Joseph “Joe” Dera managed publicity for Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, David Bowie, Elton John, B.B. King, The Who and ZZ Top and other stars, and his love of music and show business took him around the world.

The love of the blues, historic homes and his wife, Madison native Suzanne Case, brought him to Mississippi, where he moved full-time after he retired in 2016. The veteran publicist Dera died Friday in Bentonia. He was 74.

“A list of everyone he worked with would probably be 20 pages long,” said Chris Roslan, a former business partner of Dera’s.

Dera “always had a real fascination with old houses,” including one from the 1700s that he had in New York and the home where he an Case were living in Bentonia, Roslan said.

“He also loved blues music, so I think that also

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