His death was also announced by his daughter, Beverly Rupe Schwarz, according to the New York Times. CNN has reached out to Schwarz for comment. Rupe is credited with launching the career of rock and roll pioneer Little Richard and helping bring R&B into a mainstream music genre, according to the rock and roll hall of fame “Rock ‘n’ roll as we know it would not exist without Art Rupe,” the Hall of Fame wrote on its website. “Rupe’s demanding work ethic and uncanny musical intuition shaped the evolution of rock.”
Rupe was born Arthur N. Goldberg to a working-class Jewish family in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, his foundation said.
He later changed his name to “Rupe” after moving to California and learning from his paternal grandfather that the Goldberg surname was adopted at Ellis Island, according to his foundation.
After Rupe worked with an engineering team to test Liberty ships during World War II, Rupe decided to become a record producer, his foundation said.
Eventually he started his own record label, Specialty Records, which would go on to feature many artists including Roy Milton, Percy Mayfield, Joe and Jimmy Liggins, Lloyd Price, Little Richard and Sam Cooke.
Rupe is survived by his daughter Beverly and her husband Leo Schwarz, as well as his granddaughter Madeline Kahan and her husband Kyle Kahan, his foundation said.