John McClain, co-executor of Michael Jackson estate, dies at 71

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John McClain, a music industry veteran who played a key role in launching Janet Jackson’s career and later helped manage Michael Jackson’s estate, passed away Tuesday in Los Angeles at age 71.

Diana Baron, representing McClain’s estate, confirmed he passed away due to complications from a fall.

Attorney John Branca, who helped manage Michael Jackson’s estate alongside John McClain, expressed deep sadness over McClain’s passing. He called McClain a groundbreaking figure in music and marketing, and said he’ll be greatly missed.

When Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, his estate faced serious financial and public relations challenges, largely due to accusations of child sexual abuse. John McClain and John Branca, named as executors in Jackson’s will, successfully guided the estate through these difficulties and turned things around. They oversaw hugely successful projects released after his death, including the concert film This Is It, the Cirque du Soleil show Michael Jackson One, the Broadway musical MJ: The Musical, and the recent Hollywood biopic Michael, which has already become one of the highest-earning biopics of all time.

John McClain’s work managing Michael Jackson’s musical heritage built on his earlier success with Janet Jackson. In the mid-1980s, he brought Janet together with the production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, resulting in her breakthrough albums, “Control” and “Rhythm Nation 1814.” (McClain’s connection to the Jackson family began in high school with Jermaine Jackson.) Musician Questlove described pairing Janet Jackson with Jam and Lewis as McClain’s defining achievement, one that profoundly impacted the course of music.

Born in Los Angeles, McClain came from a family deeply involved in the city’s entertainment scene. His father ran the It Club, a famous jazz venue that hosted legends like Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, and was known as a prominent, sometimes controversial figure with connections to gangster Bugsy Siegel. McClain’s mother was also a musician, playing piano and appearing in films alongside Lena Horne during the 1940s.

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L.A. Reid, originally named McClain, received a classical music education and started playing guitar in his teens. He began his music career as a studio musician, working with artists like Lionel Richie and Gladys Knight. In 1984, he became head of Black music at A&M Records, where he collaborated with Janet Jackson and Atlantic Starr. He later joined the new Interscope Records, playing a key role in the success of Dr. Dre’s 1992 album, “The Chronic.” He also convinced Interscope’s co-founder, Jimmy Iovine, to sign gospel artist Kirk Franklin and R&B producer Teddy Riley.

Jimmy Iovine told The Times in 1998 that McClain was a truly talented figure in the music industry, saying, “I love the guy—and I learned a lot from him.”

Following his departure from Interscope in 1997, McClain rejoined A&M Records and later worked at DreamWorks Records. He eventually became responsible for managing the estate of Michael Jackson. Details about his surviving family members were not immediately released.

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2026-05-28 03:01