View source for Ron Kass

{{short description|American businessman (1935–1986)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{More citations needed|date=February 2024}}

'''Ron Kass''' (March 30, 1935 – October 17, 1986) was an American businessman, recording executive, and [[film producer]]. Kass worked with at least four recording companies: [[Liberty Records|Liberty]], [[MGM]], [[Warner Brothers]], and [[Apple Records]].

==Early life==
Born '''Ronald Stanley Kashinoff''' in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, his family changed the name to Kass when they moved to California. He attended [[Fairfax High School (Los Angeles)|Fairfax High School]] in [[Los Angeles]] where he played in a band that became [[Tijuana Brass]] and then got a degree in accounting from UCLA.

==Career==
Kass marriedand started working for [[Liberty Records]]. He was promoted to overseas manager and eventually president of Liberty. He was brought in to head [[Apple Records]], the label set up by [[The Beatles]] in 1968.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bosso |first=Joe |date=October 13, 2010 |title=Peter Asher on working with The Beatles at Apple Records |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/peter-asher-on-working-with-the-beatles-at-apple-records-284072 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=musicradar.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Halperin |first=Shirley |date=November 30, 2010 |title=Peter Asher: Long Wait for Beatles on iTunes Was 'Silly' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/peter-asher-long-wait-for-beatles-on-itunes-was-silly-1196987/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

In 1969, [[Allen Klein]] was appointed The Beatles' business manager. He viewed Kass as a threat due to his role in the commercial success of Apple Records, so Kass was forced from his position.<ref>{{cite book |last=Doggett |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Doggett |date=2009 |title=You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup |location=Great Britain |publisher=The Bodley Head |page=82 |isbn=978-0-06-177446-1}}</ref> He was succeeded in the position by his former deputy Jack Oliver.

Kass's film producing credits included ''[[Melody (1971 film)|Melody]]'' (1971), ''[[The Optimists (1973 film)|The Optimists]]'' (1973) starring [[Peter Sellers]], ''[[Naked Yoga (film)|Naked Yoga]]'' (1974) nominated for an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]] for Best Documentary Short Subject, ''[[The Stud (film)|The Stud]]'' (1978) and ''[[The Bitch (film)|The Bitch]]'' (1979) both based on novels by [[Jackie Collins]], and starring her sister [[Joan Collins]] (to whom Kass was married at the time).

He and Collins appeared on ''[[Tattletales]]'' in 1977 and 1982.

==Personal life==
With Anita his first wife, they had their first son David, and then Kass moved to [[London]] but settled his family in [[Lugano, Switzerland]], where they had two more sons, Roberto and Jonathan. After their divorce in 1969, Anita raised their children in Lugano.

In 1972, Kass married Joan Collins. They had a daughter, Katyana ("Katie"), born in 1972. Kass and Collins were divorced in 1983. Collins provided for Kass's medical care when he was ill with terminal cancer, in addition to flying his sons from Switzerland to their father. On October 17, 1986, in [[Los Angeles]], California, Kass died from cancer at the age of 51.<ref>{{cite book | last=Badman | first=Keith | title=The Beatles After the Breakup 1970–2000: A day-by-day diary | year=2001 | publisher=Omnibus Press | location=London | isbn=0-7119-7520-5 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0440798}}
*[http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=184424 New York Times]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kass, Ron}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:American businesspeople in the entertainment industry]]
[[Category:Film producers from Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Apple Records]]
[[Category:20th-century British musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]