Osbourne and Merle Haggard.

A one-time math teacher, Dempsey began his music career peddling albums for a distributor to dime and discount department stores that would eventually embark on a 25-year career with CBS Records. Dempsey became general manager in 1978 of Epic Portrait Associated succeeding Ronald Alexenburg who would leave CBS to head up Infinity Records. When the music industry went into a tailspin in the mid 1980s, Dempsey was removed from his post in 1986 and retired shortly afterwards.

In his role as general manager of Epic Portrait Associated, he worked with The Clash, Culture Club, The Isley Brothers, George Jones, Quiet Riot, Ricky Skaggs and Luther Vandross. His career high is seen to be the aggressive marketing of Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller, which sold over 40 million copies.

He was asked in 2002 what he thought of Michael Jackson's eccentricities to which he responded, "they overshadowed his talent."

He died following a stroke at his home in Kissimmee, Florida. He is survived by his son, Don Dempsey, Jr., and Daughter