Celebrity
The Glorious Corner
R&R HALL OF FAME — This year’s nominees were announced last week and while there were some long overdue choices (Todd Rundgren, The Go Go’s) and some surprises (The New York Dolls), Kent Kotel in his terrific Forgotten Hits ran a column of the artists who should haven nominated. Check it out:
We’ve been running our list of THE TOP 40 MOST DESERVING AND DENIED ARTISTS worthy of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction since 2007, updating it periodically along the way.
To be fair, a good percentage of the artists who appeared on our original list way back then HAVE since been inducted to The Rock Hall.
These artists include:
Chicago, Neil Diamond and The Hollies, all of whom made our original Top Five …
(Connie Francis and The Guess Who, ranked at #1 and #3 respectively by your votes at the time, STILL haven’t gotten in … or even been nominated … and both still appear on our current Top 40 List, although Connie Francis has dropped from #1 down to #18. At this point, it is HIGHLY unlikely that she will EVER be voted in … most of her original fan base has already left us … and let’s face it, the music SHE created didn’t appeal to the masses worldwide or leave a lasting impression on the music scene the way other artists like recent nominees NWA [Niggaz Wit Attitudes] did, right???)
The Moody Blues, The Dave Clark Five, ABBA, Linda Ronstadt, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Genesis, Yes, The Zombies, The Doobie Brothers, John “Cougar” Mellencamp, The Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Jett and The Ventures have also since gained induction. (Several of our “Runners Up” choices have also since been inducted … but 16 out of 40 (40%), impressive as it may be, STILL doesn’t take into account the fact that SO many of these other great names on this list have never been so much as recognized.
That’s right, folks …
Somehow, someway, not only have THESE artists have not been inducted …
But in many (in fact, most!) cases, they have never even been nominated!!!
We’ve been saying for years now that The Rock Hall ought to have a “catch-up” year where they mass induct a group of artists who, for one reason or another, slipped thru the cracks over the years … and, in the process, made The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame look COMPLETELY stupid, out of touch and non-credible in the process.
So while we didn’t take an actual poll this year to come up with a new, revised Top 40 List, we HAVE been monitoring your comments over the past several years … and feel that this is a pretty fair representation as to what the majority of you out there are thinking. (New comments and suggestions are welcome.)
THE TOP 40 MOST DESERVING AND DENIED ARTISTS1. The Guess Who (What’s the deal here? The Rock Hall has never been kind to Canadian artists … but THESE guys [rhymes with “These Eyes”]outsold ALL of the other Canadian artists COMBINED at their peak)
2. Chubby Checker (Seriously, already … #1 TWICE with “The Twist.” The SONG finally got inducted … time to FINALLY honor the man who set the country on its heels (literally) twistin’ the night away.)
3. Ed Sullivan (seriously, how can Ed NOT be in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame??? He brought Rock and Roll into our living rooms for 20+ years and made it acceptable. An appearance on Ed’s show GUARANTEED a HUGE increase in record sales … and chart position … the following week)
4. Carole King (nominated this year … one of the most prolific and best-selling songwriters of our generation)
5. Three Dog Night (THREE lead vocalists … and the #1 Group in the World for YEARS … The Rock Hall is supposed to recognize artists who took rock in a new direction … what better example is there than THESE guys??? Not to mention the fact that their recording your song made hit songwriters out of countless “unknowns” at the time)
6. Glen Campbell (Forget his solo career, if you must … despite the fact that he RULED the charts for two decades as a solo performer. Now figure in the HUNDREDS of recording sessions he played on with The Wrecking Crew. And, for good measure, throw in the fact that he even toured as a member of The Beach Boys for a short while. Enough is enough already … this guy BELONGS in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame more than half the people that are already in there!)
7. Billy Preston (Ditto for Billy Preston … yes, he did a stint with The Beatles … and had a few hits of his own in the ‘70’s … but Billy’s career dates back to the mid-‘50’s when he was touring as part of Little Richard’s band!)
8. Pat Benatar (Joan Jett is in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and Pat Benatar ISN’T?!?! Could there BE a greater insult? And you guys say that YOU know music!!!)
