Mike Curb is the former Acting Governor and Lieutenant Governor of California, a GRAMMY award-winning record producer, a Billboard record producer of the year, and a BMI multi award-winning songwriter and a championship motorsports owner. Curb continues to preside over his own independent record company that he founded 60 years ago and which has launched the careers of numerous stars. Curb Records is the largest independent record company in the United States that is independently distributed. Curb also owns Word Records which is the largest record company ever founded in Texas. Curb received a star on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame and a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville. Mike Curb was honored as an Icon of the Music Industry by the GRAMMY Museum and Curb artists have received 33 GRAMMY Awards. Curb also partnered with the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles where the Mike Curb Gallery is located and developed the GRAMMY Gallery at the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville where Curb is honored to be a member. Curb has also partnered with the GRAMMY Museum with The Curb Careers In Music Program and The Mike Curb Music Mentoring Program to help develop access to the Museum for the underserved communities. During a distinguished career spanning over six decades, Curb has earned multi-faceted success as a songwriter, producer and record company owner, covering a wide range of musical styles. As an individual, he has written more than 400 songs, and received prestigious BMI performance awards for his compositions in the pop and country music genres. Curb also won the Overall Producer of the Year Award from Billboard magazine and the Billboard Producer Award for "You Light Up My Life" which is the only record to ever debut No.1 simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 (Pop) chart, the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and the Billboard Hot Christian Singles chart. Curb also received the Billboard Producer award for "How Do I Live" achieving the longest running record of the 20th Century on the Billboard Hot 100 (Pop) chart. In addition, as the founder and Chairman of Curb Records, Curb's company has achieved more than 300 No. 1 records and has been honored by Billboard magazine as Country Music Label of the Year and Radio & Records magazine as Overall Gold Label of the Year and Mediabase CRS Gold Label of the Year. Curb also serves as Chairman of the Mike Curb Foundation and Chairman/Owner of gospel music powerhouse Curb | Word Entertainment, which was Billboard magazine's Overall Top Imprint in that genre. In addition, Curb was honored as Nashvillian of the Year and is an honorary member of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame, and he also has been inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the National Business Hall of Fame, received the National Centennial Leadership Award, and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam appointed Curb Chairman of the Board of the Tennessee Film Entertainment and Music Commission. Curb has also served as Chairman of the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Board and served on the Ascension/ St. Thomas Hospitals Board for many years. Curb has served on the boards of Fisk University (the historic African American university) and Belmont University. Curb has served on the governing boards of the Recording Industry Association of America, the Dole Food Company, the worldwide board of the USO, the ACM, CMA and CMF (Country Music Hall of Fame). In 2024 Curb was awarded CMA's Irving Waugh Award of Excellence.

  Linda and Mike Curb support programs for homeless and the underserved communities, including the Curb Victory Hall for Veterans, the Nashville Men's and Women's Rescue Missions, the Union Rescue Mission in Memphis, Room In The Inn, Safe Haven, the Curb Welcome Center at the Second Harvest Food Bank and The Eloisa Salazar Hispanic Center in honor of Mike's grandmother who was born on the Mexico/Texas border.

  Curb also supports music education and works to restore historic music industry locations. The Curb Foundation owns and has restored Elvis Presley's former home in Memphis and RCA Studio A, RCA Studio B, Columbia Studio A, the Quonset Hut, and the Johnny Cash Collection in Nashville including restoring the historic buildings on Nashville's famous Music Row which were home to RCA Records, Columbia Records, Decca Records and Capitol Records. In 2015 Curb was honored with the 40th annual Historic Achievement Award from the Metropolitan Historical Commission for his numerous acts of preservation, including 10 buildings on Nashville's historic Music Row that Curb has purchased and restored.

