Mike Curb is the former Acting Governor and Lieutenant Governor of California, a GRAMMY award-winning record producer, a Billboard record producer of the year, a BMI multi award-winning songwriter and a championship motorsports owner. Curb is the founder and chairman of Curb Records and has been an abiding presence in various facets of American culture for over six decades. A key figure in the fields of music and business, he has also made significant inroads into philanthropy and public service.

Mike is a recognized industry leader in the entertainment field. He continues to preside over his own independent record company that he founded over 60 years ago and which is the oldest independent record company in the United States that is still independently distributed. He is just as well known for his many contributions to socio-civic causes. The name “Mike Curb” is, in fact, almost synonymous with creative achievement and community involvement.

An in-depth look at Mike Curb shows an enviable track record of career success, and it also attests to his enduring influence on education and civil rights. His involvement in social programs alone demonstrates an uncommon passion for serving people across the country.

With Curb Records, Mike displayed an innate ability to recognize and nurture artists, particularly those with strong chart-topping potential. It was not too long before Curb Records became one of the most respected independent record labels in the US. Mike was a successful producer and was recognized as Billboard’s Producer of the Year, including producing #1 records such as “Candy Man” by Sammy Davis, Jr. with The Mike Curb Congregation, “Puppy Love” by Donny Osmond, “Love Me For A Reason” by The Osmonds, “I’m Leaving It All Up To You” by Donny & Marie, “All For The Love Of Sunshine” by Hank Williams Jr. with the Mike Curb Congregation, and “How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes. He also produced hit records such as “Volare” by Al Martino and Billboard chart records by Roy Orbison, Tony Bennett, Solomon Burke, Debby Boone, Eddy Arnold, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, and others. As a songwriter, Mike composed the music for numerous films, including Roger Corman’s trendsetting 1960s motion picture The Wild Angels which also generated Curb’s first top 40 Billboard hit “Blues’ Theme” by The Arrows and “Wild Angels Theme” by The Ventures. Mike is most proud of “Burning Bridges” the theme song that he wrote for Clint Eastwood’s motion picture Kelly’s Heroes. That song became a worldwide hit for Mike’s own group The Mike Curb Congregation. The group appeared weekly on Glen Campbell’s national television show on the CBS network. In addition to film soundtracks Mike composed commercial themes for Honda, Chevrolet, Hot Wheels, and the theme for Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. In addition, there were other notable Curb compositions such as the theme song to Frank Sinatra’s film “Dirty Dingus Magee”, Andy Williams’ motion picture theme “If I Could Only Go Back Again”, and Hank Williams Jr.’s first #1 song “All For The Love Of Sunshine”, and “It Was A Good Time” which was a hit for Eydie Gorme and became the signature song for Liza Minnelli’s Emmy winning “Liza With A Z”.

Curb Records turned out to be much more than just a business venture. It was also a multifaceted platform by which Mike could promote music that resonated with broad audiences. The label’s most prominent artists typically spanned multiple stylistic genres. For example, Curb received Billboard awards for co-producing the longest running record on the Billboard chart of the entire century, “How Do I Live” by LeAnn Rimes, and Curb received a Billboard award for co-producing “You Light Up My Life” by LeAnn Rimes which became the first and only album to ever debut #1 in three different genres, Billboard Pop Chart, Billboard Country Chart, and Billboard Christian Chart. Curb’s earlier original #1 version of “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone became the #1 record of the entire decade of the 1970s. Curb’s #1 recording of “Oh What A Night” by the Four Seasons became the first record to spend over one year on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The Curb-published song “More Than A Memory” by Garth Brooks became the only song to debut #1 on the Billboard Country Chart. The Curb published song “Three Wooden Crosses” by Randy Travis became CMA Song of the Year, and the Curb published song “I Don’t Dance” by Lee Brice became the ACM Song of the Year. Curb’s recording of “Unchained Melody” became The Righteous Bros. biggest selling record. Curb’s version of “God Bless The USA” by Lee Greenwood became Lee’s biggest cross-over pop recording. Tim McGraw’s recording of “Live Like You Were Dying” became the #1 recording for the entire first 50-year chart by Aircheck and Mediabase. Curb’s soundtrack recording for the film Coyote Ugly has sold over 5,000,000 copies this century. Over the years other Curb artists have had massive #1 records including the Bellamy Brothers, Eric Burdon & War, Shaun Cassidy, T.G. Sheppard, Exile, Marie Osmond, The Judds, Wynonna Judd, Sawyer Brown, Jo Dee Messina, Hal Ketchum, Dylan Scott, Rodney Atkins, Kimberley Locke, Jeff Carson, and other award-winning artists, such as Lyle Lovett, Mo Pitney, Junior Brown, Kelsey Hart, Ray Stevens, and The Stone Poneys, featuring Linda Ronstadt who made their first recording in 1966, produced by Mike Curb.

