Talk:David Geffen/Archive 1

Mess
Someone seems to have chopped random letters out of this. It's a mess!217.44.182.27 22:43, 12 November 2007 (UTC) -I think i got it fixed. someone went to an awful lot of trouble to screw that up as mush as they did. I essentially reverted it back to yesterday's version. If i missed anyone's legitimate edit, i apologize. Minnaert 00:26, 13 November 2007 (UTC)

Old comments
From the article:
 * As a gay man, he is sterotyped as part of the "Gay Hollywood Mafia" and was subjected to unfounded rumors that he had married Keanu Reeves.

Are there any sources to back this "rumor" up? Drolsi Susej 02:40, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC)


 * The fact that there was an unfounded rumor: yes. -- Outerlimits 02:43, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC)


 * Can you please provide some sources (besides yourself). Drolsi Susej 02:47, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC)


 * Yes Jesus. Try "David Geffen" plus "Keanu Reeves" in Google. Thank you, Jesus. -- Outerlimits 02:50, 7 Oct 2003 (UTC)


 * (Note: The above exchange makes sense if readers are aware that the former Username of User:Drolsi Susej was User:Jesus is Lord!.)


 * They could just try reading backwards. Bombot 14:37, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

Neil Young anecdote

 * In the 1980s, he signed Neil Young to his record label with an offer of greater artistic control. Young subsequently produced his most experimental, least critically successful and least popular work during the 80s to the horror of Geffen. Geffen eventually tried to sue Young for making albums uncharacteristic of Neil Young. Young eventually returned to Reprise Records.

Maybe the above anecdote, contributed a while back, is true &mdash; no doubt Young and Geffen clashed over issues related to sales and marketability. But the "eventually tried to sue" phrase here seems very vague to me, sort of like a slur. I would feel more comfortable allowing it to stay if it were better sourced to a published account. Can anyone help with this? 24.130.115.172 06:07, 5 August 2005 (UTC)

How's this:

"R.E.M. were going to go with Geffen, then they heard I was being sued and everything, they just dropped all contact with Geffen and signed with Warner Bros instead. Geffen actually lost R.E.M. simply for suing me over Everybody's Rockin'!" - Neil Young in Mojo http://www.thrasherswheat.org/tfa/mojointerview1295pt2.htm

"In 1984, Geffen Records sued Neil Young on the grounds that he had submitted uncharacteristic, uncommercial records to the label." - http://musicstore.connect.com/album/500/000/000/000/002/159/989/500000000000002159989.html

"Young was actually sued by the label for allegedly releasing non-commercial records" - http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=217

-- Beardo 07:05, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

Minor changes
There was no information regarding Asylum records or the release of Double Fantasy, so I was forced to make a few minor changes to this article.

Also of note, if Geffen is worth 6 billion and Sumner Redstone is worth 9 billion, and both are in the entertainment industry, how can Geffen be the wealthiest?

Question
Why is DG referred to as a "Jewish record executive"? Is there a Wikipedia standard that requires that record executives identified by religion? Are there similar descriptions for "Baptist record executive" and "Islamic record executive"? --Wikismile 15:57, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

In Cher's Biography it refers to a 1 year Romantic relationship with Geffen, what's up with his sexuality?

Being Jewish is an ethnicity as well as a religion. When a group of people marry and produce children for 4000 years, and marry only other Jews, they develop a similarity. There are 2 main groups of Jews, the lighter northern Europeans/Russians and the darker lower European/Middle-Eastern. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.105.187.153 (talk) 02:23, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Geffen Records
I opt to keep this capsule summary of his work with this company, and insert a recommendation to visit Geffen Records for more information on that era. Sandover 23:20, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