  Curb is the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Pepperdine University in California, an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Rhodes College, an Honorary Doctorate from Fisk University, and an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Belmont University in Nashville.. The Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication is one of the largest colleges at California State University where over 6,000 students participate in a college with five significant buildings, including music, film, art, theatre and the magnificent Valley Soraya Performing Arts Center where Linda and Mike Curb were also the cornerstone founders. UCLA is home to the Mike Curb Music and Technology Lab and Studio at the Evelyn and Mo Ostin Center. The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business is the largest college at Belmont University and in 2024 announced a massive expansion on Nashville's historic Music Row. The Curb College of Music Entertainment and Art is an important part of Daytona State College and Curb has also endowed the Curb Institute for Music Business, Entertainment and Sports at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. Curb has partnered with The Rock & Soul Museum in Memphis, Tennessee and the North Carolina Music Museum in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes College at Memphis, the Curb Learning Lab and Program for Sports, Music and Entertainment Marketing at Baylor University in Texas, the Junior Achievement Centers in Los Angeles & Nashville, the Beaman/Curb Boy Scout Conference Center, the Curb Music Center at the Nashville Symphony, The Patriots Theatre at Ft. Campbell, the Curb Center at the San Antonio Humane Society, the Victory Room at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in California, the Curb Media Center at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Washington DC where Curb is a founder, the Curb Theatre at the Nashville Library, the Fisk University Jubilee Singers Program, education studios at Honolulu State College, the Business and Law Professorship at the Claremont McKenna College in Los Angeles and the Curb Institute for Advanced Medical Care involving St. Thomas Hospitals (Nashville), Universities of Tennessee, Texas (Austin-Seton Hospitals) and Indianapolis (Marian University) - St. Francis Hospitals, St. Vincent's Hospital in Florida, the Curb Family Pediatric Center at Vanderbilt, the Curb Creative Campus, and the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University, the Curb Creative Enterprise and the Curb Chair for Public Health Policy at Vanderbilt Medical Center and Public Leadership and Mentoring programs at the Herberger and McCain Institutes at Arizona State University. In 2024 Curb endowed the Occidental College Branca Institute to create the Curb Endowed Program in Popular Music History. Curb serves on the governing board of Nashville's Fisk University, one of the nation's pioneering historically black institutions, where Curb served as Chairperson for the 150th Sesquicentennial Celebration. Curb serves as Trustee Emeritus for Belmont University and Belmont's Curb Event Center hosted the historic Presidential Debate between Senator John McCain and President Barack Obama in 2008 and the historic debate between President Donald Trump and future President Joe Biden in 2020.

  As a songwriter, Curb has received BMI Awards in both the pop and country categories. In addition to his film compositions, Curb's own songwriting credits include songs recorded by Roy Orbison, Sammy Davis Jr., The Osmond Brothers, Donny & Marie Osmond, Freddie Jackson, Irene Cara, Bobby Vinton, Andy Williams, Wayne Newton, Anne Murray, Lee Greenwood, Kimberley Locke, Ronnie McDowell, Marc Lindsay, The Four Lads, Roger Whitaker, Terry Stafford, Trini Lopez, Al Martino, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Mae West, The Crickets, The Hondells, The Ventures, Fat Joe and the Terror Squad, Steve Holy, Pat and Debby Boone, Clint Eastwood, Eddy Arnold, T.G. Sheppard, Robbie Williams and Solomon Burke. Other Curb writing highlights include "It Was A Good Time" (the signature song for Liza Minnelli's Emmy Award winning "Liza With A 'Z'") and Curb also composed the theme song for Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" show and Hank Williams Jr.'s first No. 1 recording "All For The Love Of Sunshine". Also, Curb shared in the copyright of "You Light Up My Life" that won a GRAMMY and an Academy Award.

