Gerry Bron (1933-2012)

Veteran producer and label owner Gerry Bron died this week at the age of 79.

The music manager and producer was best know for his work with rock bands such as Uriah Heep, Motorhead, The Damned, and Colosseum. However, he also spent time working with pop acts Manfred Mann and Gene Pitney.

Bron’s son Richard Tweeted the news, saying: “Very sadly, my father passed away yesterday morning very unexpectedly. Rest in peace Dad – we all love you.”

It is said that Bron gave Uriah Heep their name and managed their affairs for a number of years. He also produced their 1970 debut record Very ‘Eavy, Very ‘Umble, and continued to produce their albums through to 1980′s Conquest.

The band paid tribute to Bron on their Facebook page: “He had first believed in the potential of Heep. He had suggested changing the name from Spice to Uriah Heep, their antagonist who got his inspiration from ‘David Copperfield,’ the novel by Charles Dickens. David greets us, now that you have found somewhere!”

During his time at Bronze Records, Bron was also involved with a host of records from Motorhead, Hawkwind, and the Damned.