From BillboardBiz.com via the Hollywood Reporter:

One of the most colorful careers in music came to a close today as pioneering booking agent Ian Copeland died in Los Angeles of melanoma. He was 57.

The sons of a CIA agent, Copeland and his brothers were part of a "law enforcement" clan in the music business: Ian founded Frontier Booking International (F.B.I.), younger brother Stewart was the founder and drummer of the Police; and older brother Miles was the founder of International Records Syndicate (I.R.S.), a record label whose acts included R.E.M., the Go-Gos, Black Sabbath, Oingo Boingo, Wall of Voodoo and General Public. Older sister Lorraine (Lennie) is a writer and producer. Ian Copeland was surrounded by family at the time of his death....

Born in Damascus, Syria, on April 25, 1949, Copeland was the son of the late Miles Copeland Jr., a former jazz trumpeter turned U.S. intelligence officer, and Lorraine Copeland, a Scottish-born archeologist.

[fast forward]

As one of the top agencies of the '80s, F.B.I. acts included R.E.M., Sting, the Bangles, the Go-Gos, the Smiths, the Thompson Twins, the Fixx, UB40, Joan Jett and the Black Hearts, Oingo Boingo, the Dead Kennedys and the Cure....

In 1995, Simon & Schuster published the autobiography "Wild Thing: The Backstage, On the Road, In the Studio, Off the Charts Memoirs of Ian Copeland."

Copeland also operated the Backstage Cafe in Beverly Hills. Early blog reaction: "To My Friend Ian...There is one less VIP in the house...I will always remember you."

Photo: Copeland at the bar by Ken Hively/LAT via BackstageCafe.com