Gregg Latterman is an American entrepreneur, academic, and angel investor. The founder of Aware Records, he teaches "Positive Entrepreneurship: Profits and Meaning" at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
, and lectures on innovation and entrepreneurship at the
Kellogg School of Management.
A passionate music fan, Latterman put together a compilation CD of his favorite unsigned bands in 1993. He released it on his own label, and quit his job as a CPA on the day it came out. The label, Aware, became "one of the most durable and influential independent forces in music," with Latterman helping to launch the careers of artists including
John Mayer,
Train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...
,
Mat Kearney
Mathew William Kearney (; born December 1, 1978) is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, and based in Nashville, Tennessee. So far, he has a total of five top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40 Chart.
'' Just Kids'' was released on February 2 ...
,
Hootie & The Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish are an American soft rock band that were formed in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986. The band's lineup for most of its existence has been the quartet of Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. The band w ...
, and
Five For Fighting
Vladimir John Ondrasik III (born January 7, 1965), also known by his stage name Five for Fighting, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. He is best known for his piano-based soft rock ballads, such as the top 40 hits " Superman (It's No ...
.
In 2012, after more than 25 million records were sold on Aware, Latterman decided to return to school. He attended the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
, and earned a master's degree in positive psychology under
Martin Seligman. In 2014 he began teaching at Northwestern, where his classes examine work ethics, talent, and entrepreneurial drive, and encourage students to integrate their passions and values into their professions.
Early life and education
Latterman was raised in
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city lies within Ingham County with a smaller portion extending north into Clinton County. At the 2020 Census the population was 47,741. Located directly east of the state capital ...
. The son of a lawyer and a teacher, he snow skied and water skied throughout his childhood,
and competed in both in high school and college.
A music fan, he made mixtapes for friends, who would in return send him CDs by independent bands. Latterman was also interested in business, and read magazines such as ''Forbes'' and ''Business Week'' as a teenager.
Latterman attended
Northern Michigan University
Northern Michigan University (Northern Michigan, Northern or NMU) is a public university in Marquette, Michigan. It was established in 1899 by the Michigan Legislature as Northern State Normal School. In 1963, the state designated Northern a uni ...
on a partial athletic scholarship. He transferred to Michigan State in 1987 and graduated in 1990 with a degree in accounting. In 1996, Latterman received an MBA in marketing from the
Kellogg School of Management at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
, and in 2013 earned a master's degree in Positive Psychology from the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
.
Career
1990-1995: Launch of Aware Records, early success
After receiving his accounting degree, Latterman moved to Boston. He worked as a CPA at
Coopers & Lybrand
PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting ...
, a job he actively disliked, leading him to apply to MBA programs.
He made mixtapes of unsigned bands who had developed a local following, selecting his favorite songs, and in early 1993 decided to produce a compilation album. Based on his own experience, he thought people from one city or state would buy a record to hear bands they already knew, and would be introduced to bands from other areas. Latterman learned the mechanics of making a CD and took out a $10,000 loan, and in 1993, working out of his apartment,
he founded Madaket Records and put together ''Aware 1,'' a compilation CD of unsigned artists. On the day the album was released, he quit his job and moved to Vail, Colorado, where he coached the Vail Mountain ski team and developed strategies to promote the CD.
Peter Margasak of the ''
Chicago Reader'' later wrote that Latterman "knew little about the music industry when he came to it, but instead of dutifully learning and following its protocols, he developed his own."
Latterman gave the bands included on the compilation posters and copies of the album, which they sold on tour, and gave free CDs and posters to retailers as an incentive. He created an Aware store, which first sold albums directly to consumers through an
800 number
A toll-free telephone number or freephone number is a telephone number that is billed for all arriving calls. For the calling party, a call to a toll-free number from a landline is free of charge. A toll-free number is identified by a dialing prefi ...
, and later at retail outlets through a national distributor. Among other marketing efforts, he built grassroots campaigns through
street teams and bought targeted local advertising. ''Aware 1'' ultimately sold more than 30,000 albums, and Latterman began working on a second compilation, changing the name of the label to Aware.