  Before those highlights, Curb began his rise to commercial success in the music industry while a student at California State University. It was on that San Fernando Valley campus in fall 1962 and spring/summer 1963 that Curb composed and recorded some of his earliest songs in the university's music building studios and where, in 1963 and 1964, he formed his first record companies, including Sidewalk Records, a predecessor to Curb Records. With the support of Curb's mentors, Eddie Ray and Dick Whitehouse, Capitol (Tower) Records agreed to distribute Curb's new label even though Curb was too young to legally sign the contract. His commercial breakthrough came the next year when Honda selected one of those songs, the Curb-penned "(Go Little Honda) You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda" initially recorded by Curb's group, The Buddies, and later released by the Hondells for its national motorcycle advertising campaign. The success and attention garnered by that song opened the doors for the many successes that were to come. Some of Curb's other early success came in composing songs and soundtracks for movies, including composing all the music for the Academy Award nominated Skaterdater, which won the Cannes Film Festival award, also the hit "Wild Angels" starring Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra (which included the hit song "Blues Theme"), the music for the Billy Jack movie "The Born Losers," and three Curb-composed songs that were Academy Award finalists including "Burning Bridges," the theme for the Clint Eastwood movie "Kelly's Heroes," "Chilly Winds" by The Osmond Brothers from the movie All The Pretty Maids In A Row and the theme from Frank Sinatra's Dirty Dingus Magee. In all, Curb has composed music for more than 50 motion picture soundtracks in films featuring Frank Sinatra, George C. Scott, John Cassavetes, Ernest Borgnine, Dennis Hopper, Ryan O'Neal, Bette Davis, Telly Savalas, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Mike Myers, Bruce Dern, Cliff Robertson, Rock Hudson, George Kennedy and others. Curb supervised the music for the Jimmy Stewart/Mickey Rooney film "Lassie" for Disney and released the soundtrack albums for the Jack Nicholson/Bruce Dern film "Psych Out" and the Peter Fonda film "The Trip," written by Jack Nicholson and featuring the music of The Electric Flag. Curb's production company with Michael Lloyd produced the hit singles from the motion picture "Dirty Dancing" including the Academy Award winning song "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" featuring Bill Medley and Jennifer Warrens. Curb was proud to partner with Al Bell and Stax Records on the soundtrack for "Shaft" featuring Isaac Hayes' Academy Award winning song. Recently Curb Records has had success with soundtracks such as "Coyote Ugly", Sylvester Stallone's "Driven", Reese Witherspoon's "Legally Blonde 2" and the No. 1 box office hit "Evan Almighty" starring Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman.

  Meanwhile, Curb Records' successes have continued into this century. In 2001, Curb Records was Billboard's No. 1 country label of the year. Among the label's top hits was "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes, which was co-produced by Curb and written by fellow California State alum Diane Warren. The song earned Curb a Billboard award for the longest-running record of the century according to Billboard. He also received a Billboard award for co-producing Rimes' "You Light Up My Life," the only album ever to debut No. 1 on Billboard's Pop Chart, Country Chart and Contemporary Christian Chart. "You Light Up My Life" won a GRAMMY and an Academy Award and Curb shared in the copyright. Curb has had over 100 ASCAP, BMI and SESAC award-winning songs, including Garth Brooks' recording of "More Than A Memory" which was the first record to ever debut No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart. "She Never Lets It Go To Her Heart" by Tim McGraw reached the No. 1 position on Billboard and Rodney Atkins song "Watching You" was recently named Record of the Decade by Mediabase. Also, "Three Wooden Crosses" by Randy Travis became the CMA Song of the Year and "I Don't Dance" by Lee Brice became the ACM Record of the Year in 2015 at the 50th anniversary of the ACM Awards. Also, in 2020, Lee Brice received a CMA Musical Event Of The Year Award for his duet with Carly Pearce titled "I Hope You're Happy Now" and received the ACM Record of the Year nomination for the No. 1 song "Rumor" which is both a Curb record and Curb published song. In 2021 Lee's duet with Carly Pearce "I Hope You're Happy Now" also received two ACM Awards - Single Of The Year and Musical Event Of The Year.

  Starting as a student at Grant High School in California's San Fernando Valley in the late 1950s, Curb began performing with his own bands and formed a vocal group, the Mike Curb Congregation. The group achieved worldwide success with many singles and albums including "Burning Bridges," "Put Your Hand In The Hand," and "Softly Whispering I Love You." The Congregation also was seen on national television every week on the Glen Campbell Variety Show on CBS, and recorded No. 1 hit records including "The Candy Man" with Sammy Davis Jr., "All For The Love Of Sunshine" with Hank Williams Jr., the singer's first No. 1 single and Curb made the only hit recording of "It's A Small Small World".

