Jheryl Busby | Motown record chief, 59

Jheryl Busby, 59, the former president and chief executive of Motown Records who helped foster the careers of Boyz II Men and Johnny Gill, has died.

He was found Tuesday in a hot tub at his home in Malibu, Calif., according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.

Mr. Busby was named Motown's president and chief executive officer in 1988 and stayed there for seven years. During that time he oversaw up-and-coming artists such as Boyz II Men and Queen Latifah.

He bounced around several record companies during the 1980s doing promotional work. He was named vice president of the black music division of MCA Records in 1984. He was later promoted to president of the division.

After his Motown tenure, Mr. Busby was the head of the urban division at DreamWorks Records between 1998 and 2001. He later worked at Def Soul Classics, a division of Def Jam Records. - AP