John Denver’s producer had $900,000 in assets at death

A producer who played major roles in the careers of John Denver and other well-known music artists had assets of $900,000 when he died in 2016, according to court papers filed by his relatives.

Milton “Milt” Okun also founded the highly successful Cherry Lane Music Publishing Co. He was 92 when he died Nov. 15 at his Beverly Hills home.

Okun’s widow, Rosemary, and their children, Andrew and Jennifer, filed a petition Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court asking that they be appointed the administrators of his estate as outlined in his will created in May 2011.

The will, attached to the petition, asks that his wife receive her share of the couple’s community property.

After studying music, Okun became a music teacher in the New York public school system and later became a singer, arranger and conductor with Harry Belafonte.

Okun subsequently worked with folk acts such as Denver, Peter Paul and Mary, The Brothers Four, The Chad Mitchell Trio, Odetta, Laura Nyro and Tom Paxton. He earned more than 75 gold and platinum records and 16 Grammy nominations for his work.

Okun and his wife founded Cherry Lane in 1960 and together the made it one of the world’s largest independent publishing companies.

— City News Service