Francis R. Cody (June 13, 1948–July 19, 2023) was an American record producer, A&R and radio executive. Described by the ''

R&R Magazine ''R&R'' (also known as the "new" ''Radio & Records'') was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes. The magazine was a sister publication ...

'' and '' The New York Times'' as ''"Smooth Jazz's Leading Alchemist"'' and ''"The Father of Smooth Jazz"'',

Background

Cody is widely known for the development of Los Angeles-based pioneer Smooth Jazz radio station KTWV (94.7 MHz) "The WAVE". At various times, Cody served as an executive at NBC,

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

and was a co-founder/

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of research/consulting firm Broadcast Architecture, later owned by Clear Channel. Along with music industry veteran Hyman Katz and multi

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

-nominated RIAA Gold-certified recording artist Dave Koz, Cody founded record label

Rendezvous Entertainment Rendezvous Music (formerly known as Rendezvous Entertainment) is a record label founded by multiple-Grammy Award nominee and RIAA Certified Gold recording artist Dave Koz, radio entrepreneur Frank Cody and music business veteran Hyman Katz in 200 ...

, releasing records by Wayman Tisdale, Jonathan Butler,

Philippe Saisse Philippe Saisse is a French jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and arranger. Career He was born in Marseille and raised in Paris. After studying at the Conservatoire de Paris he won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Mus ...

Svoy Mikhail Tarasov (russian: link=no, Михаи́л Тара́сов), better known by his stage name Svoy (which can be loosely translated as "self-contained"), is an American producer/writer/artist for Universal Music Group in the genre of pop/ e ...

, earning Grammy Awards for

Patti Austin Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter. Music career Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...

and Kirk Whalum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cody, Frank 1948 births 2023 deaths American record producers American radio executives