  Curb's early success also led to a long collaboration with the Walt Disney Company. Michael D. Eisner, former Disney CEO, and ABC television executive commissioned Curb to compose and produce theme music for three ABC animated TV series, including "Hot Wheels", "The Cattanooga Cats" and "Skyhawks". The Mike Curb Congregation recorded "Walt Disney's Greatest Hits," an album for Disney featuring contemporary versions of Disney classics that included Curb's Top 10 Billboard hit rendition of "It's A Small World." Curb supervised the soundtrack for Disney's "Lassie" movie. In recent years, Curb Records also released the multi-platinum soundtrack album for Disney's movie "Coyote Ugly," featuring four LeAnn Rimes songs.

  In the 1960s, Curb's record label became an important part of the West Coast rock 'n' roll music scene starting with Curb's high school and college rock 'n' roll band, The Arrows, (featuring Davie Allan). The group achieved four Billboard Hot 100 (Pop) chart records, "Apache", "Blue's Theme", "The Wild Angels Theme", and "The Devil's Angels Theme", the last three of which were written or co-written by Curb. Over 40 years later, legendary motion picture director, Quentin Tarantino, selected the Curb co-written song "The Devil's Rumble" by The Arrows, for his trend setting motion picture, "Inglourious Basterds". In addition to The Arrows (featuring Davie Allan), Curb released early recordings by such artists as The Stone Poneys (featuring Linda Ronstadt), The Electric Flag (featuring Mike Bloomfield and Buddy Miles), The Mugwumps, The Osmonds, Terry Stafford, Casey Kasem and Max Frost and The Troopers. In 1967, Curb was partnered with Jim Guercio in the early recordings of Chicago, at the time known as The Chicago Transit Authority. In 1969, Curb merged his company with MGM Records and became president of MGM Records and Robbins, Feist and Miller, two of the top record and publishing companies at the time. He boosted MGM's standing with such hits as "Spill the Wine" by Eric Burdon and War, "One Bad Apple" by The Osmonds, "Natural Man" by Lou Rawls, "The Candy Man" by Sammy Davis Jr. and the Mike Curb Congregation, "I'm Leaving It All Up To You" by Donny and Marie Osmond, and Donny Osmond's worldwide signature song "Puppy Love," which Curb also produced. During this time, Curb also signed Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, Hank Williams Jr., The Sylvers, Jim Stafford, Don Gibson, Mel Tillis, The Ovations, The Five Man Electrical Band, The Incredible Bongo Band, Billy Walker, Johnny Bristol, Gloria Gaynor, Ray Stevens, Richie Havens, Solomon Burke and Eddy Arnold.

  Curb also served as president of Verve Records, the historic jazz label, and scored a coup by signing superstar Tony Bennett. While at Verve, Curb collaborated with musicians such as Jimmy Smith, Stan Getz, Chet Baker and Wes Montgomery. Curb also created the Verve "Golden Archive" series, preserving classic recordings from Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, George Benson, Herbie Hancock and Louis Armstrong.

  After MGM and Verve were sold in 1974, Curb went on to build Curb Records and the Curb/Warner label, which released numerous top-selling singles from the mid-to-late 1970s. Within a short time, the company had five No. 1 records on the Billboard Chart including the Four Seasons' "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)," The Bellamy Brothers' "Let Your Love Flow," Shaun Cassidy's "Da Doo Ron Ron," Exile's "Kiss You All Over," and Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" (the biggest selling record of the decade). Together with then-Curb Records President Richard W. Whitehouse, Curb signed such emerging stars as Lyle Lovett, The Judds, Don and Phil Everly (The Everly Brothers), Sawyer Brown, Chris Hillman's Desert Rose Band, Jeffrey Steele's band Boy Howdy, Ronnie McDowell, Hal Ketchum and The Righteous Brothers which gave Curb Records the multi-platinum-selling album and single "Unchained Melody."

