Charlie Walk is the former President of Epic Records

Epic Records

Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...

(2005–2008).

Early life

Walk’s passion for music began as an undergrad at Boston University’s School of Management, where he started as a collegiate Marketing Representative for Sony Music.

Columbia Records

When Walk graduated in 1990, he officially joined Sony as a full time Marketing and Promotion Manager. He spent the next decade navigating his way through the ranks, taking over the promotion division of Columbia Records in 1999 and eventually assuming oversight of Columbia’s marketing and promotion division as its Executive Vice President. Working with some of the biggest artists in the industry, including Beyonce, Aerosmith, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen and Will Smith, Walk’s executive decisions reflected a keen consumer insight. This and other moments led to the decision by Sony Music heads to appoint Walk to the position of President of Columbia’s sister label, Epic Records, in December 2005.

Epic Records

In his three years at its helm, Walk helped transform Epic from a traditional record label to a progressive, multi-faceted entertainment company. During his tenure, Walk maintained Epic as a creative haven for superstars such as Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Ozzy Osbourne, Duran Duran, Tori Amos, Good Charlotte and George Michael, while also signing new artists like The Fray, Natasha Bedingfield, Sean Kingston and Sara Bareilles. These names not only expanded the breadth of Epic’s artist roster, but proved highly profitable as well; Natasha Bedingfield, Sara Bareilles, and The Fray all boasted multi-platinum singles with “Unwritten,” "Love Song," and “How to Save a Life”, and their collective album sales made them a lasting fixture on Billboard’s Top 100. In 2006, Walk took notice of then-undiscovered producer and songwriter, RedOne, teaming him up with Kat DeLuna to create top ten single “Whine Up.”

Television

Walk’s tenure at Epic was defined in large part by his embrace of the digital movement and his integrated 360-degree approach. As the music industry underwent a dramatic transformation, Walk boldly focused on the unconventional with a series of new deals and revolutionary marketing initiatives, including a partnership with Yahoo for the first ever user-generated video for Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie”, the first ever personalized pop song with Jessica Simpson, and a digital partnership with lifestyle mogul Rachael Ray. In 2007, Walk initiated an exclusive partnership with ABC, making Epic the first label to showcase its artists through integrated television campaigns, introducing them through a new medium while providing a modern platform for album sales and downloads. Walk conceptualized similar ventures with both NBC and MTV, helping launch Natasha Bedingfield through shows like “Lipstick Jungle” and “The Hills”.

Career at Present

Walk is currently based in New York City, developing projects for television, music and online platforms as the President and CEO of CWE Media. As part of this venture, Walk has brokered an exclusive partnership with Endemol USA, a leading producer of television programming, where he is developing and executive producing new scripted and unscripted television shows. CWE Media is also responsible for developing and managing talent as well as executing strategic branding operations.