9. Tommy James and the Shondells (Again, LONG overdue for induction … songs he wrote in the ‘60’s are STILL being covered … and becoming hits … decades later. Plus his story is one of a TRUE Rock And Roll Survivor. Give this man his due, already!)
10. Paul Anka (The Canadian Curse strikes again. One of rock’s early pop stars, besides his own incredible catalog of music, Anka has written hits for everybody from Tom Jones to Frank Sinatra to Buddy Holly!!!)
11. Todd Rundgren (nominated this year – as an artist, a producer, an innovator, Todd is another one that should have been inducted YEARS ago)
12. Neil Sedaka (Ditto Neil Sedaka … another early rock pioneer with a songwriting gift that lit up all our hearts)
13. The Turtles (I guess “Good Time Rock And Roll” doesn’t count, eh? Then how about, in addition to their OWN classic, their work with Bruce Springsteen and Frank Zappa, BOTH Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees.)
14. Jethro Tull (Another innovator wrongly ignored … who else was adding FLUTE to rock and roll songs at the time … and ELECTRIC flute no less!)
15. Heart (The Sisterhood MUST be recognized … they rocked like no other female led bands)
16. Styx (Theater Rock, Hard Rock, Melodic Rock, Beautiful Love Songs … these guys can … and DID … it all. It took FOREVER to get Chicago inducted … maybe it’s time to look at other Illinois acts like Styx and Cheap Trick … and Jim Peterik for his work with The Ides Of March, Survivor, .38 Special and several other key names on rock’s Who’s Who list … so let’s give a nod to Jimbo, too!)
17. Blood, Sweat And Tears (or, at the very least, Al Kooper) Horn rock pioneers
18. Jan and Dean (They’ve been eligible … and ignored for decades. It’s time to put these guys in The Hall)
19. Connie Francis (Brenda Lee is in … and has been for DECADES … yet Connie Francis, her chart equal and an international star, is not. We need to fix this while Connie is still with us)
20. Johnny Rivers (A constant favorite … he pioneered the live rock album and still performs countless shows each year)
21. Freddy Cannon (Freddy put the “Boom Boom” in Rock And Roll. Yes, he was a Bandstand favorite … and that trademark has probably hurt more artists than it has helped … but THIS guy could rock!)
22. Poco (forerunners to country rock … there is absolutely NO excuse for these guys not being in!)
23. Dick Dale (The King of Surf Guitar … nominated … but never making the cut)
24. Paul Revere and the Raiders (More “Feel Good” Rock, these guys rocked out with the best of them)
25. Grand Funk Railroad (At one point, when Album Rock took over the charts, they were outselling The Beatles … and built their initial audience without the help of hit singles. Then, in 1973, they hooked up with Todd Rundgren … ALSO nominated above … and had a string of hits on the charts)
26. The Monkees (Say what you will … but these guys inspired nearly as many kids to go out and buy drums and guitars as anybody … partly because they made it all look so fun … and partly because they were just that damn good! Never off the air, EVERY generation since the ‘60’s has discovered and fallen in love with The Monkees … as such, they are frozen in time … and their records continue to sell … and, much like Rick Nelson did in the ‘50’s, they proved the power of television when it came to rock music)
27. Emerson, Lake and Palmer (There are a handful of bands that took rock in a new direction “progressively” … and ELP was one of the best)
28. Procol Harum (Procol Harum did, too, a few years earlier, even performing with a full orchestra to make their point. Their music was damn near classical … but most DEFINITELY Classic Rock. Then again, look how long it took to finally get The Moody Blues inducted!)
29. The Go-Go’s (Another rare girl group that played their own instruments and carved out a piece of the rock audience in the 1980’s. This era couldn’t be better represented than by allowing The Go-Go’s their spot in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame … and they ARE nominated again this year … so cast your votes now!)
