I was shocked and saddened to learn about the death of David Sanjek a few days ago. I didn't know David well but I really enjoyed chatting with him at EMP conferences over the years. We were on the same panel at the most recent EMP in Los Angeles early this year and he delivered a brilliant talk addressing the need for scholars and historians to pay more attention to the business side of music, the roles played by record executives, A&R, management, promotion etc, in the actual mechanics of culture-making... that blurry zone between aesthetics and business... not exactly "let's hear it for The Man" but definitely agitating against reflexive anti-corporation-ism in the academy. (I didn't realise until looking just now that he was continuing his father's interest in this area). Apparently this year David was readying for publication a book--Always On My Mind: Music, Memory and Money--that appears to partly concern this very topic so I'm hoping this was completed and will be out presently. Again, very sad to hear about his untimely passing and my thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues and students.

here's an IASPM page of tributes and memories

http://iaspm-us.net/remembering-david-sanjek/

and here's a memorial facebook page