Pete Anderson, a veteran sales executive with a long history in the music industry, passed away after a stroke on Sunday (Dec. 11) in St. David, Pa. He was 72.
During his music industry career, Anderson worked for the distribution company of CBS Records/Sony Music, Epic Records, Atlantic Records and wholesaler Valley Media. He finished his career at Gotham Distributing/Collectables Records after marrying record label executive Melissa Greene of that company’s founding family.
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While many label/distribution sales executives were known to play hardball or use economic incentives to accomplish goals for their records, Anderson was known for being honorable, respected, and, in the words of former Trans World Entertainment buyer Vinnie Birbiglia, a “pleasure to deal with.”
Born in Muskegon, Mich., Anderson’s early life and early career saw him anchored in the Midwest. As a child with his family, he lived in the Chicago area; while attending Bethel University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, he resided in the Twin Cities, Minn.; and at the start of his music career, when he was a singles specialist for CBS Records (now Sony Music), he lived in Terre Haute, Ind. He soon moved up the chain at the distribution company, becoming a branch manager in the Sony system and eventually landing a job as senior vp of sales at Epic Records. Beginning in 1993, he held the same position at Atlantic Records.
While remembering Anderson for his business integrity, former Billboard charts leader Geoff Mayfield also fondly recalled his personality. “It started with a smile; when Peter Anderson saw a friend enter the room, he’d flash a smile that already made you feel the warmth of a hug,” Mayfield wrote in a Facebook post after learning of Anderson’s passing. “He was always insightful and honest as the day is long; his storyteller’s voice and quick wit were conversational bonuses.”
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Similarly, in his own post noting Anderson’s passing, former Epic Records executive Dan Beck remembered, “Pete and I had so much fun working together in our Epic days,” adding that Anderson “was always the calm, upbeat, spirit of positivity.”
During his career as a senior sales executive, Anderson helped promote the music of such artists as Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Sade, Ozzy Osbourne, Hootie & the Blowfish, Missy Elliot, Matchbox Twenty, Collective Soul, Brandy and Bush.
Yet for all his professional accomplishments, Pete’s greatest pride was always his family, according to the obituary they provided, in which his children shared a tribute to their father: “Our father lived a life of love, determination, belief, and honor….He was a father not only to his own children, but to anyone who needed him, whether for a few seconds or for decades, always providing a safe environment and unconditional love to all who were blessed to be around him. As a husband, he always put our mother before himself. He taught by example and showed us what it truly means to be a devoted partner, husband, and leader of a household.”
As for his wife, Melissa Green Anderson, she would always say, “In Pete, I hit the lottery.”
Anderson was preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Ethel Anderson, and his sister-in-law, Kathy Anderson. He is survived by his beloved wife Melissa; his children Kennedy, Grayson (fiancé Megan Eschenbacher) and Brandtson (partner Lyndsey Kerr); his siblings Joanne Pearson (husband John), Gordon Anderson Jr., JoNancy Warren (husband Jim) and Cynthia Frazier; his parents-in-law Jerry and Nina Greene; and many nieces, nephews, extended family members and cherished dogs.
There will be a celebration of Anderson’s life on Feb. 20 in Villanova, Pa. Friends interested in attending can reach out to [email protected] for details.
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