Trade Regrets: Arthur Gurwitz

On May 2, we received the following from NAMM‘s Dan Del Fiorentino:

Former president of Southern Music, Arthur Gurwitz, passed away on Friday. He was 94 years old.

Arthur joined Southern Music Company in the late 1940s, soon after his military service during World War II. He expanded the business into publishing, and soon the Southern Music catalog became one of the best known around the world. Arthur played a vital role in the growth and development of the company and the industry as he sought to publish composers who may have otherwise been forgotten. Active in the industry, Arthur served as president of Music Industry Conference (1978-1980) and later on the Music Publishers Association (MPA) Board. He also developed a reputation as one of the true gentlemen of the music publishing industry, a fact made clear by the number of dealers, representatives, and suppliers who called him friend.

As one example of his impact on our industry, Arthur was the recipient of the coveted RPMDA Dorothy Award in 2004.