In addition to the recordings of his own group (the Mike Curb Congregation), Curb has been involved in the contemporary Christian music business since its inception. Curb signed early contemporary Christian artists such as Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, DeGarmo and Key, Pat Boone, The Boone Girls and Debby Boone. Curb Records has continued to play a major role in the contemporary Christian genre with multi-Dove Award winners such as Selah, Michael English, and Fernando Ortega, along with Whiteheart, Patty Cabrera, MIKESCHAIR, Nicol Sponberg, Plumb, Jonathan Pierce and Natalie Grant, who during her 20 years with Curb received five Gospel Music Association Dove Awards as Female Vocalist of the Year. MercyMe’s INO/Curb recording of "I Can Only Imagine" became one of the biggest Christian cross-over hits of all time. In 2002 Mike became a partner and Chairman of Word Records, the oldest gospel recording company in America and the most successful Texas-based record company in history. In 2016 Curb completed the entire purchase of Word Records; ironically, the label that the Mike Curb Congregation had recorded for early in its career. In 2026 Word Records celebrated its 75th anniversary since its founding in 1951 by Jarrell McCracken on the Baylor campus in Waco, Texas. Over the years Word developed major Contemporary Christian artists such as Amy Grant, Russ Taff, B.J. Thomas, The Imperials, David Meece, Leon Patillo, George Beverly Shea, Kurt Kaiser, Cliff Barrows & The Gang, Jaci Velasquez, Rachael Lampa, First Call, Petra, 4Him, David Phelps, Phil Keaggy, Sandi Patty, Wayne Watson and Shirley Caesar. In recent years Curb | Word has had success with Francesca Battistelli, 2010 Gospel Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year, Nicole C. Mullen, Building 429, Point of Grace, Big Daddy Weave, Salvador, Sidewalk Prophets, Steven Malcolm, Sarah Reeves, Sixpence None The Richer, Jay-Way, NEEDTOBREATHE, Hannah Kerr, Mark Schultz, Randy Travis, Chris August, for KING + COUNTRY, Matthews Ntlele, We Are Messengers, Meredith Andrews, Stellar Kart, Dan Bremnes, Carly Ann Taylor, Stars Go Dim, and Blanca. In 2021 The Fisk Jubilee Singers won a GRAMMY for their 150th Celebration album and Paul Kwami and Mike Curb also received GRAMMYs for producing the album. In 2024 Mike Curb was the executive producer for the Dove Award winning film Unsung Hero with for KING + COUNTRY. In 2025 Curb | Word recording artist and songwriter, Lloyd Nicks received a GRAMMY for composing "That's My King" sung by CeCe Winans, which stayed at #1 on the Billboard Gospel Chart for 49 weeks.

Mike’s leadership exemplified his vision of connecting people through music and making a lasting cultural impact. The way he combined business sense with creative insight contributed to his stature as one of the most influential figures in modern American music.

