[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 37 (Friday, February 26, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E177]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MR. RUSS THYRET

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                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 26, 2021

  Mr. LIEU. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Mr. Russ 
Thyret, who passed away at the age of 76 on February 12, 2021 at his 
home in Valley Village, California. Over the course of thirty years, 
Russ rose through the ranks at Warner Bros. Records culminating in his 
serving as the Burbank-based label's Board Chairman and Chief Executive 
Officer from 1995 to 2001. His wife, Rebecca, said that Russ' message 
for his Warner family and for all who he had known over the years, ``he 
wants us all to be happy and to be good to each other.''
  Mr. Thyret, the son of a Glendale, California policeman, began his 
career in the music industry managing an independent retail store on 
the Sunset Strip. He joined Warner Bros. Records shortly thereafter, 
working at the company's Burbank home office in a national sales role 
during the time Warner/Elektra/Atlantic (WEA) Corporation opened branch 
operations throughout the country. In the mid-70s, Russ was selected to 
serve as Vice President and Director of National Promotion during the 
time Warner Bros. dominated the charts and became the dominant record 
company on the West Coast.
  Russ was named Board Chairman at Warner Bros. after a period of 
uncertainty after the departure of several senior executives. He sought 
to strengthen the record label with his unique business strategy and 
his undying passion for music. During his years heading the company's 
promotion department, Russ led a small army of promotional personnel 
who worked to ensure records were played on the air on local, national, 
and international airwaves. Mr. Thyret and his staff delivered 
countless hits by legendary artists such as: Fleetwood Mac, the Doobie 
Brothers, Randy Newman, James Taylor, Alice Cooper, Chaka Khan, R.E.M., 
ZZ Top, Depeche Mode, k.d. lang, John Fogerty, Madonna, and Prince.
  ``Thyret was a man of great instinct and heart,'' as stated by Jackie 
Sallow with Warner Records. Russ will always be remembered for his 
personable spirit, tenacious mindset, and kind heart. In 2001, Mr. 
Thyret ended his tenure after the completion of the AOL Time Warner 
merger. He summed up his time with the company stating, ``My strongest 
ambition has always been to serve the artists well, and I leave Warner 
Bros. hoping I have accomplished that. I was in awe of Warner Bros. 
Records the first day I walked in the door, and in so many ways, I 
leave even more in awe. It will forever be a magical memory.''
  Mr. Russ Thyret will also be remembered for his love of his family, 
horses, fishing, and his great Labrador Retriever. He is survived by 
his wife Rebecca Alvarez and his son Russ Thyre, Jr.

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