Jew
Geffen is Jewish, right? --84.229.249.58 18:55, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Forgery controversy
Shouldn't something be said about the fact he worked his way into the William Morris Agency on the fact that he replaced a letter from UCLA with a forged document stating he graduated college there. It is likely that David Geffen would not be who he is today had he not gotten that job. The only source I have is from a database paid for by my college and most likely the rest of you are unable to access it. However, i can tell you the article ran May 2, 1993 in the Late East Coast edition of the New York Times, section A page 28, written by Bernard Weinraub. Here is a driect quote "...landed a job in the mail room of the William Morris Agency, a training ground for agents. Because the agency demanded college graduates, Geffen lied and said he had just completed U.C.L.A. Convinced that his employers would check, he arrived at dawn every morning to open the mail. When the letter from U.C.L.A. finally arrived, he steamed it open and inserted a forged note on university stationery that he had graduated." Nickvsshark 07:58, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

How is this a 'fact' then? Sounds like a rumor to me

Paul210 09:36, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

i can look more into it but the article was a biography of geffen and was based off an interview. im sorry i cant like to the the article, but the only place i can view it is on one of my colleges databases. if anyone else is in college and has proquest through their school try to look for it. plus i doubt the new york times is in the business of printing potentially libelous claims against people with that kind of money/power.

i do however understand, that it may not be able to be included in his wiki page at this point. ill continue looking. i have the article saved because it was a source on my research paper regarding ethics in the music industry. sorry if i sounded snappy. im going on 43 hours with no sleep due to a 16 and an 8 page paper due within the last two days. Nickvsshark 06:20, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

Watching VH1's Fabulous Life of Rags to Riches Billionaires and they repeated this story as fact. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.98.47.179 (talk) 05:12, 31 August 2007 (UTC)

Carly Simon - You're So Vain
The following information on Carly Simon and her song You're So Vain being about David Geffen was removed from the article and should be considered for rework and reinsertion:. Of course all wiki policies should be followed. --LegitimateAndEvenCompelling (talk) 21:32, 26 February 2010 (UTC)


 * I agree with the removal. Having read the newspaper article today, it looks like they're jumping to conclusions based on the one recorded line. We need to be very careful in presenting material that is other people's conclusions and speculations about the lyric. —C.Fred (talk) 23:02, 26 February 2010 (UTC)


 * Is it fair to include this information if it's attributed to one source--The Sun newspaper--and state clearly that it's speculation based on Carly Simon's statements about the clue and playing the track backwards? It's not libel to report on someone else's libel/speculation. Yale2010 (talk) 13:16, 27 February 2010 (UTC)

+++ This has been legitimately reported. It is not libel. The song is about Geffen, as Simon admits to Uncut magazine: Simon names who's 'So Vain' Feb. 26, 2010, 9:54 AM EST

WENN- Carly Simon has ended nearly 40 years of speculation by finally naming the man who inspired her hit "You're So Vain" - her target was gay record label boss David Geffen.

The song, which catapulted the singer to fame in 1972, was rumored to be about one of her ex-boyfriends, who include Hollywood legend Warren Beatty and rocker Sir Mick Jagger, but she had persistently refused to name the man behind the track.

But Simon has now revealed who was so vain by giving fans a cryptic clue in an acoustic version of the song, which features on her upcoming album "Never Been Gone."

She tells Uncut magazine, "You know what, I'm just going to tell you this. The answer is on the new version of 'You're So Vain,' on my new record 'Never Been Gone.' There's a little whisper and it's the answer to the puzzle."

The singer whispers Geffen's name backwards in the track, according to Britain's The Sun newspaper.

Geffen ran Simon's Elektra Records label at the time of the song's release and instead of being about a failed relationship, the lyrics are now thought to hint at the singer's lingering resentment after Geffen allegedly put more effort into promoting rival star Joni Mitchell.

Source: MSN Music News, available at http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=485058&GT1=28102&silentchk=1& Ccape8 (talk) 13:40, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from Devicehandler, 2 October 2011
There is a typo Geffin instead of Geffen, this is in the first paragraph describing David.