Even as he achieved recognition within the entertainment industry, Mike felt the pull of public service. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of California, which proved his ability to step outside his musical comfort zone and assume policy making and governance roles. Shortly after being elected Lieutenant Governor the Supreme Court of California ruled that Curb had the responsibility to act as Governor while the Governor was out of state. During Curb’s first two years in office, Curb served as Governor for over 200 days. Curb made over 400 appointments and signed significant legislation ending California’s gasline crisis, the Rob-A-Home, Go-to-Prison Bill that set mandatory sentences for home burglaries, worked on significant California Mexico border issues, and successfully handled numerous emergency issues, including massive California fires and floods. Curb was subsequently elected National Chairman of the National Lieutenant Governors Association, comprised of lieutenant governors from both parties from across the country.

Mike was one of the first supporters of Proposition 13 which put a cap on California property taxes which played a major role in the start of the national movement for federal tax reduction. Then Congressman Jack Kemp stated that “Mike Curb played a major role in the development of the Kemp/Roth Bill which laid the groundwork for Ronald Reagan’s economic platform.” Ronald Reagan appointed Mike Curb and Jack Kemp to serve as the co-chairmen of his national campaign for president in 1980 and Curb and his family moved to Washington, DC. After Reagan was elected President, he asked Mike to serve in his administration as Chairman of the RNFC and Chairman of the Presidential Trust in addition to serving on the USO Board and the World Trade Negotiations Board. President Reagan allowed Curb to work with him on various issues such as the Simpson Mazzoli Immigration Act which created a pathway for over 3,000,000 immigrants to ultimately become citizens.

After serving in government, Mike turned his focus into making a major impact in the world of philanthropy. Through the Curb Foundation, he directed resources toward various worthy causes, including education, historic preservation, civil rights, healthcare, homelessness, and numerous issues involving the underserved.

For Mike, these efforts merely highlighted his conviction that success should be used to give something back to the community. Even as he continued to support music programs, he ensured that resources were also devoted to universities and initiatives aimed at healthcare and addressing social inequality. Mike Curb chaired the Board of the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee at the time the hospital was built. Over the years, Curb has grown its program for Vanderbilt Medical Center by developing the Curb Chair for Health Policy. The Linda & Mike Curb Institute for Advanced Medical Education at St. Thomas in Nashville, Tennessee has grown over the years. The Institute reaches out to Ascension Hospitals in Indianapolis, Indiana, Jacksonville, Florida and Austin, Texas.

Civil and human rights are values deeply tied in with Mike’s personal outlook. He has consistently advocated for amplifying voices that have been historically silenced. Consequently, many of the causes he supports were instrumental in advancing fairness and justice.

More significantly, Mike’s philanthropy was not just limited to donations. He also invested considerable time and effort into ensuring the lasting impact of these projects. An example of this is Curb’s ownership and restoration in 15 historic properties on Nashville’s important Music Row, including RCA Studio B and partnering in RCA Studio A. Also, Curb purchased and restored Columbia Studio A, the Quonset Hut, the historic Sony building, and other Music Row Properties, including the historic WNAH Radio building and studios and buildings formerly owned by Roy Orbison, Mel Tillis, and the historic Capitol Records properties.

Education has always been a focal point of Mike’s work. He has established colleges, institutes, centers, and programs in 17 universities and colleges across the country, promoting music education and cultural studies that prepare students for careers in the creative industries. The Curb College for Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University is the largest stand-alone music business college in the country and is connected to the 5,000-seat Curb Event Center. The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy at Vanderbilt University is recognized throughout the country for its Curb Scholars and the Curb Creative Campus program. The Mike Curb College of Arts, Media & Communication at California State has approximately 7,000 students and is connected with the 1,700-seat Soraya Center for the Performing Arts where Curb made the founding lead gift. Curb also expanded the Cal State relationship by creating the studios at Channel Islands. The Curb Institute at Rhodes College in Memphis is playing a major role in connecting other Curb Memphis initiatives such as the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, the Stax Museum, and Memphis Music Hall of Fame, where Curb is an honorary member. Also, the Curb Foundation owns and has restored Elvis Presley’s first home, and Curb is proud of the Curb Music History Gallery at the National Civil Rights Museum honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. Other significant partnerships include the Fisk University Jubilee Singers Chair, the UCLA laboratories and studios, the Curb Music History Program at USC, Baylor University Music Marketing Program, Claremont-McKenna, Bethune-Cookman, Maryville College Curb Center for Appalachian Music, Hamilton College in New York, Arizona State University, University of Hawaii, Occidental College, in partnership with the Branca institute creating the Curb Popular Music Program, and The Mike Curb College of Music, Entertainment and Art in Daytona, Florida which connects the music industry in the community with the history of motorsports. Curb’s own motorsports teams have had major victories in Daytona as well as winning multiple championships across many motorsports series, including winning multiple Indianapolis 500s, with the latest win at the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2026.

