3 days ago
Brian Avnet, Longtime Artist Manager and Music Executive, Dies at 82
Brian Avnet, the respected personal manager and music executive who discovered Josh Groban, collaborated with David Foster and helped The Manhattan Transfer to great success, has died. He was 82.
Avnet died May 14 at his home in Los Angeles after a years-long battle with Parkinson's disease, a publicist announced.
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The Baltimore native also worked closely with the likes of Johnny Mandel, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Cyndi Lauper, Take 6, Jean-Luc Ponty, Eric Benét and Joshua Ledet.
Avnet began working with The Manhattan Transfer in 1979, and two years later the vocal group became the first to win Grammys in the pop and jazz categories in the same year, earning trophies for 'The Boy From New York City' and 'Until I Met You (Corner Pocket).'
'Brian was an excellent manager and like a brother to me,' Manhattan Transfer founding member Alan Paul said in a statement. 'He was savvy, honest, funny and gifted with a heart of gold. I never met anyone personally or in business who didn't like him.'
Added fellow founding member Janis Siegel: 'Brian got into the rough and tumble with us as we all negotiated the ups and downs of the music business. He was fiercely loyal, passionate about his opinions, smart and kind.'
With composer and producer Foster, Avnet teamed on recording projects for Whitney Houston, Céline Dion, Toni Braxton, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Faith Hill, Brandy, En Vogue, Olivia Newton-John, the Bee Gees, Michael Bolton, All-4-One, Julio Iglesias and Smokey Robinson.
Avnet discovered Groban through vocal coach Seth Riggs, who helped develop his career and became his manager.
And in 1995, when Foster launched 143 Records at Warner Bros., he appointed Avnet to lead the label. The roster included Groban, Michael Bublé, The Corrs and Beth Hart.
Avnet was born in Baltimore on July 16, 1942. His father, Duke, practiced law in the area for 54 years and was blacklisted during the McCarthy era for his defense of actor-singer Paul Robeson. His mother, Beatrice, was a social worker.
At 15, Avnet landed a job at the newly opened Painters Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills, Maryland, and he would become the venue's youngest-ever manager. He also assisted Lee Guber at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island.
A graduate of Gettysburg College, Avnet completed an internship with Princeton's theatrical department. He worked in summer stock, shared a New York apartment with Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight and went on to produce A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Voight, at the Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, New York.
Avnet also collaborated with Bette Midler, starting when she was playing bathhouses in New York before becoming a Broadway sensation in the 1970s. He served as G.M. for her 19-show run at the Palace Theatre in New York in December 1973, for which she won a special Tony Award 'for adding lustre to the Broadway season.'
In 1974, Avnet moved to Los Angeles to work with Lou Adler on the production of The Rocky Horror Show at The Roxy, and the success of that nine-month run led to the 1975 film adaptation. He also produced an L.A. stage production of Tommy and managed Jesus Christ Superstar at the Universal Amphitheatre, where he oversaw its first season.
Avnet, who in 2017 was named Manager of the Year by Pollstar and inducted into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame, never signed a contract with any of his artists.
'It was a long career, and he was beloved. His word was his bond. And that's rare in the entertainment industry,' said his wife of 26 years, Marcia. Survivors also include his brother, Richard, and his nephew, Evan.
A private memorial service will be held in L.A. in September. Donations in his memory can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
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