30. The Marvelettes (one of the few Motown acts never inducted … and another Girl Group, albeit one that didn’t play their own instruments. It is a real slight to have The Marvelettes be the only big name Motown Act NOT in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. They have been nominated before … time to finally give them their due)
31. Joe Cocker (He virtually stole Woodstock. For many of us, that was the first time we had ever heard … or seen … Joe Cocker … and SEEING him was half the treat. A GREAT interpreter of other people’s music, with a unique voice and stage presence … this guy absolutely belongs in The Rock Hall)
32. Peter, Paul And Mary (The Folk Movement isn’t very well represented in The Rock Hall … but if definitely WAS a thing!)
33. Harry Nilsson (An incredible talent … The Beatles once said that Nilsson was their favorite American band! And then he went on to work with John and Ringo during their solo careers. Quirky … insane (?) … but brilliant … and just overflowing with creativity and ideas.
34. Jim Croce (Another one of rock’s tragedies … there is no telling what else Jim Croce might have achieved had he not died in a plane crash at the peak of his career. One of the best storytellers of our time, Jim could invent ridiculous characters and make them seem real. Leonard Cohen is in, primarily for his “narrative” … but most people don’t even know his work. Jim Croce, on the other hand, captured the hearts of the entire world when he burst on the scene in 1972. And now that I’ve said that, Harry Chapin should be inducted, too … so I guess #34 is really a tie!)
35. Toto (There are a lot of Toto haters out there … and I don’t understand why. Being musical geniuses in the studio has earned many another artists their spot in The Hall as a session musician … and we’ve made a case today for a few more … but these guys also wrote and performed their OWN music … and quite brilliantly at that)
36. America (Covering all styles of music, America has been packing them in for SIX decades now … do not deny them their rightful spot in The Hall)
37. Pat Boone (Pat just keeps sliding further and further down the list with each passing year. The people voting today don’t even know who he is … but at the time, he was second only to Elvis in sales and popularity … and brought R&B into the homes of White America from coast to coast, eventually wearing down our defenses to make this music not only acceptable … but credible as to the TRUE contribution it made on Rock And Roll Music overall)
38. The Association (harmony deluxe, this group crossed over to both the teenage and adult fans)
39. The Searchers (EVERY American group wanted to be The Searchers … or at least be able to pull off those incredible harmonies)
40. Dickie Goodman (C’mon … this guy invented sampling … we just didn’t know it until forty years later!)
I’ve never seen it better expressed than here. Congrats Kent!
SHORT TAKES — Our old pirate Dave Mason has released a new video for his re-working of his classic track “World In Changes.” Though Dave has claimed this is a new re-working, he’s actually been singing this new reggae version since 2014’s Future’s Past. That’s the album that had a beautiful Graham Nash portrait on the front as its cover. Honestly, the original version was so dramatic and visceral … I wouldn’t have changed a thing. The video is nice, but I don’t get the new version. Mick Fleetwood is there drumming away; and, Dave in a reggae One Love t-shirt … I just don’t get it? Check it out here:
Interesting article on the decline in conservative talk radio in the Washington Post. Truth be told, you’ve got to be built a certain way to even listen to it IMO. Check it out here: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/rush-limbaugh-is-ailing-and-so-is-the-conservative-talk-radio-industry/ar-BB1dwZaj … Just heard The Pet Shop Boys’ “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)” in a new Allstate commercial. The song’s from 1986 but has never been forgotten. Check out their video:
And, still recovering from the loss of Surpeme-Mary Wilson. Here shoe is with Monkee-Micky Dolenz at a fan event. What a voice; what a personality. rest easy Mary!
NAMES IN THE NEWS — Brad LeBeau; Coati Mundi; August Darnell; William Schill; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Ken Dashow; Scott Shannon; Race Taylor; Jim Kerr; Carol Miller; Jason Cooper; Kent Kotal; Joel Denver; Bob Austin; Rick Nowels; Nick Ware; Sergio Kardenas; Bill Wardlow; and, ZIGGY!
G.H. Harding
HERE’S BEKKA — (from Rolling Stone) Bekka Bramlett grew up around John Lennon and George Harrison, but nothing could prepare her for joining Fleetwood Mac in 1994, during one of the rockiest periods in the band’s history.
