Mary Antoinette (nee) Culum Campbell, known internationally in the music industry as Electric Mary, passed away in New York on or about March 16, 2024. Born on August 9, 1962 at St. John’s hospital in Helena, Mary was the second of three children to Tony Culum and Marjorie Mitchell, and named after her father. She lost her brother in 1971, her father in 1979, and her mother in 1993. Throughout her life, she remained intensely loyal to the memories of her brother, father and her beloved mother.
Mary grew up in Helena and distinguished herself in a variety of ways throughout grade school and high school, including sharing her artwork in downtown murals, writing and winning a KCAP contest to write a poem using song lyrics, and establishing a reputation around Helena driving her 1980 Camaro as one of the wildest and most feared students at Capital High School. She graduated from Capital in 1980, as well as from the alternative school that same year. Her friends and classmates will likely remember her more for the time she spent immersing herself in Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith records, bottles of Jack Daniels, and kegs in Grizzly Gulch, than they will remember her studying geometry. Her choice of pursuits prepared her well for a career in the music business.
After two years at the University of Montana in Missoula, Mary opted to come to New York City in 1982 to enroll at the Institute of Audio Research. She was hired to work in the technical service department at the famous Electric Lady Studios, the studio built by guitarist Jimi Hendrix in 1970. The toughness she developed growing up in Montana served her well in New York, and within a few short months she was offered the lofty position of managing the entire studio.
Mary leapt into the position, and her genuine love of the music and the artists helped her through the next few years, which saw classic albums by giants like Iron Maiden, Billy Idol, and Kiss.
One of her most legendary Electric Lady exploits occurred when a member of the band Dexy’s Midnight Runners attempted to run out of the studio with their tapes before the bill was paid. Mary famously chased him down 8th Street, tackled him and retrieved the tapes.
At her best, Mary’s larger-than-life personality, enthusiasm for the music, and ability to party with the best of them helped her attract many clients to studio. She was fan and friend as much as she was a no-nonsense manager, which endeared her to both the artists and the staff.
She moved to another storied New York Studio around 1986: Bobby and Joanne Nathan’s Unique Recording Studios, bringing many of the clients and friends there from Electric Lady.. After a few years working in other New York Studios, she returned to Electric Lady and remained until 2003, overseeing numerous changeovers of consoles, technology and staff as recording shifted from analog to digital She married her childhood friend from Montana, the love of her life, Jeff Campbell, in 1988. Jeff eventually became assistant manager and with his calm demeanor helped make Mary feel protected in her role as well as occasionally protecting the staff from Mary.
Mary Antoinette’s reign at Electric Lady was a very intense time, and her occasionally volatile temper could bring staff members to tears. At the same time, she gave opportunities to hundreds of creative outsiders who might not have gotten a chance at more conventional studios, and her exacting standards made everyone who worked for her stronger. Her generosity, nurturing and caring could be equally as powerful as her wrath, and she ultimately helped launch many amazing careers in all areas of the music business during her time. She also took great care in making artists feel welcomed, and worked to maintain the original vision Jimi Hendrix had for the studio- to create an environment where artists and musicians were respected and comfortable so they could thrive and create.
In 2003, Mary moved to the massive Sony Music Studios, where she handled bookings and management for the mastering department. She remained at Sony until 2006, and then began working at the Barber Shop Studios, a smaller high-end facility which was nearer to her home in Stony Point NY.
She maintained relationships with many of her favorite bands in subsequent years, and could be seen backstage at Iron Maiden, Depeche Mode, Aerosmith and Rush concerts for years after she left Electric Lady.
Sometime around 2008, Mary sadly contracted Lymes Disease. It went undiagnosed for some period of time and contributed to her health issues and occasionally erratic behavior. She and Jeff eventually divorced. The progression of the disease, the loss of her marriage, and the addictions from which she suffered culminated in a severe stroke in 2022. Gratefully, she overcame those addictions with the best of her personality intact and was living peacefully in New York when she died.
Mary is survived by her younger brother Kevin, his wife, Laura, and her two nephews, AJ and Brendan, as well as her aunt, Marie Culum, numerous cousins and their children. She also survives in the hearts of her friends all over the world, who will always remember her many achievements, fortitude, sense of humor and willingness to face down any adversity she encountered.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25th at the Cathedral of St. Helena, 530 N. Ewing Street.
Service Schedule
Funeral Mass
12:00 p.m.
Tuesday June 25, 2024
Cathedral of St. Helena
530 N. Ewing Street
Helena, Montana 59601
Service Schedule
Funeral Mass
12:00 p.m.
Tuesday June 25, 2024
Cathedral of St. Helena
530 N. Ewing Street
Helena, Montana 59601
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Dini Tuffli Scharf says
Mary and I recently made contact thru Messenger shortly before she passed and she planned on coming back to Helena in the summer. We were going to get together. Bless her family.
Jean Sauve (Northey) says
Mary and I were seniors together when we met. We bonded over music and art. The school arranged for student to work on local murals. We worked on several together and attended those famous Helena outside keggers together. She had the determination to get things done and well she did. “ she knew she could so she did”
Rest easy Electric Mary