MS HC9

Joseph "Joe" Dera (January 23, 1951 – October 10, 2025) was a renowned music publicist who worked in the industry for five decades before retiring to Bentonia, Mississippi in 2016

Dera immigrated from the Netherlands to New Jersey in 1956 and began his music career writing for the Aquarian Weekly before working at Track Records (The Who's label) and Rogers and Cowan entertainment firm

Represented major artists including David Bowie, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Billy Joel, Queen, Pink Floyd, the Bee Gees, and B.B. King, and served as Paul McCartney's spokesman for over 20 years

Notable career achievements include overseeing Bowie's 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour, representing the 1985 Live Aid charity concert, and founding his own successful agency, Dera and Associates

After retirement, Dera and his wife Suzanne Case lived in the historic Bradshaw House in Yazoo County, where he provided free public relations counsel to local businesses and was active in rescuing stray dogs