Jobete Music Inc.

Lester Sill 1988

 
 

Los Angeles/ASCAP: Berry Gordy, Leser Sill, Smokey Robinson - 1988

 

Lester’s contract negotiations had broken down at Screen Gems in 1985, Barry Gordy offered Lester the top seat (president) at Motown's publishing division, Jobete Music Inc.

In retrospect, Lester had come full circle to the music that got him started. R&B, blues, soul, rock and roll. This was the music played at the nightclub he briefly owned (Cotton’s) and the music of the earliest artists he promoted (Hadda Brooks, B. B. King, The Coasters, T-Bone Walker) as an independent label and manager.

A short-list of the artists published under Jobete during this time includes:
Al Green, Anita Baker, Anna Domino, Barry Manilow, Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band, Commodores, Creedence Clearwater Revival, David Bowie And Mick Jagger, Diana Ross, Etta James, Four Tops, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Gloria Gaynor, Joe Pass, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Otis Redding, Rick James, Rod Stewart, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Sylvester, Teena Marie, The Contours, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations.

 

Motown Revamps Publishing Companies: Under Lester's administration, he called upon his 21-year association with Screen Gems/Colgems/EMI Music bringing in a number of staff members who worked with him in the past. The LA based company beefed up its LA and New York staff and established a new office in Nashville. Within 1 year under Lester's guidance, Jobete/Stone Diamond Music (Motown's Publishing entity) had secured 46 commercial advertisement licenses, with an eye toward building up brand-new copyrights

ASCAP Pop Awards - Jay Lowy, Steve Hal David, Brenda Harvey Richie, Lional Richie, Berry Gordy, Gloria Messenger, Lester Sill - Circa 1986

 

.Lester served on the board of directors for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) from 1978 to 1993.

ASCAP honored Lester's memory in 1995, renaming their songwriting workshop to the Lester Sill Songwriters Workshop for twenty years (1995 - 2015). Brendan Okrin (photo, bottom far left) worked for Lester at Jobete and was instrumental in dedicating the workshop in his name.

Brendan Okrin (photo, bottom far left) worked for Lester at Jobete and was instrumental in dedicating the workshop in his name.

 

Beverly Hilton/Vision Awards: 1992