Does the name Don Kirshner ring a bell?
It should. He was the biggest and most relevant rock promoter that I've ever seen. There's the obvious "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert," where rock groups found national TV exposure. Groups like The Eagles, Kansas, and scores of other acts like Billy Joel and comedian Billy Crystal. They all owe their initial success to Don Kirshner!
One of my favorite Kirshner stories was when Don wanted the Monkees to record a song called "Sugar Sugar." Well, the Monkees were already "stars" and they wanted nothing to do with it. So, Kirschner puts together a group of studio musicians, names them "The Archies," records the song and sells several million copies.
The man had a gift. He used that gift and discovered and presented talent and he made a lot of money. To put it in a contemporary setting, he would have been the perfect judge on American Idol.
Don died, today, of heart failure. He was 76.
The music business could use a couple of guys like Don Kirshner, right now!
