Uriah Heep Producer-Manager Gerry Bron Dead at 79

Music manager and producer Gerry Bron has passed away at the age of 79. Bron was best known for his work with Uriah Heep, Motorhead, the Damned, and Colosseum, though he also dabbled with pop acts like Gene Pitney and Manfred Mann.

Bron's son Richard tweeted the news, stating, "Very sadly, my father passed away yesterday morning very unexpectedly. Rest in peace Dad - we all love you."

Bron reportedly gave Uriah Heep their name and managed their affairs for years. He was also behind the boards for their 1970 debut disc, 'Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble,' and continued to produce their records through 1980's 'Conquest.'

Uriah Heep 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 would go on to back records from Motorhead, Hawkwind, and the Damned.

In a 2004 interview with DMME, Bron said, "My feeling is that by being a manager and a producer you get better results, because part of production -- if it's good production -- is management. Actually, they ought to go together, and I've never worked any other way."

Bron added that having enjoyment while making music was the best sign of success. He explained, "If you don't enjoy them, and you don't have a good laugh while making them, they're not going to be any good. And I naturally try, when I'm in a studio as a producer, to make people happy and enjoy what they're doing, so it probably does influence the music." He explained that most musicians found some humor in what they did. He added, "I think you have to see the funny side of whatever it is you do, and my sense of humor has that influence."