As he prepared to release ''Aware 2,'' Latterman was accepted to the MBA program at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. He moved to Evanston, Illinois, and as a full-time student, he continued to build Aware Records. ''Aware 2,'' released in 1995, featured songs from artists who would go on to achieve significant success, including
Better Than Ezra
Better Than Ezra is an American alternative rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana, and signed with The End Records. The band formed in 1988 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and consists of Kevin Griffin (vocals and guitar), Tom Drummond (bass ...
,
The Verve Pipe
The Verve Pipe is an American rock band from Michigan. It was formed in 1992 in East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark, Brian Stout and Donny Brown.
History
In November 1992, Brian Vander Ark of the band "Johnny with an Eye" signed a production dea ...
,
Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band, formed in Washington, D.C. Vocalists and guitarists Matt Scannell and Keith Kane started the band in 1991 when they were students at Georgetown University. The band have undergone multip ...
,
Hootie & the Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish are an American soft rock band that were formed in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1986. The band's lineup for most of its existence has been the quartet of Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. The band w ...
, and the
Edwin McCain Band.
Latterman became known for his ability to find and develop unsigned bands; within the music industry, an appearance on an Aware compilation was a "seal of approval, signifying an act worth pursuing."
1996-2000: Aware/Columbia, A Squared Management
Latterman received his MBA in 1996. Aware had a staff of eight and an office in Chicago; it had released the third Aware compilation—which included a track from
Tabitha's Secret
Tabitha's Secret was an American rock band formed in March 1990 in Orlando, Florida. It was originally composed of lead vocalist Rob Thomas, John Goff and Jay Stanley on guitar, Brian Yale on bass (Colin Chrisman was the original bass player), ...
, the precursor to
Matchbox 20
Matchbox Twenty (also known as Matchbox 20 and MB20) is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The group currently consists of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Paul Doucette (drums ...
—and produced the first Aware Tour. The company had put out full-length albums by
Stir and Thanks to Gravity, and had set up one of the first online music stores, as well as a traveling store with the exclusive right to sell CDs on the
H.O.R.D.E. Tour.
Latterman had also served as an A&R consultant for Atlantic (in 1995) and MCA (in 1996).
In 1997, Aware and
Columbia Records launched a joint venture that provided distribution for Aware's developing artists through RED, Sony's independent distribution arm, while at the same time serving as a "farm team" for Columbia—at a certain sales threshold, releases were moved to the Aware/Columbia imprint and marketed through Columbia. In 1998, Aware/RED released
Train's self-titled platinum debut.,
In 1999, Latterman founded A Squared Management. A Squared managed artists including
Liz Phair
Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career ...
,
The Fray
The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, '' How to Save a Life'' released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia ...
,
Brandi Carlile,
Michelle Branch
Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch (born July 2, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums: '' The Spirit Room'' and '' Hotel Paper.'' She won a Grammy Award for Best Pop C ...
,
Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Courtney Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew ...
,
Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin was an American rock band formed in 2004, hailing from Orange County, California. The band originally began as a solo project for Andrew McMahon, the frontman of Something Corporate.
The band was signed to Maverick Records and ...
,
Rachel Platten,
Five For Fighting
Vladimir John Ondrasik III (born January 7, 1965), also known by his stage name Five for Fighting, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. He is best known for his piano-based soft rock ballads, such as the top 40 hits " Superman (It's No ...
, and
Mat Kearney
Mathew William Kearney (; born December 1, 1978) is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, and based in Nashville, Tennessee. So far, he has a total of five top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40 Chart.
'' Just Kids'' was released on February 2 ...
. As The Fray's manager, Latterman worked with
ABC to use The Fray's "
How to Save a Life
"How to Save a Life" is a song by American alternative rock band The Fray, released in March 2006 as the second single from their debut studio album of the same name. The song is one of the band's most popular airplay songs and peaked in the t ...
" on ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...
