The first act I ever promoted was in 1974 in St. Paul, MN., called Inner Sanctum. I made $74. There was a great music scene in St. Paul. I was a drummer for a band that opened for Tower of Power and War. I was a body guard for Prince and later for Rod Stewart. I can still see Prince walking ahead of me in those high heels. What a talent.
After Nam I became a disc jockey here in El Paso for KHEY, part of the Rio Trio. So I'd seen the back end of concerts, knew what it was like to be the act on stage, understood catering to celebrities, built some great industry relationships, loved music and thought I knew everything there was about promoting. Eddie Rabbit proved me wrong.
Fast forward almost fifty years (did I say that out loud?) thousands of events, acts and entertainment facilities later. I continue to learn with every event, every negotiation but...a lot fewer mistakes. Eventually you learn the scenery changes but the rules of engagement are the same.
Now I get to share what I learned the hard way, to the benefit of my clients, whether it's an engagement contract, a rider, negotiating a deal, protecting intellectual property or just making sure the bases are covered.
Can we make money? How do we make sure we don't lose money? The space in between those two sentences is where all the work is done.
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