Edgar Bronfman, Jr.

Edgar Miles Bronfman, Jr. (born May 16, 1955 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is the son of Edgar Miles Bronfman and the grandson of Samuel Bronfman, one of the most wealthy and influential jewish families in Canada.

Related Topics:
May 16 - 1955 - Montreal - Quebec - Canada - Edgar Miles Bronfman - Samuel Bronfman - Jewish

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Despite being born in Canada, Edgar Jr.'s life was in the United States. He was educated in a prep school in New York, but did not attend college. He proceeded a brief career in entertainment in the 1970s as a film and Broadway producer:

Related Topics:
Canada - United States - New York

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• 1973 Produced first film "The Blockhouse".
• 1973 Began songwriting career with Bruce Roberts under the pseudonym Junior Miles
• 1977 Broadway producing debut, "Ladies of the Alamo" by Paul Zindel.
• 1982 Produced first Hollywood film "The Border"

In 2002, Edgar returned briefly to his previous career. He joined producing team of the Broadway-bound musical "Never Gonna Dance".

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By the early 1980s, Edgar returned to the family business:

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• 1983 Joined Seagram Company, Ltd., the family-owned producer and marketer of distilled spirits and beverages
• 1989 Became president of Seagram Company
• 1994 Added title CEO of Seagram Company
• 1995 Negotiated purchase of MCA Inc. from Matsushita
• 1995 Became president and CEO of MCA Inc
• 1995 Entered into distribution deal with DreamWorks SKG
• 1997 Sold Universal TV assets to Barry Diller for $4 billion
• 1998 Reorganized Seagram's holdings; creating three divisions
• 2000 Oversaw sale of Seagram to the French conglomorate Vivendi
• 2001 In December, announced he was stepping down from an executive capacity at Vivendi Universal effective in the first quarter of 2002 and remained as vice chair of the board.

As Chief Executive Officer of Seagram, he led a diversification away from the traditional liquor business into music (Polygram) and film entertainment (Universal Pictures). He led Seagram into the disastrous all-stock acquisition by Vivendi in 2000.

Related Topics:
Seagram - Polygram - Universal Pictures - Vivendi - 2000

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On February 27, 2004, Bronfman finalized the acquisition of Warner Music. He currently serves as Chairman and CEO of the music company.

Related Topics:
February 27 - 2004 - Warner Music

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He has dabbled in the past in songwriting. He wrote the hit song "To Love You More" by Celine Dion.

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Bronfman's son, Benjamin Brewer, is the guitar player and vocalist for the New York-based alternative rock band The Exit. The Exit's first mass-released recorded music was the song "Susan" on the sountrack of American Pie 2, released on MCA, at the time part of the Vivendi empire.

Related Topics:
Benjamin Brewer - The Exit - American Pie 2 - MCA - Vivendi

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