Timothy John Moynihan

Jim Long was a man whose life was defined by sound and music – an innovator and entrepreneur known for his vision and charisma. Long died unexpectedly at home with his wife in Pacific Palisades, CA on May 30th from a pulmonary embolism, while recovering from knee surgery.

Described by music historian Don Worsham as a “radio guru”, Long’s name was synonymous with brilliance, strategy, and creativity. The Dallas Morning News once reported in its Business Section that “Just about anything you hear on a radio – except the news, the time, and the temperature – could have first been a product of Jim Long’s imagination.”

Starting his radio career at 13 by broadcasting from his parents’ basement in Marlboro, MA and producing his first regional hit record at 15 (“Liza Lee” by Roger and the Marquees), he became a teenage radio announcer at WDEW in Westfield, MA at 18. His birth name, Timothy John Moynihan, was too long for a radio DJ, so he used his maternal Irish grandfather’s name, Jim Long, as his radio moniker and over the next 6 years, he worked his way up as a radio announcer, producer, and program manager at stations across the country.

Long’s fascination with technology and his love of music, coupled with the drive to make a lasting mark in music production and broadcasting, led him on a remarkable path.

His brilliant career spanned more than five decades, during which he created award-winning broadcast and entertainment companies in Dallas, Nashville, and Los Angeles.

At age 24, he co-founded the TM Companies with composer Tom Merriman and subsequently went on to grow and sell numerous entrepreneurial businesses, including FirstCom, one of the most successful production music libraries in the world.

Prior to developing internet music licensing service CrucialMusic with partner Tanvi Patel, Long founded and operated award -winning, internationally recognized music publishers, production libraries, record labels and broadcast entities: the Jim Long Companies, TM Companies, Honest Entertainment Group, OneMusic, and Long-Pride Broadcasting. These successful ventures ultimately attracted corporate interest resulting in acquisitions of his companies by such industry leaders as Starr Broadcasting, Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Clive Calder’s Zomba Enterprises, OneMedia, and BMG (later acquired by Universal Music).

His iconic “firsts” helped change the production music and broadcast industries, anticipating trends and turning them into music production products including syndicating music production and worldwide multi-media image campaigns for radio and TV, creating “shotgun” jingle formats, developing 24/7 automated radio station programming, offering the first production music library on compact disc, and building a premier internet-based music licensing service. His vision – and love of his Irish roots – saw the Celtic Tiger coming, so he created a record label, Honest Entertainment, to introduce a select group of Irish artists previously unknown in the US market.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2007, he continued to launch new businesses, most recently serving as Chairman of LA-based Elias Music Library until its 2018 sale to BMG-Universal – after which he retired.

His music placements are too numerous to name but include Academy Award and Golden Globe winning motion pictures, as well as Clios for broadcast licensing and syndication for radio, television and film. In addition to countless honors for his work in commercial advertising, his producer credits include a Grammy nominated album for legendary recording artist and performer, Jack Jones, and a Country Music Association Pioneer Award for his friend and former business partner, Charley Pride.

Just as he was mentored by “the father of modern advertising” David Ogilvy, Long mentored and influenced countless music industry executives. Ignoring discriminatory industry attitudes in hiring and promotion, he consistently identified women as leaders and partners to run his companies in Dallas, Nashville, and LA. Many musicians and composers owe their royalty revenue to Long’s savvy and generous publishing deals.

His generosity of spirit will continue for many years through The Long Family Trust’s support of the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and MusiCares, the non-profit foundation of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) which provides services and assistance, in times of need, to musicians and other members of the music community.

He is survived by his wife and business partner of 33 years, Deborah DeBerry Long, Also by his son, James Moynihan, grand-daughter Diana Chiaki Moynihan, sister-in-law Daryl DeBerry, nephews Ryan and Sean Coffman, and a worldwide circle of extended family and friends who will always hold him dear. He was predeceased by his father, John F. Moynihan, in 2001 and by his beloved 104-year-old mother, Marion Long Moynihan, who died just 2 days prior on May 28, 2022.

A memorial service for family and friends will be held on Saturday, September 24 at 3pm at Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, 17190 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades CA. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research www.michaeljfox.org or MusiCares (www.musicares.org). To share online memories or condolences, visit www.jimlongmemorial.com.