RALBOVSKY GETS BACK TO WHERE HE ONCE BELONGED

Sony Music Label Group has confirmed the rumor we shared with you, our reader, last month, as SMLG Chairman Rob Stringer and Columbia Records Chairman Steve Barnett jointly announce that Steve Ralbovsky will change horses from RCA to Columbia, where highly regarded A&R exec worked in the ’80s.

Ralbovsky will serve as Senior Vice President of A&R for the label and will oversee and direct Canvasback Music, a new label imprint for which he will discover, sign and develop new artists and projects. He’ll also A&R projects for selected Columbia artists.

“Steve Ralbovsky has worked with some of the most influential and extraordinary artists of the past 30 years and comes to Columbia Records with a virtually unbroken track record of successes,” said Stringer in making the announcement. “He’s got a great ear for music and knows how to align artists’ goals with the demands of the market and the taste of the public. Steve genuinely understands why music is so important to all of us. I am very pleased to have Steve and his new label on board as an integral part of the Sony Music Label Group.”

Added Barnett: “I take great pleasure in welcoming Steve Ralbovsky back to Columbia Records. Over the course of his career, Steve's been responsible for an ongoing and growing roster of commercial and artistic successes, never failing to find the artists and music that reflect the truth, and bring out the best, of our times. I look forward to working with Steve as Columbia Records moves into the bold next phase of its rich and varied history.”

Then it was Ralbovsky’s turn. “I want to thank Rob and Steve for giving me this fantastic opportunity,” he said. “I've always been enamored with the rich artistic tradition and history of Columbia Records, and it feels great to come back to the label to become part of that ongoing legacy.”

Ralbovsky entered the music business 31 years ago while still in college, promoting concerts at SUNY-Buffalo. In 1979, he started tour managing the fledgling B-52’s, and two years later he entered the field of artist management, with Tom Verlaine among his clients.