Oakland City Councilwoman Libby Schaaf's godfather, distinguished classical music recording producer and orchestra manager Harold Lawrence, died Aug. 22 in his Oakland home at the age of 88.

Lawrence began his career in the record industry as music director of the Classical Division of Mercury Records where he produced more than 350 albums for its famed “Living Presence” catalog. He was the first American ever appointed to lead a British orchestra in 1967 when he became general manager of the London Symphony Orchestra. There he recruited legendary conductor Andre Previn and sustained LSO’s legacy as the world’s most-recorded orchestra.

Lawrence returned to his native New York in 1973 to manage the New York Philharmonic, where he became the first executive producer of the Exxon/New York Philharmonic Radio Network. In 1975, he was recruited to manage the Buffalo Philharmonic by Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas.

In 1977, Edgar Kaiser persuaded Lawrence to move west to head the Oakland Symphony, where he would hire rising-star Calvin Simmons as music director, making Simmons the first African American conductor of a major orchestra. Tragically, Simmons died in a canoeing accident at age 32.

Harold and wife Mary Morris Lawrence contributed to Oakland’s cultural life for more than three decades. Harold was an appointee to the Oakland Arts Council under several Oakland mayors and served as grants panelist for the California Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts. He was active in Oakland Rotary and the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club and served on the board of the Oakland Youth Orchestra until his death.

Lawrence established a successful video production company from 1987-2009. He created award-winning works like "Kids on the Job" with Wee Pals cartoonist Morrie Turner, "The Conversation," with Oakland Post Publisher Paul Cobb and "Citizen Artist," about Oakland-based sculptor Bruce Beasley.

Memorial Services will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Drive in Oakland.

In lieu of flowers, please contribute in Lawrence’s memory to the Oakland Youth Orchestra at www.oyo.org.