30th Anniversary Q&A

Questions and answers from some of the concert industy’s biggest players.

Click the question to see all the answers.

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Who had the greatest impact on your career, and Why?

My father. He told me that if I wanted to be in show biz, take my first job offer in 1972 at CEA for $100 a week.
– Ed Micone, Paradigm Agency

Bill Graham was an early influence and became a good friend. He gave me some real experience of how to treat someone the way you would like to be treated.
– Danny Zelisko, Danny Zelisko Presents

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Who in the industry have you never had the chance to tell that you admire?

Tim Leiweke for two reasons. He not only talks about doing enormous and complicated projects all over the globe, but he actually gets them done. And secondly, AEG has hired some of the best people in the industry and created a fulfilling work environment that retains them. Whatever Phil Anschutz is paying him, it’s not enough.
– Gary Bongiovanni, Pollstar

Thankfully, no one. – Sharon Osbourne

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What event changed the direction of your life or the way you run your business?

The first time I lost money on a show, and it was immediately apparent that nobody gave a fuck. I realized my welfare was my responsibility and not everyone else’s.
– Seth Hurwitz, IMP

Farm Aid 1. It proved to me that if you deal with the right people, anything can get done.
– Tony Conway, Conway Entertainment Group

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What is the most significant change you have seen since entering the business?

 Downloading of music. Terrible for labels, great for spreading new music and touring.
– Steve Martin, The Agency Group

The rollup of promoters and the entrance of corporations into concert promoting.
– Larry Magid, Larry Magid Entertainment

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What is the one concert that is the most memorable to you?

Elvis Presley at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta before I was even old enough to drive will always be an amazing memory.
– Alex Hodges, Nederlander

The most memorable concert of our age was Live Aid. It changed the way people think about giving to charity and it opened the door to mass media looking at music as a way of selling papers. As a consequence, popular media took over the business and promotes only artists that have celebrity status and that has been detrimental to creativity.
– Harvey Goldsmith

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I have not forgotten how to ….

Remember what a gift it is to be around such amazing talent and work for them.
– Tom Ross, former CAA music chief

Treat the young kids in our business. They are the future and hopefully will take some of our advice.
– Chuck Morris, AEG Live Rocky Mountains

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What keeps you motivated and makes you tap dance in to work every morning?

Dolly Parton.
– Neil Warnock, The Agency Group

The unexpectedness of the business and the mostly great people in it.
– Michael Marion, Verizon Arena

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Ten Years from now I predict the concert business …

Will be as much fun as it is today.
– Susan Rosenbluth, AEG Live

Ten years older, no more wiser and in the hands of a new generation. Maybe they can fix that.
– Troy Blakely, APA

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