Republic Records Founders Monte and Avery Lipman Deliver University at Albany Commencement Address

NEW YORK, May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Republic Records Chairman and CEO Monte Lipman, '86 and President and COO Avery Lipman, '88 returned to their alma mater, University at Albany, to deliver the commencement address at the 169^th ceremony this past Sunday, May 19^th. More than 13,000 attendees, including 2,250 new graduates, congregated on the school's Entry Plaza lawn for the undergraduate commencement ceremony at which the esteemed alumni spoke.

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They opened the address by acknowledging the University's President, Dr. Robert J. Jones, and his background as a former member of the platinum, two-time Grammy Award-winning vocal and instrumental group, Sounds of Blackness.  "It warms our heart to know the school is run by a music man," Monte exclaimed.  They continued by encouraging the graduates to pursue their passion and find success through tenacity and belief in themselves.  Avery concluded the speech with, "if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life".  The Lipman's address was followed by a special surprise performance by The Voice season 3 Winner, Cassadee Pope. View the video here: http://player.delvenetworks.com/preview/?m=f2eed05cc5ac42a0864ce47bd4ae8cfa

About the opportunity to address this year's graduates, Monte states, "As you get older, you realize the importance of school and that period of your life; we value our education and it's an honor to return to our alma mater.  Albany provided a foundation that prepared us well for the future." 

Avery agrees, "While attending Albany, we solidified our love of music; which ultimately became a defining point in our lives and future careers.  We are eternally gracious for the privilege of our higher education."

In addition, the Lipman brothers sought out their football coach Bob Ford, a 40-season veteran at University at Albany who boasts the #1 winningest record among active coaches in Division 1 football. Avery fondly remembered his days on the field and even mentioned how much he treasures his old jersey, which brandishes #1.

As undergrads, Monte and Avery worked at the campus radio station WCDB, the University Concert Board, and the Record Co-op; which they credit as the beginning of their love of the music industry.    

ABOUT MONTE AND AVERY LIPMAN

Inspired by their lifelong love of music, Monte and Avery entered the music industry in promotion and business administration respectively. Monte received a bachelor's degree in Communication and Rhetoric, while Avery received a bachelor's degree in English. 

Monte's career began in 1986 at Arista Records.  Soon after, he held executive positions at SBK, EMI, and Atlantic Records. Avery started with Arista Records in 1988, then in 1991 served as business administration director at Sony Music International.

In 1995, the brothers teamed up to launch their start-up music label, Republic Records. The industry visionaries transformed the label into a diverse music corporation. Today, Republic Records is a leading division within Universal Music Group and was cited by Billboard Magazine as the third-largest label in the United States. Monte serves as founder, chairman and CEO, and Avery Lipman serves as founder, president and COO.

From the brand's inception, the executive duo constructed the framework for a thriving record company that tapped into their entrepreneurial spirit and artist-centric approach. Their impressive roster of recording artists includes a host of gold and platinum-record stars including 3 Doors Down, Akon, Ben Howard, Black Sabbath, Colbie Caillat, Enrique Iglesias, Florence + The Machine, Gotye, Hinder, Kelly Rowland, Kid Cudi, Nelly, the late Amy Winehouse and many more.

The label is also home to numerous strategic partnerships, which the brothers collectively fostered including ventures such as American Recordings (Avett Brothers), Brushfire (Jack Johnson), Casablanca (Avicii), Cash Money (Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj), Lava (Jessie J), Loma Vista (Soundgarden), School Boy (PSY), and XO Records (The Weeknd). Republic's strategic alliance with Nashville's leading music group Big Machine Records (Taylor Swift), led the label's expansion into the Country marketplace with the creation of Republic Nashville.  The company is home to modern superstars The Band Perry, Eli Young Band, and Florida Georgia Line.

From the beginning, the Lipman brothers also led the industry in the online marketplace. In 2012, their digital impact hit a seismic note as Gotye's Grammy Award-winning Record of the Year "Somebody That I Used to Know" exceeded six million downloads and PSY's "Gangnam Style" crossed the three-million mark for downloads and became the "most-watched" video in YouTube history surpassing over one-billion views.

The label's influence within the film and television worlds also continues to grow at a rapid rate. In addition to a long-running collaboration with NBC for "The Voice," in 2012 alone, partnerships were initiated with AMC for "The Walking Dead," Lions Gate Films for "The Hunger Games," Universal Pictures for the Oscar-nominated soundtrack for Les Miserables, the Oscar-nominated soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, and with Seth MacFarlane for the Academy Award-nominated music from Ted.

Currently in 2013, Republic has captured the industry's number on market share based on Nielsen's Soundscan sales, while Monte and Avery have been recognized by Billboard in the annual Power 100 list since its inception.

Outside of the business, the Lipman brothers sit on the board of many philanthropic organizations including the Amy Winehouse Foundation, SunSmart, the TJ Martell Foundation, and on the Executive Committees for DKMS, UJA, and the USO Entertainment Advisory Council

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Jay Wilson
Republic Records
212-373-0684 / [email protected]

SOURCE Republic Records