He discovered Talking Heads and Madonna, brought Depeche Mode and The Cure to the USA: Seymour Stein died in Los Angeles at the age of 80. A family spokesman said Stein had “succumbed to a long history of cancer.” The music manager promoted the careers of numerous international stars, including Madonna (64), who has now said goodbye to her discoverer on social media.

“Seymour Stein left us,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m trying to breathe. He was one of the most influential men in my life!! He changed and shaped my world.” In addition, the musician published a photo series with common pictures with Stein.

In the post, Madonna also remembers the first encounter with Stein. When the music manager was in the hospital after heart surgery, he listened to the demo tape of Madonna’s “Everybody” from the hospital bed. “When I met him, he was lying there in boxers and an undershirt,” recalls the singer. “He had a cannula in his nose and a saline drip in his arm. I had my giant boom box with me and was ready to play my cassette for him right away. He smiled when he saw me and asked if I was with the Virgin Maria was related! Haha. I knew we would get along.”

She played him the song a few times and he signed her to his record label that day. “That moment changed the course of my life forever,” Madonna continues. “And was the beginning of my journey as a music artist. Seymour not only heard me, but saw me and my potential. I will be eternally grateful for that! I am crying as I write this. Words cannot describe how I felt in this moment after years of suffering and being broke and having every door slammed in my face.”

Everyone who knew the manager knew about his passion for music and his good taste, Madonna adds. “He had an ear like no other. He was intense, hilariously funny, a little crazy and deeply intuitive. Dearest Seymour, you will never be forgotten! Thank you!”

Watch the video: “The Sum of it All” shows Ed Sheeran’s rise to superstardom. The musician documentary can be seen on Disney Plus from May 3, 2023.