Jeremy Tepper, who once served as managing editor of Vending Times and also spent time as a musician and radio personality, died on June 14 at age 60 of a heart attack, reported AMOA-NY.
Jeremy Tepper (second from right) circa 1990 at the Z Bar on Manhattan’s lower eastside, the bar Ken Goldberg once owned and the one in which Jeremy’s band often played.
“Many in the coin-op industry will remember Jeremy when he was managing editor of Vending Times, an industry trade magazine, more than 30 years ago,” said Ken Goldberg, president of AMOA-NY. “At that time, I was fortunate enough to get to know Jeremy not only as a reporter covering the trade I loved and grew up in, but also at several other levels.”
Tepper was the founder of Diesel Only Records, a label that championed country rock and alternative music. He also had a band called the World Famous Blue Jays.
His career also included runs as the publisher of his own jukebox journal called Street Beat and as the format manager for the Outlaw Country channel on Sirius Satellite Radio.
“Jeremy’s enthusiasm and love for pinball was infectious,” Goldberg added. “Performing at my bar on the Lower East Side was a golden opportunity for him. We created a special event called the ‘Chicken Pickin’ Pinball Bonanza’ that combined live music by Jeremy’s band with nine pinball machines I set up on free play. The event was a big success. Jeremy and I shared a passion for bringing music, games and fun to people’s lives.”