The Bekka Bramlett incarnation of Fleetwood Mac released a single album, 1995’s Time, before dissolving the next year to make way for a lucrative Hells Freezes Over-style reunion album and tour by the classic Rumours lineup. This period of the band may seem like little more than a footnote to some rock fans, but it was a pivotal time for Bramlett, and she looks back on it without any regrets.
“I knew my job was to get Stevie back,” she tells Rolling Stone from her home in Nashville. “I wasn’t a moron. I also knew this was a dangerous job when I took it. I knew I was facing tomatoes. But I didn’t want to wear a top hat. I didn’t want to twirl around. I wanted to be me. I even dyed my hair brown just so people in the cheap seats would know that Stevie wasn’t going to be here. I didn’t want anyone to be discouraged or let down.”
Joining Fleetwood Mac at 26 would have been a shock to the system of most singers, but Bramlett had been living in close proximity to rock stars her entire life. When she was very young, her parents toured and recorded with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and many other A-list rock stars, winning renown as Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. Those artists also spent a lot of time at her mansion in the Hollywood Hills.
Bramlett didn’t realize any of this was unusual until she boarded the school bus one morning gripping her Disney Princess lunchbox. “This other little girl had a Beatles lunchbox,” she says. “I said to her, ‘I know him. He’s on our couch right now.’ I pointed to George Harrison. ‘I know him too.’ I pointed to John. She started hitting me since she thought I was lying. I was petrified and confused. I thought they were just Daddy’s friends that had accents.”
When she was just four years old, her father recruited Bekka and her sister Suzanne to sing background vocals on his song “California Rain.” “My mom had to get some gaffer tape to keep the headphones on my head since I was so little,” she says. “I used to hate the way it sounds, and now I love it so much. It’s so endearing.”
Right around this time, her parents split up, and she went to live with her father and grandmother. “It was weird, since mostly the moms got the babies back then,” she says. “But my parents were alcoholics. My grandmother never even smoked cigarettes or said cuss words. She brought us to church every Sunday, Wednesday, and Monday. We were in safe hands with our grandmother. I think both of my parents trusted that.”
Delaney and Bonnie both struggled to find solo success in the Seventies, and they dealt with significant substance abuse issues, but Bekka inherited their talents, and she knew from a young age that she’d devote her life to music. “I briefly thought I’d be a lawyer, but I thought I’d be a singing lawyer,” she says. “Then I wanted to be a jockey since I love horses, but I thought I’d be a singing jockey. Music is just what I’m good at.”
As a teenager with a fake ID in the early Eighties, Bramlett spent many nights checking out bands on the Sunset Strip. “I remember standing on the side of the stage as Guns N’ Roses played,” she says. “Seeing it up close, I was like, ‘This is why you never try heroin.’ But then I’d go into the audience and be like, ‘This is why you join a rock & roll band!’”
SUCCESSION — (via Deadline) The Roys are back with a vengeance. The Season 4 premiere of Succession drew an audience of 2.3M on Sunday across HBO Max and linear telecasts, which is a series high for same-day viewers. Total viewing for Sunday night was up 62% compared to Season 3’s premiere viewership of 1.4M in October 2021. At the time, that marked the best premiere night performance of any HBO original series since HBO Max launched in May 2020. Sunday’s viewership is also up about 33% from the Season 3 finale’s 1.7M. Season 3 averaged about 7.2M viewers per episode, according to HBO.HBO also says that all previous seasons of succession saw a 4x increase in viewership in the week leading up to the Season 4 premiere, compared to the week prior.
The Roy family saga picks up as the sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) looms. The prospect of the seismic sale provokes existential angst and familial division among the Roys: patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and his four grown children, Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Siobhan (Sarah Snook), Roman (Kieran Culkin) and Connor (Alan Ruck). A hopefully Roy-esque power struggle will ensue as the family weighs up a future where their cultural and political weight is threatened.
Succession has 13 Emmys including Best Drama Series wins for its Season 2 and Season 3, the latter of which premiered in 2021.
We had mentioned earlier that most of the advance reviews said the writing was the star of the premiere episode and I definitely agree. Creator Jesse Armstrong wrote it and delivered just a stellar job. The episode began with a grumpy-Brian Cox at his birthday and took a few moments to develop into the powerhouse it has become, but it was very, very enjoyable.