  In recent years, Curb's roster of exclusive recording artists has included Wynonna Judd, Tim McGraw, LeAnn Rimes, Lyle Lovett, Jo Dee Messina, Clay Walker, Steve Holy, Tim Dugger, Kimberley Locke, Mo Pitney, Ruthie Collins, Rodney Atkins, Sawyer Brown, Melanie Pfirmann, Wyn Starks, Jackson Michelson, Harper Grace, Hannah Ellis, Sarah Reeves, Dylan Scott, Kelsey Hart and Lee Brice, whose recording of "I Drive Your Truck" was the CMA and ACM Song Of The Year and his #1 single "I Don't Dance" was certified double platinum and his album debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart. Recently, both Lee Brice and Natalie Grant received multiple GRAMMY nominations and for King & Country has won four GRAMMYs for their recordings, which included "Burn The Ships" and "God Only Knows" (a duet with Dolly Parton) in 2020.

  In addition to the recordings of his own group (the Mike Curb Congregation), Curb has been involved in the contemporary Christian music business since its inception. Curb signed early contemporary Christian artists such as Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, DeGarmo and Key, The Boone Girls and Debby Boone, whose recording of "You Light Up My Life" is considered to be the first contemporary Christian hit single and the biggest overall record of the 1970s based on Billboard chart activity. In 1996 Curb received the Billboard award for co-producing "You Light Up My Life" by LeAnn Rimes which became the first and only album to ever debut #1 on the Billboard Christian, Country, and Pop Charts. Curb Records has continued to play a major role in the contemporary Christian genre with multi-Dove Award winners such as Selah, Michael English, and Fernando Ortega, along with Whiteheart, Patty Cabrera, MIKESCHAIR, Nicol Sponberg, Plumb, Jonathan Pierce and Natalie Grant, who during her 20 years with Curb received five Gospel Music Association Dove Awards as Female Vocalist of the Year. MercyMe, whose recording of "I Can Only Imagine" became one of the biggest Christian cross-over hits of all time. In 2002 Mike became a partner and Chairman of Word Records, the oldest gospel recording company in America and the label that the Mike Curb Congregation had recorded for early in its career. In 2016 Curb completed the entire purchase of Word. In recent years Curb | Word has had success with Francesca Battistelli, 2010 Gospel Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year, Group 1 Crew, Remedy Drive, Nicole C. Mullen, Building 429, Stellar Kart, Point of Grace, Big Daddy Weave, BarlowGirl, Salvador, Sidewalk Prophets, Pocket Full of Rocks, Steven Malcolm, Sarah Reeves, Sixpence None The Richer, Hannah Kerr, Chris August, Mark Schultz, for KING + COUNTRY, Matthews Ntlele, Love & The Outcome, Family Force 5, We Are Messengers, Dan Bremnes, Carly Ann Taylor, Stars Go Dim, Blanca, About A Mile and Randy Travis, whose recording of "Three Wooden Crosses", published by Curb Publishing, became a major cross-over hit. In 2021 The Fisk Jubilee Singers won a GRAMMY for their 150th Celebration album produced by Paul Kwami and Mike Curb. In 2024 Mike Curb was the executive producer for the Dove Award winning film Unsung Hero with for KING + COUNTRY. In 2025 Curb | Word recording artist and songwriter, Lloyd Nicks received a GRAMMY for composing "That's My King" sung by CeCe Winans, which stayed at #1 on the Billboard Gospel Chart for 49 weeks.

