Michael Stradford

Michael Stradford is a multi-decade entertainment executive. Beginning his entertainment career as a radio announcer in the Midwest, he successfully programmed radio stations in several major markets, including KMJM, Majic 108 in St. Louis and KMJQ, Majic 102 in Houston. He capped a rewarding broadcasting career by launching KKBT, 92.3 The Beat in Los Angeles, taking the former classical music station from a ranking of 33 to number six in less than a year. Unbeknownst to him during that time music legend Quincy Jones had been following his career and plucked him from radio to become VP of A&R for Jones’ Qwest Records, a joint venture with parent company Warner Bros. While at Qwest, Stradford steered the careers of Tevin Campbell, The Winans, Keith Washington, Ray Charles and more. Stradford transitioned from the music industry to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, creating a department that produced supplemental DVD content (documentaries, commentaries, deleted scenes etc.) for Sony Pictures theatrically released films. He also did international movie acquisitions for the division and ultimately oversaw the creation of original content at Sony owned online outlet Crackle.com. After a stab at launching a film distribution platform with other Sony ex-pats, Big Air Studios, Stradford re-entered the corporate entertainment world at Warner Bros. Pictures. Books include: MilesStyle: The Fashion of Miles Davis, Black to the Movies and Other Pop Culture Musings, and three books in the Steve Holland Library: The Torn Shirt Sessions, The World’s Greatest Illustration Art Model and Cowboy. He has written reviews, profiles and interviews for several magazines as well as running his own pop culture blog, lookingforthecool.com, with a podcast of the same name currently in production. Stradford lives in wedded bliss in Southern California with his tolerant wife Sybil and their two equally tolerant dogs, Raj and Teddy.