Sure some of the dialogue and plot harked back to earlier episodes, but it’s so good, you hardly noticed. And the ending with Shiv and Tom, alone at at home and contemplating their futures, was just splendid and reeked of the amazing emotion the show almost always conjures up. A class act all around.
Jennifer Coolidge
Variety confirmed this week, that the locale of the next White Lotus, from Mike White, will be Thailand. Now, if we could only get Jennifer Coolidge back … Congrats to New York Independenteditor Keith F. Girard on his second novel –
Keith F. Girard’s The Curse of Northam Bay
just out: The Curse of Northam Bay …PR-pasha David Salidor was interviewed by Charles Rosenay for Monkee Mania Radio … Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer open July 21 and it is indeed 3 hours.
Cillian Murphy
It stars Cillian Murphy and the trailer looks rather stupendous. Check it out here:
I arrived to a packed lecture room at a Library in South Florida. This lecture caught my eye weeks prior and I made sure to have it in my calendar. After all, how many more times will I get a chance to hear a 99 year old survivor tell his remarkable story of inconceivable hell, survival and ultimately impressive success? What I heard in the room that day was hard to fathom it wasn’t part of a Spielberg movie with some creative liberty thrown in to embellish an already unbelievable true story. This was the real deal. A vivid description of hell on earth. What I couldn’t understand is how did this survivor go on to create a vibrant family and a very successful business career and not be bitter every day of his life? Equally remarkable is how someone his age could tell a story from 85 years ago as if it happened yesterday and with energy and charisma of someone half his age. He spoke for 45 minutes without a break. Little did anyone in the audience know that, just prior to arriving at the Library, he fell and injured himself, making his perseverance in even making it to the Library even more heroic. This is no ordinary man. I approached the stage after the lecture, patiently awaited my turn to speak with him and asked if I could interview him for my podcast. I am pretty sure he knew little to nothing of what a podcast was, but he agreed as you are about to learn why telling his story over and over is his divine mission.
Eli Marcus and Sam Ron
Sam Ron bears personal witness to the greatest atrocity in human history. He is one of the only remaining Holocaust Survivors his age who survived four concentration camps…and a Death March. He turns 99 in July. His story is remarkable…and he himself is equally as remarkable.
Here’s what you will learn when listening to this World Exclusive interview on The Motivation Show podcast:
-Where did Sam grow up and what was life like before the Germans invaded his country
-How life changed once the Germans invaded and how long did the changes take
-Why and when did Sam and his family decide to go into hiding and where did he hide
-How did Sam end up in the Krakow Ghetto, how was it different than the infamous Warsaw Ghetto, and what took place in the Ghetto
-When did Sam first realize that the Germans were not just transporting Jews to what they disguised as labor camps, but were actually killing them.
-How many times was Sam transported in cattle cars and what was that like
-Which concentration camps was Sam in & what were they like
-What was life like in the concentration camps and why did they move Sam around to different camps
-What is a Death March, why and how did that happen and how did Sam survive it
-What lessons should listeners take away from Sam’s experience
-What does Never Again mean to Sam and why is it so important for him to share this and other Holocaust lessons
You can listen to this interview on any podcast listening app or use this Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3KBPe9jhTdYw1iA9UN7UiK WARNING: This interview is GUARANTEED to move you to tears!!!
G.H. Harding
For PR-guru David Salidor, late-February proved to be as hectic a week in his 40+-year career as ever. With client Micky Dolenz in tow; Monday night was The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon; Tuesday held four different interviews at SiriusXM; later that night was the premiere for actor Willem Dafoe’s new movie Inside; and, Wednesday held an early spot back at NBC for NY LIVE with host Sara Gore.
THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON — Episode 1803 — Pictured: (l-r) on Monday, February 27, 2023 — (Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC)
For the music industry veteran, it was the latest chapter in a career that was sealed back in 1967 at Long Island’s Lido Beach Club when he saw a new group, The Who: Says Salidor, “My father who worked for Decca Records asked if I wanted to accompany him and go see a new group the company had just signed. Believe it or not, it was The Who, playing around the club’s swimming pool. It was unlike anything I had ever seen; Keith Moon with day-glow drumsticks and Townshend literally destroying his guitar at the end of the set. For me, that was it, this business was for me.”