  Curb has an enduring love of rhythm and blues music dating to his childhood living in the South Los Angeles/Compton area and continuing with his move to Tennessee and the influence of Nashville and Memphis music, including serving as a long-time Board member and receiving an Honorary Doctorate from Fisk University, Nashville's historic African American university, partnering with Nashville's African American Museum, the creation of the Institute for Music at the Memphis-based Rhodes College, the purchase and restoration of Elvis Presley's first home in Memphis and the partnership with the Rock & Soul Museum and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, where Curb became the first honorary member. Curb partnered with Al Bell for the Academy Award winning record "Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, partnered with Eddie Ray and Eugene Lucchesi for The Sounds of Memphis label featuring The Ovations, partnered with the great artists of Memphis on the "Red Hot And Blue" project and Curb has had the privilege of distributing many of the artists from the historic Sun label in partnership with Shelby and John Singleton. Through the years, Curb also has signed such artists as Sammy Davis Jr., Lou Rawls, Richie Havens, Solomon Burke, the Sylvers, War, Bar-kays, Ovations, Johnny Bristol, KMC Kru, Mary Griffin, Trini Triggs, Richard Roundtree ("Shaft"), the Hues Corporation, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, and Gloria Gaynor, whose recording of "Never Can Say Goodbye" was the first No. 1 dance record on the Billboard Dance Chart. In 1972, the Incredible Bongo Band had its first Billboard hit single "Bongo Rock", which was the first record used to create the break to break hip hop sound. Then in 1975, the Incredible Bongo Band's recording of "Apache" became the Bronx national anthem when Kool Herc began using it as an early hip hop recording. Continuing that tradition in recent years, Curb was the co-writer of "Yeah Yeah Yeah" which was recorded by rap artist Fat Joe and The Terror Squad and became a Billboard R&B chart single from their #1 Billboard album and Curb Records has had major hits bringing together African American artists with artists from other genres such as "Over and Over," a #1 duet between Tim McGraw with the rapper Nelly, "Body Shots", the #1 duet by Kaci with the rapper Ludacris, the #1 record "Spill The Wine" by Eric Burdon and War, "When The Rain Begins to Fall", the worldwide #1 hit by Zadora with Jermaine Jackson, "Funny How Time Slips Away" the GRAMMY-winning duet by Lyle Lovett with Al Green, "Two Old Cats Like us" by Hank Williams Jr. with Ray Charles, "Messengers", the GRAMMY-winning song by for KING & COUNTRY with Lecrae and "Mission Temple Fireworks Stand" the hit recording by Sawyer Brown with Robert Randolph. Curb also co-produced the tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. entitled "I Have A Dream" by Solomon Burke with The Mike Curb Congregation and "Candy Man", the Billboard #1 record by Sammy Davis Jr. with the Mike Curb Congregation and "God Bless The USA" by Lee Greenwood with The Fisk Jubilee Singers and the GRAMMY-winning performance of "Natural Man" by Lou Rawls with the Mike Curb Congregation. Curb has also had successful duets with Wynonna and Sam Moore, Natalie Grant and Steven Malcolm and the record-breaking hit "Caught Up In The Country" by Rodney Atkins with The Fisk Jubilee Singers. Mike Curb has recently co-produced five number one Billboard recordings for "American Idol" finalist Kimberley Locke and Curb continues today with a significant African American presence with JayWay, Steven Malcolm, Larry Gordon, Tony Williams and Wyn Starks. In 2021 Lee Brice's follow up to his #1 single "Rumor" entitled "Hey World" as a duet with Nigerian artist Blessings Offor had success on the Billboard charts and for KING & COUNTRY hit #1 on Billboard with their single "Together" featuring Tori Kelly and gospel great Kirk Franklin. In 2021 The Fisk Jubilee Singers won a GRAMMY for their album, co-produced by Paul Kwami and Mike Curb, celebrating 150 years as one of the first historic black colleges in America.

  During the 1970s, Curb also began venturing into public service. In 1976, he served as co-chair of the Ronald Reagan California Campaign for President and later was co-chair of President Gerald Ford's California campaign. In November 1978, Curb was elected California's lieutenant governor, the same year that Democrat Jerry Brown was elected governor. During his 1979 to 1983 term, Curb served as Acting Governor for about one year (200 days during the first two years, 240 working days during the term), guiding the state during disastrous floods, fires and a threatened prison guard strike. Also, during Curb's term, in a landmark decision, the California Supreme Court ruled in Curb's favor with a decision that the Lt. Governor not only has the power, but the responsibility of Governor when the Governor is out of state. He also served on the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees. Curb also served as President of the California State Senate and Chairman of the Economic Development Commission. Curb received a presidential appointment to the United States Trade Negotiations Committee and the USO Board. In recent years, Curb has received an appointment to the Tennessee Gubernatorial Economic Board and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam appointed Curb to be Chairman of the Tennessee Film Entertainment and Music Commission.