In addition to the Curb Gallery at the Martin Luther King Museum and the Curb Galleries at the Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, the Curb Museum for Music and Motorsports houses the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame where Curb is also an honorary member. Mike was also proud to be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame with Kenny Rogers, in the state where Curb and Rogers were both born, and where Mike helped Kenny start his own record company. Curb has Galleries in the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles and in Nashville in partnership with the Musicians Hall of Fame, where Curb is also a member. The Mike Curb Gospel Music Hall of Fame Gallery is in Nashville, and Curb created a major founding gift to create the Mike Curb Conservatory at the Country Music Hall of Fame. In addition, there are Junior Achievement Curb Centers in Nashville and Los Angeles and the National Business Hall of Fame in Chicago where Curb is a member. Also, there are important Curb Galleries at the Tennessee State Museum and the Tennessee Sports Museum where Curb is also a member.

Outside the classroom, Mike frequently lent his time and resources to community building. His unflagging support for programs that offered shelter and resources to homeless individuals has helped create pathways toward stability. Recently the Linda & Mike Curb Center for Women opened in Nashville along with the remodeling of the Men's Shelter to create a total of over 250,000 square feet of homeless shelter. The Curb Foundation has other significant homeless initiatives and programs targeted for the underserved communities, including the Curb Youth Wing at Haven For Hope homeless shelter in San Antonio, Texas; the Austin Baptist Chapel in Austin, Texas; the Hike For The Homeless program at Safe Haven Shelter in Nashville, Tennessee; the Curb Victory Hall for homeless veterans in Nashville, Tennessee; the Curb Welcome Center at Second Harvest Food Bank in Nashville, Tennessee; and the building at Room In The Inn in partnership with Father Charles Strobel, also in Nashville. Curb programs have also reached out to animal rescue, including the Linda and Mike Curb Education Center at the San Antonio Humane Society which services thousands of dogs throughout the area. The Curb Foundation is involved in other animal rescue programs, including the Curb Canine Condos at American Humane in Florida, and the inner-city Crossroads program in Nashville, Tennessee that houses and trains homeless youth.

Mike has collaborated with several civil rights organizations, reaffirming his commitment to progress based on collective action. Through these programs, he hopes to demonstrate how private sector/public sector partnerships and individual vision can positively impact communities.

Mike's contributions have not gone unnoticed. He is the recipient of several awards and honors for his professional achievements as well as his philanthropic work. In addition to his GRAMMY award, Mike was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Music City Walk of Fame, among other awards. Mike has also received honorary degrees from seven different universities, including Rhodes College, Belmont University, Pepperdine University, Fisk University, California State University, Southern California College, and Occidental College and has been inducted into several halls of fame, including the National Business Hall of Fame and the National Musicians Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame and an honorary member of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame. While his work in the music industry continues to shape the field, it is his public service and charitable efforts that serve as touchstones for integrity and community leadership.

Mike Curb stands as a shining example of leadership that is not limited to a single sphere of life. His ability to cross boundaries and innovate in multiple arenas is matched only by his dedication to achieving personal success while pursuing the broader social good. For many, Mike is an inspiration to think creatively and act responsibly while making meaningful contributions to society.