Salidor also worked for the legendary My Father’s Place club in Roslyn, New York, that launched everyone from Bruce Spingsteen, to Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates. “If The Who whet my appetite, My Father’s Place solidified my journey,” Salidor adds.
London Records
His first job out of college (where he was music director the college-station) was for the much-missed London Records. “All of a sudden, I was working with the Rolling Stones and Moody Blues, Al Green and Gilbert O’Sullivan. I was the new kid in town, but learned about everything all at once. I was doing ad layouts, writing press releases and taking the artists to radio stations. It was a trial by fire for sure, but I loved it,” adds Salidor.
He went onto to work for other labels like Atlantic and the PR-firm the Howard Bloom Organization, which at the time was the hottest pr-firm in the country, with clients including Billy Joel; Prince; Genesis. Genesis stands out for him. “It was right when Peter Gabriel left the band and there was a tour which I went on. Imagine every night not only seeing a terrific show, but also a dazzling visual show. No question, they were the tops at that point,” he says.
He also formed a relationship with Tom Silverman – then running a very influential tip-sheet called Dance Music Report. He and Silverman, who was also his first and only partner for a spell, went onto create the New Music Seminar, which became a focal point for all the new labels and artists to network. Adds Salidor, “That first event was held at SIR Studios in NY and everyone who was anyone attended. It’s funny now to recall that we started it because we couldn’t get properly accredited for the Billboard Music Forum, which was then the featured industry event in the business; but really neglected the up-and-coming acts and labels.”
A two-year stint with indie ZE Records was also a fascinating run. “This was during the burgeoning new-wave/no-wave movement and I just loved it. Kid Creole & The Coconuts; Cristina; Material; Suicide ; james White and the Blacks and it introduced me to the The Mudd Club, which became an instant favorite.”
A life-long association with August Darnell and his Kid Creole & The Coconuts began as well. “August is without a doubt one of the most creative artists I’ve ever worked with, Totally unique.”
He decided to start his own firm in 1984. He adds, “I learned very quickly that working for someone else is a double-edge sword. If a good campaign happens, the head of the firm gets the credit; if the campaign doesn’t work, you get called on the carpet.”
His first success via his dis Company was with Profile Record’s Run-DMC. “Profile was an amazing label back then. Cory Robins was one of the premiere music guys and had a prescient nuance. Together we got Run-DMC on the cover of Rolling Stone and made them a major marquee attraction. They started the whole urban, hip-hop era. I know it was a long time ago, but they were the first along with Kurtis Blow. No question.”
The next big project to come his way was with a 15-year-old from Merrick, Long Island, named Debbie Gibson. “This was something I had never encountered before; a performer who wrote her own music; produced it and had just an engaging personality. Needless to say, she was a smash. Tours, videos, hit singles followed. Totally engaging and creative. I remember being in Bremen, Germany, when I sat with her at a piano and she played me her entire second album … that hadn’t even been recorded or released yet. Totally amazing talent,” adds Salidor.
Mark Bego and David
Also, a life-long association with celebrity-scribe Mark Bego began. Called the “prince of pop bios” by Publisher’s Weekly. 62-books later, their relationship continues to this day. Bego will be releasing a bio on Joe Cocker later this year via Yorkshire Publishing – also a client.
David, Mark Bego and Micky Dolenz at the Hard Rock Cafe in 1993
Bego would go on to pen several books on Salidor’s clients; including Debbie Gibson and Madonna. Also, Bego wrote the authorized bio on Micky Dolenz (I’m A Believer) in 1993 and Salidor set up a launch party at NYC Hard Rock Cafe. That was the first time Salidor met Dolenz,which foreshadowed a Dolenz/Salidor PR-connection down the road.
