On this special episode of Queue Points, we sit down with legendary music executive Teddy Astin! While working at Warner Brothers Records, Mr. Astin helped shape the careers of icons like Prince, Madonna, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Sly Stone, and more. He shares his journey from Palmetto, Georgia, to becoming a driving force behind Atlanta’s rise as an international hub for music and film. We also discuss his memoir, “A Golden Past and a Platinum Future” and the importance of archiving Black music history.
Mr. Astin takes us behind the scenes of the creation of Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson’s entertainment commission, and legendary events like Jack the Rapper. Hear incredible stories about working with artists across genres, including hip hop, R&B, jazz, and pop.
If you love music history or want to be inspired by one of the industry’s true legends, this episode is for you!
Purchase out Mr. Astin’s book A Golden Past and A Platinum Future via his website: www.toughact.net or on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3I0jdAP (Disclaimer: Purchasing through this Amazon link may earn Queue Points a commission.)
Read the Urban Insite Black Music Month 2025 Profile on Teddy Astin: https://link.queuepoints.com/astinurbaninsite
Teddy Astin Biography
Teddy Astin started working in the Warner Brother Records (WBR) warehouse at the young age of 20. One year later, with all his hard work and dedication, he was promoted to the supervisor of the mail room. In 1977, Warner Brothers started the Black Music Division and Teddy’s talent was not overlooked and was swiftly promoted to Regional Director of Promotions for the Carolinas and later promoted to National Director of Promotion. Teddy went from the warehouse to the mail room, to the WBR Board Room, and the rest is history. He was a part of history that started a Black Music Dynasty. Come take a journey back through time and read about musical history and all the artists Teddy has worked with while promoting, marketing, mentoring & artist development for the record label in his new book, “A Golden Past and A Platinum Future.”
Chapter Markers
00:00 Intro Theme
00:16 Introduction and Welcoming Teddy Astin
02:35 Teddy Astin's Philosophy and Career Highlights
04:33 Transition
04:42 Kudos for 'Teddy Astin: A Golden Past and a Platinum Future'
05:33 The Importance of Archiving and Writing a Book
06:48 Atlanta's Rise as an Entertainment Hub
13:24 Teddy Astin's Impact on Hip Hop and Artist Relations
19:45 Meeting Sylvester at the Airport
20:32 A Night Out in Atlanta
22:12 Transition
22:18 The Magic of Jack the Rapper
26:03 Challenges and Changes in the Music Industry
30:08 Promoting with Style
31:55 Celebrating Black Music Month
36:22 Final Thoughts and Farewell
37:28 Outro Theme
Support Queue Points By Becoming An Insider: https://link.queuepoints.com/membership
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.