Finished 4/1/18- Easter Sunday
I bought this for two bucks at The Prairie Archives on Th 3/15/18.
The 2004 biography of Walter Yetnikoff who ran CBS records- late 70's to early 90's. He guided the careers of Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Earth, Wind & Fire, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Gloria Estefan, and a host of other well-known artists. And, a major abuser of drugs, sex, and alcohol. The excesses are the main focus of the book.
-David Ritz specializes in Entertainment Biographies- he's written dozens!
Born 1933; raised in Brooklyn, Russian/ Jewish background. Columbia Law School and Law Review. No background in music, but he really knew 'contracts'.
Instrumental in blending CBS Records with Sony. He made the companies multi-millions and he made millions.
Personal friends with Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, and Bruce Springsteen. Jackson is weirder than he appears, Jagger is smarter, and Springsteen is more authentic.
When he finally hit rehab, it took and he became 'a believer' in the program. So much so, that it seems like he developed another addiction. A Catholic priest, Monsignor Vincent E. Puma, had helped him recover from his addictions to alcohol and drugs.
Married early and had two sons. Cheated on his wife and she died of lung cancer. In the end, they were still friends, yet his behavior was indefensible by any standard.
An interesting read, and about what you would expect. I'm a sucker for anything about the music industry and all of the lurid excesses.
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