Jerry Heller

Gerald Elliot "Jerry" Heller (October 6, 1940 – September 2, 2016) was an American music manager and businessman. He was best known for managing West Coast rap and gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A and Eazy-E. He rose to prominence in the 1960s and '70s, importing Elton John and Pink Floyd for their first major American tours, and representing Journey, Marvin Gaye, Van Morrison, War, Eric Burdon, Crosby Stills and Nash, Ike & Tina Turner, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Otis Redding, the Who, REO Speedwagon, Black Sabbath, Humble Pie, Styx, the Grass Roots, and the Standells, among many others. In the mid-1980s he worked with R&B and hip hop acts like Michel'le, World Class Wreckin' Cru, J.J. Fad, The D.O.C., Egyptian Lover and L.A. Dream Team. Heller played a role in the emergence of West Coast rap music when he managed Ruthless Records with Eazy-E and discovered, signed or managed the likes of N.W.A, The Black Eyed Peas, Above the Law, The D.O.C. and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Dr. Dre brought The D.O.C. and Above the Law to Ruthless in its early days and Eazy brought "Bones" in later years. In 2016, Heller suffered from a heart attack while driving, resulting in an auto accident. He died on September 2, 2016 in Thousand Oaks, California.