According to several reports, Mike Borchetta passed away on June 14 at the age of 84.

A longtime Thoroughbred breeder and member of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, Borchetta served as vice president of promotion at Curb Records from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. He was president of Lofton Creek Records where he was key in the promotion of Heartland’s “I Loved Her First,” a No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart in 2006. 

While at Curb Records, Borchetta played a significant role in signing Tim McGraw. In an Instagram post, McGraw said, “I am saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary music executive, Mike Borchetta. I came to Nashville the day my hero Keith Whitley died—on a Greyhound bus with only the clothes on my back, a guitar and a big dream. About as green as they come. I was able to get a meeting with Mike while he was working at Curb Records. He pretty much said we are signing you on the spot. I will be forever grateful for his belief in me. Gonna miss seein’ ya at my shows but I know you will be looking down with a smile. My heartfelt condolences to the family. Rest in peace my friend.”

Borchetta also operated his own promotion company and had stints with Broken Bow, Capitol, RCA, Mercury, Philips Records and Rebel Engine. Other pop and country artists promoted by Borchetta according to Billboard.com include Hal Ketchum, The Beach Boys, Wayne Newton, Glen Campbell, The Four Seasons and Dusty Springfield.

In a member spotlight published in Wire to Wire and at ftboa.com, Borchetta said he and his wife Martha won with their first horse, Lord Wincliff, at Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico. They came to Ocala in 2011 when Borchetta trained horses stabled at J.J. Crupi’s New Castle Farm. They moved to the area shortly thereafter and have bred and raced Florida-breds in the years since.

Return to the July 16 issue of Wire to Wire