Seymour Stein was an entrepreneur in the music industry. Stein was Vice President of Warner Bros. Records and chairman of Sire Records which he founded in 1966. He was known as the pioneer of New Wave music and discovery of such artists as Madonna, The Smiths, The Pretenders, The Cure and The Ramones. Stein was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 14, 2005, under the lifetime-achievement category.