Before private jets and multi-platinum record certifications defined his daily routine, Tommy Mottola was an aspiring singer from the Bronx trying to establish himself in artist management. In 1971, he married Lisa Clark, the daughter of ABC records executive Sam Clark. To honor Clark's religious heritage, Mottola converted to Judaism prior to their wedding ceremony.
Their union lasted 19 years, spanning the critical decade when Mottola transitioned from managing Hall & Oates to engineering the corporate restructuring of CBS Records into Sony Music. Together, Tommy and Lisa raised two children: Michael and Sarah. By the time the marriage legally dissolved in 1990, Mottola stood at the precipice of global music hegemony. While his corporate profile surged into public view, Lisa Clark stepped entirely out of the media sphere, establishing a protective boundary around their two children that persisted throughout their teenage years.
