Sylvia Rhone, a pioneering figure in the music industry and the first Black woman to lead a major record label, will step down as chair and CEO of Sony Music’s Epic Records at the end of the month, Variety has confirmed. Rhone has served as chair and CEO since 2019, following her role as president of the label beginning in 2014. While no successor has been named, sources say label president Zeke Lewis and general manager Rick Sackheim will oversee daily operations in the interim.

Rhone’s exit marks the close of a historic chapter in her career, which spans five decades and includes senior leadership roles across all three major record companies. She previously broke barriers at Warner Music in the 1990s, where she became the first Black woman to chair a major label division, and later led Universal Motown before joining Sony. Under her leadership, Epic Records scored chart-topping successes with artists such as 21 Savage, Future, Travis Scott, and Tyla. Sony Music chairman Rob Stringer hailed her as a “trailblazing executive” who has guided some of the most prominent artists of the era.



In a farewell memo to staff, Rhone reflected on her journey, saying she was “proud of [her] achievements and of [her] commitment to those who take inspiration from them.” She added that music’s enduring power lies in its ability to “reflect our world, question our assumptions, and uplift our spirits.” While Rhone has not revealed her next steps, she emphasized her excitement about the future after what she described as her “historic role at Epic.”