Judi Pulver, advocate for production music and longtime friend of APM, dies at 77
Judi Pulver, a well-respected force in the music industry, died in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday at 77. A music sales executive for Variety and The Hollywood Report and a recording artist, Pulver spent her life championing music across the business.
Pulver was born in Connecticut and started as a singer and songwriter, releasing an album with MGM Records in 1973. Her album Pulver Rising and its hit single “Dancing on the Moon” garnered airplay and led to her opening a 1974 tour for rock band Mott the Hoople. By the 1980s, Pulver shifted to entertainment marketing and sales, where she would spend the better part of the following forty years. Throughout her career, Pulver advocated for production music and, as a singer-songwriter, brought her personal connection to music to her work. Her dedication, passion, and energy were remarkable; the APM community fondly remembers her.
Edwina Travis-Chin, the VP of Music Strategy and Content at APM remembers meeting Pulver and instantly being struck by her presence.
“Judi Pulver was a force of nature. When I first met her, it was a bit overwhelming – she had palpable energy and enthusiasm,” Travis-Chin said. “As I got to know her better, I grew to appreciate her love and dedication for the music business and the people in it. Although our encounters were infrequent, I’m grateful for having known her and will always remember her distinctive voice and the kindness she extended to me.”
Pulver brought unparalleled passion to her work and indelibly impacted everyone she interacted with.
“Judi was a person of incredible spirit and joie de vivre,” Adam Taylor, CEO of APM Music, said. “She was one of the first people I met when I entered the world of production music 22 years ago, and her passion, friendship, and counsel made a deep impact on me, on APM, and everyone who knew her.”
Taylor added, “I am eternally grateful that I was lucky enough to know her and to be able to call her a friend. She will be deeply missed by all.”
Pulver is survived by her husband, TV and film composer Don Peake, and her sister Suzie.