David with Jellybean, Madonna; and Russell Simmons photos from dis COMPANY archives)
He was also involved with Madonna in her early stages. “Madonna was always a star. You could just feel it. Repping her then boyfriend and producer John Benitez was key. She and I would constantly discuss pr and together we accomplished a lot. Signing her to Seymour Stein’s Sire was a major move for her.”
Salidor also recalls repping a number of prominent DJs turned producers as well, including Jim Burgess; Arthur Baker; Shep Pettibone and Mark Berry. Remembering, “It was an interesting time; people today forget the amazing contributions they made to music. Pettibone’s production and writing of ‘Vogue’ is still a gem to this day.”
Amid so much success, Salidor also recalls the low-points of a career. “When a client leaves after so much success, there’s certainly a mourning period, but it’s also part of the business. Loyalty is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but is not as evident as one would assume in this business. I just read where a major music personality personally delivered tour bonuses to his road crew. In all my years, I’ve never heard of something like that happening … never. Loyalty and professionalism are rare, rare traits.”
Gibson and Profile would eventually leave his purview; although he worked for Gibson on many of her other endeavors.
In 2004 Salidor met Micky Dolenz and they began working together. “No shade to former clients, but Micky is the most professional client we’ve ever had. Certainly, growing up in the family business, as I had, had everything to do with it. Last year Dolenz did a sit-down with CBS Morning’s Anthony Mason which was sensational. Mason, a fan, did a no-holds barred interviews that was universally embraced by not only Dolenz’s huge fanbase, but by other PR-persons as well, which is always an interesting development – having other experts compliment you!” Salidor recalls.
“When you set a campaign up, three things can happen. #1, everything goes well and it’s a smash. #2: It doesn’t go well, and, #3. It happens, but there’s no feedback. The reality is that sometimes, even bad feedback is good. It’s a funny business, but your reputation, contacts and experience is key.”
Regrets … he’s had a few: “There was a jazz/rock/fusion band that made some terrific records, on SONY of all places and though they had a #1 jazz album, they just did not get the respect that they should have had. I love jazz and watching them perform live was just great. The powers-that-be there had their own ideas, which weren’t at all realistic.”
And, “When Debbie Gibson was a hit, every parent that had a child who they thought could sing called us. 99% of them didn’t have it. Talent, success, know-how … it’s something that I’ve always been able to recognize. We’ve worked with several young female-singers, but they just didn’t have the right people in place. One from New Jersey had her father paying for everything, but doing exactly what he wanted and he just didn’t have any idea about the business. He installed solar heating panels!”
Continues Salidor, “Management is key and finding the right one is often not easy; there are a lot of people who profess to be a manger and they’re clearly not. Organizing a campaign is a lot of meticulous work; knowing what the client is capable of is key too. Being a PR-person is akin in some ways to being a closet-psychiatrist – you’ve got to know your limitations. That NYC-week with Micky Dolenz was prodigious because I knew exactly what would work and I knew how well he’d perform.”
Salidor is also currently repping involved writer Terry Jastrow (Anne Archer’s husband); Donnie Kehr’s Rockers on Broadway and writer C.W. Hanes.
What does Salidor see in his future. “Certainly, more of the same. Identifying the talent and trying to develop it to the point of releasing it in the most effective way. Many of my peers say the music business has changed and not for the better. I disagree as there are more opportunities for music and musical artists than ever before. bring it on!
-
Tech2 years agoHow to Take Advantage of Virtual Numbers for SMS
-
Business2 years agoEntre Institute Review – Is Jeff Lerner’s Program a Scam?
-
Entertainment2 years agoA Star is Born – Barvina Takes Entertainment World by Storm
-
Events3 months agoNew Year’s Eve Traditions In The US and Around The World
-
Film9 months agoElvis and The Mob Connection
-
Broadway2 years agoBroadway Reopening: The Theatre Listings
-
Events2 years agoThe Question On Everyone’s Mind Should Be How Did The Haitians Get To Mexico
-
Spiritual2 years agoThe History of Numerology
-
Family2 years agoWho Is Justine Ang Fonte and Why Are We Letting Her Near Children?
-
Broadway11 months agoFunny Girl Makes Julie Benko a Star