  In 1980, Curb served as the national Co-Chairman of President Reagan's successful presidential campaign and Chairman of the convention program in Detroit. In 1982, Curb was elected chair of the National Conference of Lieutenant Governors. Then in 1983 and 1984, at President Reagan's request, Curb served as Chairman of the National Finance Committee during the president's re-election campaign, responsible for raising more than $100 million. In honor of his mentor, Curb played a major role in the Reagan Centennial by sponsoring the rebuilding of the Victory Room at the Ronald Reagan Museum and Library in California. Linda and Mike Curb are founders of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Washington, DC. where the Curb Media Center is located. Curb also became a member of the President's counsel at the George W. Bush Library and Museum in Dallas Texas.

  Curb has also been active for most of his adult life in motorsports. Curb cars have been driven by stars such as Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Dale Jarrett, Johnny Sauter, Dan Wheldon, Alexander Rossi, Justin Wilson, Donny Schatz, Kasey Kahne, Michael McDowell, Brad Noffsinger, Kevin Swindell, Marco Andretti, Ryan Preece, AJ Allmendinger, Buddy Kofoid, Katherine Legge, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dane Cameron, Michael Lewis, Ty Majeski, Kyle Larson, Bryan Clauson, Colton Herta, Gary Putnam, Christopher Bell, Rico Abreu, Brad Sweet, Derek Kraus, Todd Gilliland, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger and others who have competed for more than 50 years in the NASCAR circuit or in other major motorsports events including winning the Indianapolis 500 and winning at Daytona International Speedway. Curb has won over 1,200 races in over 50 different motorsports series and has won over 70 championships and finished top 10 in championship point standings over 200 times.

  Mike first became involved in racing in the late 1970s, when motorsports was just starting to gain national attention. As a team owner and sponsor, he recognized the value of teamwork, risk-taking, and innovation, all of which were integral to his other successful pursuits. He then began sponsoring drivers through Curb Records and eventually Curb Racing, seeking out talented individuals who shared those characteristics.

  One of Mike's earliest achievements was becoming the car owner for the "King of NASCAR," Richard Petty. Their relationship was cemented in 1984 when Petty won his 200th career race at Daytona, driving a car owned by Mike Curb. Curb was instrumental in arranging for his mentor, President Ronald Reagan, to attend the event, and the President inducted the car into the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.

  To Mike, the win wasn't just a branding victory. It was a testament to the power of joining forces with like-minded people who were just as committed to excellence and determination.

  In subsequent years, Curb Racing became a name respected by NASCAR, IndyCar, USAC, World of Outlaws, High Limit, IMSA, and other sanctioning bodies. Mike's early partnerships in auto racing were in Sprint cars at the legendary Ascot Speedway in Los Angeles with drivers such as Walt Kennedy and multi-year CRA Champion Brad Noffsinger. In 1980, Curb partnered with the legendary Dale Earnhardt to win the NASCAR National Championship, which marked the beginning of one of the most incredible auto racing careers of all time.

  After winning the NASCAR Championship with Earnhardt and winning at NASCAR's most prestigious track, Daytona, with Richard Petty, Curb went on to win 10 other races at the historic Daytona track in various other series. Curb and his partner, Cary Agajanian, then began entering cars in the Indianapolis 500. They have continued to enter cars for over 40 years, resulting in three Indianapolis 500 victories, including the 100th Anniversary win with Dan Wheldon and the 100th race victory with Alexander Rossi, and continuing with Helio Castroneves, who will be seeking his historic fifth Indy 500 win in 2026 in partnership with Meyer Shank. All together Curb has won 15 races at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in various series.

