Gary Stewart, Longtime Rhino Records Music Executive, Dead At 63

SANTA MONICA, CA – Gary Stewart, a longtime music industry executive and activist, died Friday in a fall from a parking garage in Santa Monica, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.

The death is being investigated as a potential suicide, the Los Angeles Times reported. Stewart was 63.

Stewart was senior vice president of artists and repertoire for Rhino Entertainment and later worked at Apple's Itunes Music Store and as head of catalog curation for Apple Music.

"He was truly the architect and guiding spirit of Rhino," said Mark Pinkus, president of Rhino Entertainment, which is part of the Warner Music Group. "He defined what it meant to be a catalog label – not only for Rhino, but for the entire music industry.

"His passion for music and meticulous curation still provide the template for how we approach our releases to this day. He was not only the creative backbone of Rhino, but he also set the standard for our social consciousness and was a leader in the community whose impact will be felt for decades to come.

"If you have ever enjoyed a rare demo or b-side that you never knew existed, or marveled at holding a beautiful boxed set from one of your favorite artists, then you owe a debt of gratitude to Gary Stewart."

Steven Van Zandt, guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, called Stewart "one of the great record men of all time."

"Music will miss his enthusiasm which just took another step toward extinction," Van Zandt tweeted.

Stewart was also a dedicated activist on social justice issues and progressive policies. He was chair of the Liberty Hill Foundation board from 1999-2003 and a member of the Advisory Board of Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy.

Stewart was "one of the funniest, most humble people we knew," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted. "A true champion of justice. A model of modesty, and most of all, our dear friend. L.A. is better off for everything he did."

City News Service contributed to this post