Condolences: Mike Borchetta
• Legendary longtime label executive Mike Borchetta, patriarch of an equally gifted music industry family that includes his children, Scott, Adelle, Chris and Angela, passed away on Saturday, June 14 at the age of 84, surrounded by his family.
As reported by Country Aircheck, While serving as President of Lofton Creek Records, Borchetta scored a No. 1 hit in 2006 with Heartland’s “I Loved Her First.” Over the course of his long career, Borchetta also promoted many other Pop and Country artists, including Hal Ketchum, The Four Seasons, The Beach Boys, Glen Campbell, Dusty Springfield and Wayne Newton, to name a few notables, during stints at Broken Bow, Capitol, RCA, Mercury, Philips Records, Rebel Engine and his own promotion company. Borchetta and his wife Martha also bred and trained thoroughbred horses for decades.
As VP of Promotion at Curb Records from the late ’80s through the mid-’90s, Borchetta was instrumental in signing Tim McGraw to the label. For his part, McGraw (pictured here with Borchetta and Martha) posted his condolences on Instagram, noting, “I am saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary music executive, Mike Borchetta. I came to Nashville the day my hero Keith Whitley died — on a Greyhound bus with only the clothes on my back, a guitar and a big dream. About as green as they come. I was able to get a meeting with Mike while he was working at Curb Records. He pretty much said we are signing you on the spot. I will be forever grateful for his belief in me. Gonna miss seein’ ya at my shows, but I know you will be looking down with a smile. My heartfelt condolences to the family. Rest in peace my friend.” [Borchetta photo credit: John Nevarez]
