Belkin Office Damaged In Fire

A restaurant fire adjacent to Live Nation offices in Chagrin Falls, Ohio – those headed up by Michael Belkin – heavily damaged a priceless music and concert memorabilia collection amassed by the longtime promoter.

The restaurant was destroyed in the Nov. 30 blaze, and flames and smoke spread to adjoining businesses, including the LN office. No one was injured, but neighboring businesses lost telephone services and some remained closed the next day.

Belkin told Cleveland television station WJW-TV that Live Nation employees were conducting business, including a Dec. 5 onsale for Neil Diamond, by cell phones, laptops and, in some cases, from home.

The fire’s cause hadn’t been determined, according to WJW-TV, but Chagrin Falls Fire Chief Frank Zugan told the television station the loss was estimated at $2 million.

“Thank goodness for cell phones and portable laptops,” Live Nation VP Barry Gabel told WJW. “Our company is just fabulous they actually just overnighted us eight laptops last night and we have an IT guy setting us up in a satellite office as we speak so we have a great great support staff.”

But the damage goes well beyond downed phones and temporarily displaced staff.

“Yeah, there are quite a few things up there that are priceless and, you know, memories that you have and there are a lot of those things up there. The writing, the contracts, the pictures, gold albums, whatever,” Belkin told WJW.

“We have to keep going,” said Belkin. “We don’t have a choice. What do they say, the show’s got to go on.”