,''a placement that "catapulted the Denver band into another stratosphere, making its debut one of the best-selling albums of 2006."
2000-2010: John Mayer, Five for Fighting, The Fray
In 2000, Latterman was sent an EP of John Mayer. He included two of Mayer's songs on ''Aware 8,'' and in early 2001, Aware released Mayers debut album, ''
Room for Squares
''Room for Squares'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mayer, originally released on June 5, 2001, and re-released on September 18, 2001, by both Aware Records, Aware and Columbia Records. Upon its release, it peaked at ...
'', as an internet-only album. It was re-released on Columbia in September, and went on to sell more than 5 million albums. Mayer was one of three Aware artists to receive Grammy nominations in 2002; Train was nominated for the album ''
Drops of Jupiter,'' and
Five for Fighting
Vladimir John Ondrasik III (born January 7, 1965), also known by his stage name Five for Fighting, is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. He is best known for his piano-based soft rock ballads, such as the top 40 hits " Superman (It's No ...
was nominated for their song "
Superman (It's Not Easy)
"Superman (It's Not Easy)" is a song written and performed by American singer Five for Fighting. It was released on April 16, 2001, as the second single from his second studio album ''America Town''. Following the September 11 attacks, the song ...
." Mayer won
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "
Your Body is a Wonderland
"Your Body Is a Wonderland" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter John Mayer. It was released on June 3, 2002, as the second single from his debut studio album, '' Room for Squares'' (2001). It reached number 18 on the US ...
."
The ninth Aware compilation was released in January 2002; it was followed in October by a 14-song Greatest Hits collection.
In 2009, The Fray's songwriters Joseph King and Isaac Slade filed a lawsuit against Latterman on the grounds that he failed to disclose that A Squared obtained ownership to a portion of the band's music when a publishing agreement was signed in 2005.
Latterman countersued, alleging breach of contract. The suit was settled out of court in 2010. Although the terms of the settlement were undisclosed, a magistrate judge ruled that Latterman could argue at trial that the band's attorney was aware of terms of the publishing deal.
2010-Present: Aware/Universal Republic; Positive Entrepreneurship: Profits and Meaning
Aware released more than 50 records in partnership with Columbia;
in addition to multiple hit records from Train, Mayer, and Five for Fighting, the label had significant success with
Guster
Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel began practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and ...
,
The Thorns, and
Mat Kearney
Mathew William Kearney (; born December 1, 1978) is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, and based in Nashville, Tennessee. So far, he has a total of five top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40 Chart.
'' Just Kids'' was released on February 2 ...
. In 2010, with more than 25 million records sold over the 15-year period of the joint venture, Aware entered into a new distribution agreement with Universal Republic.
As the new venture was built, Latterman realized that the day-to-day business of running the label limited his ability to be creative; rather than finding music and mentoring artists, he was focused on logistics and crisis control.
In 2012, at 45, he decided to return to school. He enrolled in a master's program at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 2013, studying with Martin Seligman, he earned a master's in the field of
Positive psychology.
Latterman began teaching at Northwestern shortly after he received his degree. In addition to teaching "Positive Entrepreneurship: Profits and Meaning," he created and teaches a class titled "NUvention: Entrepreneurship for the Arts." He serves as a Program Lead for the Zell Fellows New Venture Track, a selective venture accelerator program designed to help student entrepreneurs successfully launch new businesses and has invested in startups including TextUS, Popular Pays, Limitless Coffee, Music Audience Exchange, Reverb, and Teamsnap.
Personal life
Latterman lives in Chicago, with his wife, Sue, and their three children. He is on the advisory board for the Nantucket Project and a member of the US Soccer Development Council.
Further reading
The Soul of an Entrepreneur Find Your Calling in Life -- Be an Entrepreneur
References
External links
Aware Records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Latterman, Gregg
1967 births
Living people
American music industry executives
Michigan State University alumni
University of Pennsylvania alumni
Kellogg School of Management alumni
Northwestern University faculty
People from Lansing, Michigan
Kellogg School of Management faculty