Donald Dempsey

Donald A. Dempsey Sr. (11 June 1932 – 27 January 2005)[1] was an American recording executive who helped launch Ozzy Osbourne and Merle Haggard.

Donald could be seen completely enveloped in listening to music, even conducting with his hands, eyes closed.

A one-time math teacher, Dempsey and his aforementioned brother also played baseball in the minor leagues together before he began his music career peddling albums for a distributor to dime and discount department stores that would eventually embark on a 25-year career with CBS Records.

In his role as general manager of Epic Portrait Associated, he worked with The Clash, Culture Club, The Isley Brothers, George Jones, Quiet Riot, Ricky Skaggs and Luther Vandross.

His career high is seen to be the aggressive marketing of Michael Jackson's 1982 album Thriller, which sold over 40 million copies.