Gary Smith, Scott Rodger Honored at TJ Martell Spirit of Excellence Dinner

(Photo: Alzona Media Group) –
Gary Smith (right) accepting the TJ Martell Spirit of Excellence Legacy Award from Dan Steinberg.

Gary Smith, the co-founder of Pollstar, was honored Tuesday night at the TJ Martell Foundation’s Spirit of Excellence Dinner along with manager Scott Rodger of Maverick (Paul McCartney, Andrea Bocelli and Shania Twain) and Dr. Deepa Bhojwani, Director of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles at a fundraising event for the foundation’s cancer research programs.

Held at the Sunset Luxe Hotel in Los Angeles, the event included both a silent and live auction and was hosted by comedian Bill Bellamy and also featured a stunning performance by Atlantic/Gold Tooth Records singer-songwriter Charlotte Lawrence whose voice Bellamy aptly described as “angelic.” 



Alzona Media Group –
Atlantic/ Gold Tooth Records’ Charlotte Lawrence performng a set that included her single “Navy Blue”

In his introductory remarks Jack Sussman, evp of Specials, Music and Live Events for CBS, who is co-chair of the TJ Martell event committee along with former Warner exec Larry Mattera, joked that Smith is the “best thing out of Fresno since raisins.” Of course, those who know of Smith’s career, know he’s far more than that.

In addition to working with Fresno, Calif.-based PAPA Productions (Guess Who and the Average White Band), Smith worked for James C. Pagni Productions in San Diego (Hendrix, Joplin, the Doors, The Animals, the Grateful Dead) before striking out on his own promoting concerts and doing sound engineering in San Francisco. He would soon become a management associate for Average White Band.

While on break from AWB in Fresno, he met up with Gary Bongiovanni, whom he’d met previously when the latter worked as a talent agent with the Heller-Fischel Agency in Los Angeles booking The Guess Who. “I got married and Gary B. proposed a startup that became Pollstar,”  Smith recalled. Originally, it was called Promoters On Line Listings (P.O.L.L., and the “star” was added later). Smith joined Bongiovanni in 1981 noting that he “believed in the idea of Pollstar.” 

The inimitable Dan “Steiny” Steinberg of the beloved Promoter 101 podcast, Emporium Presents and now Live Nation, presented Smith with the TJ Martell Spirit of Excellence Legacy Award. He was the right person for the job considering he was all of 18-years-old(!) when he first met Smith at the Pollstar conference when it was still called the Concert Industry Consortium. A short slide presentation followed showing Smith with an number of luminaries including Taylor Swift, Rob Light, Elton John, Marty Diamond, Alice Cooper and many others along with shots of his favorite pastime piloting planes.  Smith, or “Smitty” as he is affectionately known, retired from Pollstar this past August.

(Photo: Alzona Media Group) –
 Michelle Jubelirer, COO of Capitol Music Group presenting Scott Rodger with the T.J. Martell Foundation Spirit of Music award.

Capitol Music Group COO Michelle Jubelirer presented Scott Rodger, CEO of Quest Management and a partner at Maverick, with the T.J. Martell Foundation Spirit of Music award and noted their accomplished careers intersected with a number of artists. This included Arcade Fire, who performed atop the famed Capitol building roof; MIA, whom Rodger parted ways with before her infamous finger-giving Super Bowl performance; and of course Sir Paul who re-joined the Beatles’ primary label. A subsequent congratulatory film included cameos by Rodger’s clients McCartney, Andrea Bocelli, Shania Twain and David Blaine (of course with worms in his mouth).  Others in attendance to honor Rodger were Universal Music Group evp Michelle Anthony, Maverick co-founder Guy Oseary and Maverick president Greg Thompson.