Max Siegel

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Max L. Siegel is an attorney, business executive, author, and television and film producer. He recently held dual positions as Senior Vice President of Zomba Label Group, home to such artists as Britney Spears, Usher, and R. Kelly, and President of Zomba Gospel (Verity Records), the largest gospel music company in the world. In January of 2007, Siegel was named President of Global Operations for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), the NASCAR powerhouse founded by Dale Earnhardt, Senior. Through his experience and expertise, Siegel has developed a reputation as one of the best business and legal minds in the entertainment and sports industries. His counsel is regularly sought by Fortune 500 companies, and he has been featured on national programs such as the Oprah Winfrey Show and NPR's Tavis Smiley Show.

Contents 1 Early Life 2 Career 3 Zomba Music Group 4 D.E.I. 5 Personal Life

[edit] Early Life

Max Siegel is the product of a mixed marriage between William Siegel, a Jewish record promoter, and Delores Frazier, and African-American singer who toured with B.B. King. The two met in 1962 in and Indianapolis nightclub. Max was born later that year. Strains within the family eventually led to the couple's divorce, and, in the midst of the tension, William Siegel kidnapped Maxx and his younger sister, Traci. They lived with their father for five years, until his death from Lymphoma, just a few months shy of 13-year-old Max's Bar Mitzvah.

Max Siegel then worked towards carving out a more conventional life. After graduating from Northwest High School in Indianapolis, he attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana on a baseball scholarship. Injuries prevented him from fulfilling his scholarship, but he nonetheless obtained a B.A. in Psychology in 1986. After working for General Motors for several years, Siegel decided to return to Notre Dame to pursue a law degree. He accomplished this in 1992, making history along the way, becoming the first African-American to graduate with honors in the prestigious school's history.

[edit] Career

After graduating from law school, Siegel moved into the professional world, taking a position with the elite Indianapolis firm of Baker & Daniels, and quickly establishing himself as a highly competent attorney. It was a chance meeting with an up-and-coming gospel singer, however, that would take Siegel's career in a whole new direction.
John P. Kee, a newly-signed gospel singer and friend of Siegel's sister Traci. Traci recommended her brother Max, who consulted with Kee, and the two immediately established a rapport. Siegel ended up representing the singer, who would go on to be one of the most successful gospel artists of the 90's. Siegel's success with Kee led him to found SCA Sports and Entertainment Group, whose clients included premier athletes such as Reggie White and Tony Gwynn.
Siegel's growing success led him to the attention of 90's powerhouse independent record label Tommy Boy Records, who offered him the presidency of their burgeoning Gospel division. Siegel accepted in 1998, and quickly made the operation profitable. This sparked the attention of Sony Records, which tapped him to be both a VP for its Zomba Label Group, as well as to head up its Zomba Gospel division.

[edit] Zomba Music Group

From the time he became the President of Zomba Gospel in 2001, Siegel established an incredible record of success within the gospel music field, guiding the division to both critical and commercial success virtually unseen within a niche genre. Some even credit Siegel with reinventing the gospel music market in America over the past 15 years.
Through the various labels and imprints under Zomba - Verity, Gospocentric, and more - Siegel oversaw the careers of the biggest names in urban gospel music, such as Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, John P. Kee, and Donald Lawrence. During his tenure, over a dozen of his gospel albums were certified gold (500,000 or more units sold, a significant accomplishment in the gospel genre). In addition, his artists were nominated for and won dozens of Grammies while he was at the helm. Zomba Gospel's dominance was such that sales of their CDs regularly made up 40-60% of overall gospel sales, and their artists regularly occupy 7-10 of the top 20 spots on Billboard's Gospel charts.

[edit] D.E.I.

On December 14, 2006, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. CEO Teresa Earnhardt announced the hiring of Max Siegel as the company's new President of Global Operations. The new position is significant for several reasons. First, D.E.I. is perhaps the premier racing organization in NASCAR, founded by the late Dale Earnhardt, senior, and home (at least for the time being) to the most visible driver in the sport, Dale Earnhardt, junior. One of Siegel's first important duties as President will be to keep Dale Earnhardt on at the company despite tensions that exist with the driver and other people within the organization - most notably Teresa Earnhardt herself.
The move is also significant because it is the first and highest-profile position in NASCAR to be held by an African-American. NASCAR has been attempting for some time to diversify the sport outside of its southern, predominantly-white roots, but with only limited success. There are still no teams owned primarily by African-Americans, and only a handful of lesser-known drivers. Siegel, who once almost bought a NASCAR team with Reggie White before the football player's death, will instantly become one of the most visible people in the sport, and will undoubtedly raise the profile of African-Americans in the sport.

[edit] Personal Life

Siegel currently lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is married to his childhood friend, Jennifer, who is a dentist. They have 3 children. --Wikiwriter1977 05:40, 14 March 2007 (UTC)