According to Variety, John McClain, music executive who was the co-executor of Michael Jackson’s estate, died yesterday, due to complications after a fall. He was 71.
Following Jackson’s sudden passing in 2009, McClain took control of his estate along with entertainment attorney John Branca. Jackson’s was reportedly in debt nearly half billion dollars at the time of his passing, but the two quickly turned the tide around, making the estate into a multi-billion-dollar business. McClain and Branca collaborated to rehabilitate Jackson’s image and legacy. They approved projects such as documentary about Jackson’s planned 2009 tour, featuring his rehearsal footage, This Is It; MJ the Musical; and the newly released biopic, Michael. They also fought off allegations and legal disputes alledging that Jackson was a child abuser.
“What John McClain and I really do with the Jackson estate is manage that brand,” Branca said, in 2016. “It’s not traditional legal work… What we do for the estate is not unlike what we do for an artist or a brand—we are involved with records, deal with touring and branding as well as overseeing various aspects of their career. It’s not different than the work we did when Michael was alive, in particular during the ‘Thriller’ era, when Michael did not have a manager. What we did with ‘This Is It,’ was to try to show the real Michael Jackson, the entertainer and not the tabloid sensation. It was really a rebranding effort.”
McClain first rose in prominence in 1986, after his assistance in enginereeing the rise of Janet Jackson. Jackson had two, largely unsuccesful, previous albums at the time McClain was assigned to her, after taking a job at A&M as the director of Black Music. He parred the singer up with a new songwriting and production team and the album they created hit instance success.
In 1989, McClain joined the newly formed Interscope Records, as an executive, leading the company into gospel and R&B. He returned to A&M in 1997, as the President of Black music. McClain signed ledgends such as Jesse Johnson, Atlantic Starr, and Ice Cube.
McClain grew up in a very Musical family, in Los Angelos. His father ran a jazz venue and his mother was a pianist who attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music and performed at Carnage Hall. He grew up studying classical music and began piano lessons at age 3. He also befriended Michael Jackson and the Jackson family as a teenager.
Co-executor, Branca, spoke breifly on McClain’s passing.
“I am profoundly grieved at the loss of my partner and brother John McClain. One of the great innovators in the world of music and music marketing, John was a visionary, seeing past the mundane and into the future,” he said. “When we were named in Michael’s will, I knew that he would bring great insight into Michael’s music and that his friendship and dedication to Michael would underscore all the great projects that we could bring to the world. He brought a passion and sense of conviction to all that he did and was the most generous of friends. It is difficult to imagine a world without him.”
Leave a Comment