Mike Curb
Michael Curb (born December 24, 1944)[1] is an American musician, record company executive, motorsports car owner, philanthropist, and former politician. He is the founder and chairman of Curb Records and chairman of Word Entertainment.[2] He was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame in 2006.[3] A Republican, Curb served as the 42nd lieutenant governor of California from 1979 to 1983.
Michael Curb
Early life and education[edit]
Curb was born in Savannah, Georgia to Charles McCloud Curb and Stella (Stout) Curb.[1] He grew up in Southern California's San Fernando Valley. He has one sister. After attending Grant High School, he attended San Fernando Valley State College (now California State University, Northridge).[4][5] His maternal grandmother was of Mexican heritage.[6]
Career[edit]
Music[edit]
In 1963 at the age of 18, Curb formed Sidewalk Records and helped launch the careers of multiple West Coast rock and roll artists.[7] In 1969, his company merged with MGM Records and he became president of both MGM Records and Verve Records.[8] The companies eventually became Curb Records.[9]
Curb scored the music for the short film Skaterdater (1965),[10][11] as well as The Wild Angels (1966),[12] Thunder Alley[13] (1967), Devil's Angels[14] (1967), The Born Losers (1967) (the first of the Billy Jack films),[15] Maryjane[16] (1968), The Wild Racers[17] (1968), The Savage Seven[18] (1968), The Big Bounce[19] (1969), The Sidehackers[20] (1969) and Black Water Gold[21] (1970). Curb has composed or supervised more than 50 film scores and written more than 400 songs.[22]
In 1969, he co-wrote a new theme for the TV series American Bandstand, which was used until 1974.[23][24][25]