From: Stacie Griffn

We have finally posted Jim’s obituary today. It was not an easy task as there is so much more to know about him and there was so much more left for him to do. 

We continue to receive an enormous number of emails and postings on social media from friends and colleagues sharing stories and memories. These are very comforting to me and his son, Hazen. 

He was one of the greats who led the charge that changed an entire industry.  In the beginning many people were angry and fought his ideas. Others embraced his vision and created new business models and revenue streams still in place today. 

While there were years of heated debates, one mission was always at his core; he wanted artists to be fairly compensated and for fans to have unlimited access to music, movies and art. That is essentially the model for subscription streaming services that we know today.  He lobbied so hard for so long to get the industry to move from product to service. As you may remember, it was an unpopular battle to take on. 

He also saw it bigger than the internet. In the late 90’s, his time in Finland with Nokia executives opened his eyes to music on mobile phones. This was at a time when most people didn’t own a cell phone. 

I’ll never forget Jim sharing a meal with Russ Solomon and telling Russ that he needed to begin adapting his business model or Tower Records would never survive. Russ was furious.  I think Russ told him that he was crazy and Jim had no idea what he was talking about. A heated debate ensued.  Russ was not alone. I witnessed many people have this same visceral reaction. Jim took the brunt of many harsh comments behind his back and to his face, but he never wavered. 

When I rewatch his testimony from the 2000 Napster hearing with Lars Ulrich, Hank Barry and others, I am in awe that everything Jim predicted would happen is now true. More than true, it’s so second nature to all of us that it seems impossible to think it wasn’t always this way.

The Pho List was his way to bring all these ideas and discussions forward. At times, he was the loudest voice in the room, but he never wanted to be the only voice. He listened carefully and especially loved it when students joined in. We are committed to keeping the Pho List going and new discussions are happening even today. 

Please feel free to share this along with Jim’s obituary.  So many of your readers may have their own stories to share about this time in history. Many are still making it happen.  For the readers who were born-digital, they may enjoy the nostalgia of how we got here.

Obituary: https://www.donaldsonodenton.com/obituaries/james-griffin?ttm_pid=212678139&ttm_affiliate=legacypro&ttm_affiliatetype=standard&ttm_campaign=legacy

Stacie Seifrit-Griffin