BLABBERMOUTH.NET
Ozzy Osbourne and
Paul Stanley have reacted on social media to the passing of
Dell Furano, CEO of global retail branding, merchandising and artist services company
Epic Rights. He was 69. The cause of death was not immediately revealed.
Stanley tweeted: "One of my closest friends
Dell Furano has died after battling years of health struggles. He fought to the end because he loved his wife, family & friends. He valued life & lived it to the fullest. My love & support to
Kym and his entire wonderful family."
Ozzy wrote: "So sad to hear of the passing of
Dell Furano. He was a legend in the merchandising business, a great friend. and above all, a true gentleman. Much love and respect to his wife and family."
Ozzy's wife and manager
Sharon Osbourne added in a separate tweet: "Deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend
Dell Furano. He was a truly honorable man and will be greatly missed".
A true legend in the merchandising and retail branding industry,
Furano had been instrumental in growing music artist's retail brand licensing into a multibillion-dollar global business. In his expansive 40-plus year career, he had directed the merchandising and licensing efforts for the top names in the music industry, including
THE BEATLES,
KISS,
Madonna,
U2,
AC/DC,
Justin Timberlake,
Jennifer Lopez,
Michael Jackson,
LED ZEPPELIN,
WHAM/
George Michael,
Shakira and more, as well as having orchestrated concert merchandise programs for music legends such as
THE ROLLING STONES,
Bruce Springsteen,
Billy Joel,
Barbra Streisand,
Prince,
AEROSMITH,
Tim McGraw, and
THE WHO, among others.
Furano began his career in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1974, after graduating from Stanford University, by licensing
GRATEFUL DEAD tie-dye apparel and poster deals for record stores and head shops. Working closely with top iconic artists and early on recognizing their licensing potential,
Dell continued to expand his licensing brand-building strategy. He launched major retail branding programs for
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK,
Britney Spears,
RUN DMC,
Jessica Simpson,
Celine Dion, the
Osbourne family reality TV show,
Woodstock,
John Lennon's Imagine Children's line,
Michael Jackson's Mystery Drink program,
Steve Martin's line of merchandise for "Wild And Crazy",
Madonna's "Like A Virgin" brand,
Janet Jackson,
MC Hammer,
Ozzy,
THE POLICE, the Lyrics of
Lennon & McCartney, and
PINK FLOYD "The Wall".
He most recently helmed
Epic Rights, which he founded in Los Angeles in 2013. Previous to
Epic,
Furano was founder and CEO of
Sony Signatures — later renamed
Signatures Network — and became CEO of
Live Nation Merchandise when he sold
Signatures Network to
Live Nation.
In 2017,
Furano was inducted into the
Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (
LIMA) Hall Of Fame.
