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Shero Hall of Fame Sylvia
Rhone
During her first year at EEG she was enormously successful at consolidating the three companies that became the Elektra Entertainment Group. Ms Rhone guided the delicate merger of Elektra, EastWest, (of which she was formerly CEO) and Sire Records into the Warner Music Group's premiere boutique label. She was directly involved in the launch of several new artists at EEG, including Better Than Ezra, Adina Howard, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Kut Klose. Long known throughout the industry as a keen developer of musical talent, she was also instrumental in the continuing success of platinum plus artists like the Rembrandts and the tremendous solo debut of Natalie Merchant. Her career reads like a virtual litany of firsts. In 1990 she became the first African American woman to head a major record company when she was named CEO/President of Atlantic's EastWest Records America division. A year later when the EastWest artist roster and operations were combined with those of Atco Records, Ms Rhone was named Chairman/CEO of Atco/EastWest, and subsequently of EastWest Records /America. At EastWest, she was directly involved in breaking several talented newcomers as well as taking established artists to new heights. En Vogue, Gerald Levert, Pantera and Das EFX all ignited during her watch. She also played a pivotal role in furthering the careers of noted superstars like AC/DC and Simply Red, now both prestigious EEG artists. Sylvia Rhone began her career with Buddha Records in 1974. In a succession of promotions over the next six years, she also held positions at ABC Records and Ariola Records. Ms Rhone was previously part of the Elektra family in 1980 as Northeast Regional Promotion Manager/Special Markets, and was eventually promoted to Director/National Black Music Marketing. She took on broader responsibilities in A&R and Marketing in 1986 with her promotion to Senior Vice President/General Manager of Atlantic Records. At Atlantic she was responsible for such artists as Levert, Brandy, Intro, D.O.C., MC Lytle, Chuckii Booker, Miki Howard and Gerald Albright. It was under her watch that Billboard Magazine named Atlantic the Number One Black Music Division in 1988. Born and raised in New York City's historic Harlem, Ms Rhone holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She has been honored with over two dozen awards during her career, both from the music industry and the greater community. Recently, Ms Rhone was awarded an Honorary Degree, A Doctorate of Humane Letters, from Adelphi University. Highlights and honors include 1995's Herbert H. Wright Award from the National Association of Market Developers; Sony's Soul of American Music Excellence Award; The Urban Network's Executive Of The Year Award; The Boy Scouts of America's Whitney M. Young Service Award; the New Music Seminar's Joel Webber Prize for Excellence in Music and Business Award; and the Legacy Life Member Award from the National Council of Negro Women. Ms Rhone is active in a number of community based organizations and took the lead role in the entertainment industry in 1996 in organizing a fund raising benefit for the National Council of Churches Burned Churches Fund, which raised funds to rebuild churches destroyed by fire. Sylvia Rhone is a member of the Board of Directors of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Studio Museum of Harlem, the RIAA, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the R&B Foundation.
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