Meyer was born in
Reading, Ohio, a suburb of
Cincinnati. He applied to the
U.S. Naval Academy, but was rejected because of his height (6 feet 7 inches). After graduating from the
University of Michigan with a degree in journalism, he borrowed money to start an advertising agency named Meyer and Rosenthal. Within two years of opening, the company went from no revenue to $2 million. In 1974, Meyer joined the perfume company
Jovan, Inc. and became its president and CEO in 1977. Under Meyer's leadership, sales of Jovan perfumes quadrupled. In 1984, Meyer founded the Chicago-based record label Red Label Records. In 1985, he wrote the lyrics for and produced the
Chicago Bears'
novelty record, "
The Super Bowl Shuffle". In 1988, Meyer sued
Ad Age magazine and its editor-at-large Joseph M. Winski for libel after the magazine published an article alleging that Meyer was a heavy drinker and
cocaine user. Meyer initially lost the suit, but the decision was reversed on appeal, leading to an undisclosed settlement between the parties. ==References==