He was a resident of Murfreesboro, Tn., and past resident of Eastlake, Willowick, Willoughby and Willoughby Hills.

Funeral services will be 10 a.m., Monday, June 13, 2011 at Saint John of The Cross, 140 Richmond Road, Euclid.

Friends may call from 1 to 4 and from 5 to 8 Sunday at Monreal Funeral Home, 35400 Curtis Blvd., Eastlake. Burial will be in Western Reserve Memorial Gardens in Chester Township.

Mr. Popovich received many awards including Two-time National Promotion Man of the Year 1972-1973 Billboard Magazine, 1st Time Clive Davis Award of Promotion Excellence, Six Grammy nominations (winner of 2) for label and/or co-producer, and First Polka Grammy Award Winner with Frank Yankovic.

1962-1969 Columbia Records Cleveland – Inventory control, sales desk, local Cleveland sales and radio and TV promotion. Main artists promoted were [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Buckinghams[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Blood, Sweat & Tears[/lastfm], Billy Joe Royal, Johnny Cash, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Paul Revere & the Raiders[/lastfm],[lastfm link_type="artist_info"] Simon & Garfunkel[/lastfm], etc.

1969-1972 Assistant to Ron Alexenburg, Director of Promotion Columbia Records.

1972-1974 at age 26 First VP of Columbia Records promotion and youngest VP at CBS. Appointed by Clive Davis. As VP Promotion his local and regional staff worked to maximize the careers of [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Loggins & Messina[/lastfm], Jerry Vale, O.C. Smith, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Dr. Hook & Medicine Show[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Shel Silverstein[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Boz Scaggs[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Paul Revere & the Raiders[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Bob Dylan[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Bruce Springsteen[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Santana[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Janis Joplin[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Johnny Cash[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Marty Robbins[/lastfm], Lynn Anderson, Tom Rush, David Bromberg, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]New York Rock Ensemble[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Dave Mason[/lastfm], West Bruce Laing, Mahavishnu Orchestra, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]It’s A Beautiful Day[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]New Riders of the Purple Sage,[/lastfm] [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Johnny Mathis[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Chicago[/lastfm], Percy Faith, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Tony Bennett[/lastfm], Peter Nero, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Earth, Wind & Fire[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Taj Mahal[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Manhattans[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]The Wombles[/lastfm], Mark Lindsay, Tony Bennett, Eric Andersen, Andy Williams, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Ray Coniff[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]David Essex[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Chambers Brothers[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Miles Davis[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Mott the Hoople[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Johnny Winter[/lastfm] and others.

Promotion Awards: National Promotion Man of the Year 1972-1973 Billboard Magazine as voted by radio.

Clive Davis Award presented to Steve Popovich and Ron Alexenburg for Promotion Excellence.

1974-1976 VP A&R Epic Records working with Epic head, Ron Alexenburg

1974-1976 Epic A&R – Popovich and Alexenburg, and their A&R staff consisting of Greg Geller, Tom Werman, John Boylan, Becky Mancuso-Winding, etc. were instrumental in signing and launching the careers of: Jaco Pastorious, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Boston[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Cheap Trick,[/lastfm] [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Ted Nugent[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Wild Cherry[/lastfm], Suzy and the Red Stripes, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes[/lastfm], Betty LaVette, ke, Doc Severensen, Joe Tex, Dave Loggins, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Michael Murphy[/lastfm], Charlie Rich, The Soul Children and others.

1977-1982 Founder and President of Cleveland International Records whose greatest claim to fame was Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell currently at 40 million records worldwide. The label also found worldwide success with [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Jim Steinman’s [/lastfm]solo album Bad for Good, Ellen Foley Night Out album, BJ Thomas, The Rovers, Michael Kamen/Dick Wagner, Slim Whitman, the Boyzz Too Wild to Tame, Eddie Middleton. Management and/production of Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson and production of Tom Jones, The Iron City Houserockers, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Ronnie Spector[/lastfm]. The company’s first single was in 1977 featuring “Say Goodbye to Hollywood”, Ronnie Spector & The E Street Band produced by Miami [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Steve Van Zandt[/lastfm].

1986 SR Vice President Polygram Nashville working with [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Statler Brothers[/lastfm], Tom T. Hall, and Kathy Mattea and signing [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Johnny Cash[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Kris Kristofferson[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Johnny Paycheck[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Frank Yankovic [/lastfm](winner of First Polka Grammy 1986), Wayne Toups & Zydecajun, Donna Fargo, David Lynn Jones, [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Everly Brothers[/lastfm], and special projects like The Class of ’55 Album featuring [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Johnny Cash[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Roy Orbison[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Jerry Lee Lewis[/lastfm] and [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Carl Perkins[/lastfm].

1995-2011: Cleveland International Records: [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]David Allan Coe[/lastfm], [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Frank Yankovic[/lastfm], Brave Combo, Eddie Blazonczyk, Singing Nuns, Chas & Dave, Michael Learns to Rock, and Roger Martin.

Popovich has been involved as co-producer and/or label in six Grammy nominations and winner of two.

In 1997 Popovich was inducted into the National Cleveland-Style polka Hall of Fame.

Steve Popovich is also a founding member of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

He was also known at helping and fighting for the underdog musicians and artists.

He was always a Clevelander at heart and internationally promoted Cleveland and its people with his many connections including “Cleveland Rocks“.

Steve was a loving, generous and caring man. He was known for his larger than life personality and always put other people first. He was very family orientated and everyone was family to him.

“He could walk into a room and make you feel tired.” Ian Hunter

Every week for the last 24 years the reflection of his work has been reflected in the “Saturday Night Live House Party” on 98.5 WNCX.

Survivors are his daughter; Pamela Marie Popovich; son Steve (Brittany) Popovich, Jr.; two grandsons, Stephen and Tanner Popovich; sister Barbara (Dominic) Lemmo; nieces Dawn (Mark) Bottger, Dina (Scott) Simpson, Danielle (Erik) Petkovic; nephew Dominic (Jessica) Lemmo, Jr.

He was preceded in death by his parents Steve and Zora (Razum) Popovich.

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