  Curb's racing partnership with Andretti/Herta has resulted in major victories by driver Colton Herta in the Indianapolis Grand Prix, Long Beach Grand Prix, Florida Grand Prix, Monterey Grand Prix, and the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix victory in Nashville, Tennessee.

  The Herta partnership with the premier American Sports Car series, IMSA, has produced six championships in the TCR Division, including victories at Daytona and Indianapolis. The Curb-Agajanian partnership with Meyer/Shank has resulted in three overall Rolex Daytona 24 Hour victories and three national championships.

  In United States open-wheel racing, the Curb-Agajanian team has won 17 championships, including 4 in the Silver Crown Series (including the Hoosier Hundred victory with Levi Jones), 2 in the Sprint Car Series with Bryan Clauson, and 11 in the Midget Series (including 3 victories, in the Indianapolis BC39 with Cannon McIntosh and Buddy Kofoid and 6 victories in the Turkey Night Grand Prix with Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Tanner Thorson).

  The Curb-Agajanian team has partnered with Tony Stewart for over 20 years in the World of Outlaw Series, resulting in four national championships, and victories in the prestigious Knoxville Nationals, all with driver Donny Schatz. The 20-year partnership with Kasey Kahne has also produced six championships in the World of Outlaw Series with drivers Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman and two consecutive High Limit Sprint Car Championships in 2024 and 2025 with Brad Sweet and Rico Abreu.

  The various Curb racing teams have partnered in 12 victories in the Chili Bowl, which has become the biggest open-wheel race in the world. Those victories have included 4 victories with Kevin Swindell, 3 victories with Christopher Bell, 2 victories with Rico Abreu, and 2 victories with Logan Seavey, and an historic victory with Bryan Clauson.

  Curb is the only car owner who has won in all 10 NASCAR divisions, which include NASCAR Cup (with Richard Petty), Xfinity (with Johnny Sauter), Truck (with 2024 Champion Ty Majeski and Christian Eckes), ARCA (with Kevin Swindell), IMSA (with Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, A.J. Allmendinger, Justin Wilson, Renger Van Der Zande, and Nick Yelloly), Modifieds (with Bobby Santos, Ryan Preece, and Ryan Newman with Gary Putnam), and Late Model (with Kyle Larson).

  All in all, Curb has over 1,200 victories and over 70 championships. For Mike Curb, motorsports was way more than entertainment. It was also a business that had the potential to demonstrate teamwork, responsibility, advancement, and wonderful marketing opportunities for Curb Records. He often stressed how the same values that informed his political and personal views accountability, preparation, and consideration for others were also crucial in high-performance racing.

  Curb has also been inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame and inducted in 2016 to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame on its' 50th anniversary. In 2017, Curb received the Living Legends of Auto Racing Award in Daytona. Curb also received the USAC Triple Crown Award in 2013 and USAC's Award of Excellence in 2015.

  Mike's influence extended beyond the racetrack. He was also committed to developing young talent, providing up-and-coming drivers with opportunities that they wouldn't have access to otherwise. With him at the helm, Curb Racing was as much about mentoring as it was about competition. His method was based on the conviction that leadership involved opening doors for others, whether it involved sports, music, learning, or community life.

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  Curb's father Charles was an FBI agent. Curb is married to the former Linda Dunphy, daughter of famed Southern California television news anchor Jerry Dunphy. Curb and his wife have two adult daughters, Megan Carole and Courtney. They have six grandchildren Catie, Brandon, Ethan and Connor Michael Cox and Caroline and Carter Curb Childress. Curb has been honored as Father of the Year by the National Father's Day Council. In 2006, he received the lifetime achievement award at the annual Los Angeles Music Awards and in 2018 received the Lifetime Achievement Award from F.A.M.E. in Las Vegas. Curb was honored as Nashvillian of the Year and he received his star on Nashville's Music City Walk of Fame. In 2007 Curb received his star on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame and in 2021 Curb won a GRAMMY award. In 2024 Curb received a Dove award as Co-Producer of Unsung Hero, the Feature Film of the Year award winner. Curb was also honored by the Country Music Association with the Irving Waugh Award of Excellence.