Bruce Bird; Marketer, Promoter in Record Industry

Bruce Bird, founder of Camel Management and a former record industry executive, has died. He was 44.

Bird died Sunday after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage at his home in Calabasas.

He began his career in 1966 as regional sales and promotion manager for Liberty Records Distributing Company of Ohio. In 1974 he moved to Buddah Records as vice president of promotion. At Buddah, he worked with such artists as Curtis Mayfield, Gladys Knight, Charlie Daniels and the Isley Brothers.

He operated his own promotion and marketing firm briefly, and in 1976 became vice president of promotion for Casablanca Records, where his artists included Donna Summer, Kiss and the Village People.

In 1982, working with MCA, Bird created Camel Records, where he launched the band Night Ranger. He next founded Camel Management, developing such clients as Vince Neil, Sass Jordan, Slapbak and Tattoo Rodeo.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy, his mother, Anne, daughters Kim, Caryn and Cass, son Todd, two brothers and a sister.

Funeral services are scheduled for 10 a.m. today at St. Charles Catholic Church, 10828 Moorpark St., North Hollywood. Burial will be at Forest Lawn.

The family has asked that any memorial contributions be made to the T.J. Martell/Neil Bogart Foundation Memorial Labs, 6 West 57th St., New York, N.Y. 10019.