Founder of Label Behind Creed and Evanescence Passes at 67

2011-11-01

Story by Charles Ken

Wind-Up Records founder was behind the success of Creed, Evanescence and Seether

Alan Meltzer, the founder and former chairman of Wind-Up Entertainment, passed away this past weekend, according to report from Rolling Stone. He was 67. Meltzer, who created the label along with his wife, Diana, after acquiring indie Grass Records in 1997, was very involved in the success of Wind-Up Records meat-and-potatoes bands such as Creed, Evanescence and Seether, who played a major role in the success of post-grunge and hard rock in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He left Wind-Up in 2010.

Before forming Wind-Up, Meltzer ran CD One Stop, a chain of record shops in New York and Connecticut that grew into one of the largest wholesale distributors of compact discs in the 1980s and 1990s. Obviously, he was a lover of all things music, and that was the seed of his success with Wind-Up.

Regarding Meltzer’s passing, Wind-Up CEO and president Ed Vetri released the following statement via Billboard Biz Billboard Biz: “Alan was a creative force in the entertainment industry and will be missed. His passion for music and long term artist development was the capstone of the label and continues to drive us today.”

Meltzer’s death was said to be unexpected, and results of an autopsy are expected to surface in the coming weeks. A representative from Wind-Up released the following statement: “In the interest of respecting family and friends’ privacy, no other details are available at this time.” (Photo via Wind-Up Records.)

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Charles Ken

Meet the expert - Charles Ken is a graduate of Michigan State University where he studied writing and history. He's a longtime music buff and covers classic rock for Audio Ink Radio. Contact him at ken@audioinkradio.com.