About Jimmy Iovine
Jimmy Iovine is an entrepreneur, former music executive, recording engineer, and producer. Beyond his work in the music industry, he is passionate about providing the next generation of college and high school students with the educational tools needed to thrive in the ever-changing career landscape.
01
Early Life
Jimmy grew up in the Red Hook district of Brooklyn, New York. He attended Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School and later John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Jimmy worked a few jobs that weren’t his true calling — until Record Plant Studios. There, Jimmy discovered his passion — music — and developed his sharp ear for sound design.
02
Career in the Music Industry
Easter Sunday 1974 is a day that forever changed Jimmy’s life and career trajectory. Jimmy received a call from Roy Cicala, a head audio engineer at Record Plant, and was asked to come into the studio right away. When he arrived, he found former Beatles legend John Lennon recording in the studio. Not long after, he became part of Lennon’s crew as an assistant engineer.
After his tenure as a recording engineer for artists like Lennon and Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy moved on to production — helping talent bring their visions to life. In the early years, he worked with Patti Smith, Stevie Nicks, The Pretenders, Dire Straits, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. In 1982, he produced Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band’s “The Distance” album. And, in 1988, Jimmy produced U2’s “Rattle and Hum” album.
After years in the industry, Jimmy co-founded Interscope Records in 1990 with media mogul Ted Field and others. At Interscope Records, Jimmy worked with artists like Eminem, Nine Inch Nails, the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, and No Doubt. As the music industry evolved, Jimmy didn’t rest on his legacy. He built Interscope Records into a driving force in the multimedia sector and a place that put artists and ideas first.
It was at Interscope Records that he also first met up-and-coming hip-hop virtuoso and producer Andre “Dr. Dre” Young. Jimmy and Dr. Dre became business partners, creating the music technology and headphone company Beats Electronics. Beats would later change the face of music consumption forever.
Because of his long history in the industry, Jimmy is one of the subjects of the film “The Defiant Ones,” which provides viewers with a glimpse into his backstory, and his introduction to and work with Dr. Dre.
In 2022, Jimmy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and recognized with the Ahmet Ertegun Award for his contributions to the music industry. He has also received Grammy and Emmy nominations.
03
Entrepreneurship
Beats Electronics
A walk on the Malibu beachfront led to a 10-minute conversation between Jimmy and Dr. Dre that would alter music technology. Dr. Dre was looking into the sneakers game at that time. But, Jimmy told him that his next venture should be speakers, not sneakers.
With that, Beats Electronics (Beats by Dre) launched in 2006, and a new approach to the vividness and vibrancy of sound was born. Jimmy and Dr. Dre wanted to give headphones life and a personality while truly impacting sound quality. Today, Beats by Dre is a leading audio brand, offering premium consumer headphones, speakers, and earphones. The brand has revolutionized the way music lovers around the globe listen to their favorite artists. After the launch of Beats by Dre, Beats Music followed.
In 2014, Apple purchased Beats Electronics and Beats Music. Jimmy continued with the brand, helping guide the presence of the headphone and speaker company and its music-streaming counterpart. In 2015, Jimmy spoke at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference to announce the launch of Apple Music.
Gin & Juice By Dre and Snoop
04
Supporting Education Initiatives
While working on Beats, Jimmy recognized that education is siloed. Students are trained to be creatives or work in tech, not both. An absence of integrated learning existed, preventing students from developing a purpose-driven mindset and securing desired roles. Jimmy and Dr. Dre wanted to address this and bring a fresh perspective to collegiate and secondary education in classrooms across the U.S.
In spring 2013, Jimmy received an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Southern California (USC) and delivered the commencement speech. Around the same time, he and Dr. Dre donated $70 million to start a new, unique, academic program. They co-founded the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation. The Academy offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs focused on broadening student knowledge in transformative AI, design strategy, and collaboration. Located in Iovine and Young Hall, the Academy provides teachings at the crossroads of design, technology, business, and communication.
As an additional offering, the two visionaries decided the Academy should be scaled down to the high school curriculum level to steer young people toward their higher education goals and prospective professions. With that in mind, the Iovine and Young Center (IYC) Integrated Design, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Magnet launched in 2022 in Los Angeles. Later, in 2024, an IYC opened at Atlanta’s Frederick Douglass High School. More IYC locations are expected to open in the future, including one coming to Inglewood, California, in 2025.
Board Memberships
Jimmy joined the board of directors for several organizations.
- XQ Institute
- Live Nation Entertainment
- NTWRK
- Rosewood Creative
- Bizaar
- Backflip House
- Iovine and Young Foundation
Speaking Engagements
Jimmy has shared his journey as a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and music executive during interviews, speaking engagements, and podcasts.
