Jerry Moss: Always A Music Man
• Amid a pandemic that has crippled so many arts organizations, A&M Records co-Founder Jerry Moss and his wife, Tina, have given $25 million to the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles, the largest gift earmarked for programming in the organization’s history. Rachel S. Moore, Pres. & CEO of the Music Center said, “I think they saw incredible need right now. This is an extremely difficult moment, not just for the arts but for the community.”
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the newly renovated Music Center plaza that links the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre will be named Jerry Moss Plaza. The inaugural order of business, when it is deemed safe for the public to gather again, will be an annual free summer concert featuring prominent musicians that Moss said he hopes to help recruit from his network of industry connections.
“I consider myself a music man, and I would like to celebrate that at this stage of my life,” said Moss, a supporter of the Music Center since 1968, who says he already has a few ideas about which special guests to invite first.
The Mosses’ generous gift will help to pay for a new state-of-the-art sound system to heighten the experience of community gatherings in the plaza. The idea, Moore said, is to build on the Music Center’s commitment to free and low-cost programming, some of which will take place on the plaza, and some of which will take place at locations throughout the city. “It’s going to take lots of different forms,” Moore said. “Part of this journey is for us to listen and work with our partners to create work that is really resonant and relevant to the people of Los Angeles.”
The $25 million gift, which exceeds the entire annual programming budget of the Music Center, also will be used to create a network of community partners who will also help co-design programs. As Tina Moss said, “The Music Center has been such a big part of our lives, and brought us such passion and purpose.” Pictured, (l-r): Rachel Moore, Jerry & Tina Moss. [Photo by John McCoy].