Devicehandler (talk) 22:53, 2 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Yes check.svg Done Thanks. --Jnorton7558 (talk) 01:08, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

Warner Commication's
In the Gefen Records article it says he was fired by Warner and couldn't work until his 5 year contract ended. In this article it states it was a health issue. which is it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.250.119.254 (talk) 16:22, 14 March 2012 (UTC)

Yachts section isn't encyclopedic
I'm curious how going on about Geffen's yachts does anything more than say, "he's really rich." A point which is illustrated already several times in this article. At least the art section (which contains little of encyclopedic value) notes that he owns a notable collection of post-war era art, and that his transaction with Martinez was the largest recorded sale ever. --&#65279;ΖαππερΝαππερ BabelAlexandria 00:42, 16 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Since the yachts themselves appear to be notable (each has its own article), I think it's appropriate to have the brief, sourced mentions here connecting this article to those.--Arxiloxos (talk) 01:25, 16 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Agree with Arxiloxos. The section should stand. Jus  da  fax   06:37, 21 November 2012 (UTC)

He dated Cher
Shouldn't it be mentioned in Personal Life that he dated Cher? And, by the way, wouldn't this make him bisexual? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.93.65.82 (talk) 06:33, 21 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia runs on core principles based on verifiability and reliable sources per WP:RS. If you can improve the article under those guidelines, please do so, though so far it doesn't seem "dating Cher" is all that notable for Geffen. Biographies of living persons are under special considerations at Wikipedia, for the most part. Jus  da  fax   11:59, 25 November 2012 (UTC)


 * In Susan Lacy's 2012 documentary "Inventing David Geffen", co-produced by WNET Thirteen for PBS' American Masters series, there is a whole chapter, titled "Hollywood's Odd Couple", covering their 18-month relationship. They were seen in public frequently during that period and several photographs are shown in this documentary. But more importantly, both Geffen and Sher state emphatically, on camera, that they were totally in love with each other. It seems to me that the subject of this relationship is therefore sufficiently noteworthy and that the source is verifiable and reliable. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.201.87.149 (talk) 02:27, 25 February 2013 (UTC)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2193266/As-Cher-66-prepares-marry-Hells-Angel-24-years-junior-bedded.html says: "The pair met at the Grammy Awards when Cher was still married to Sonny Bono. He paid for lawyers to end Sonny’s control over her finances. She once commented: ‘I was the first person to share his bed and to share his life. People don’t believe that, or they don’t want to believe it, or they don’t understand how it could be.’ "  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 115.64.142.162 (talk) 02:18, 8 June 2018 (UTC)

New Donation to ucla medical school.
David Geffen gave $100 million to create scholarship fund to cover the cost of education for the top ranked medical students attending UCLA medical school. His total philanthropic support to UCLA exceeds $300 million, making him the largest individual donor to UCLA and to any single UC campus.

IPA
Some indication of pronunciation should be given. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.26.5.40 (talk) 14:23, 13 June 2013 (UTC)

The name Asylum
"The name Asylum was chosen because of the owners' reputations for signing artists who would struggle to find a record company that would contract with them."

This sentence seems to not really make sense IMO. 98.229.4.47 (talk) 01:06, 23 February 2014 (UTC)burgo

Geffen was the inspiration for Carly Simon's song "You're so Vain". Google it... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.73.110.172 (talk) 10:53, 12 October 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 4 March 2015
Add this to the section on Philanthropy:

In March 2015, Lincoln Center in New York City announced that Geffen would donate $100 million to renovate what is currently known as Avery Fisher Hall. Beginning September 24, 2015, the hall will be renamed David Geffen Hall in honor of this gift.

Ref: http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/avery-fisher-hall-be-renamed-david-geffen-hall/

DaveMacDo (talk) 20:27, 4 March 2015 (UTC)


 * Yes check.svg Done I've copyedited a bit as I added it. Thank you for bring up this item! —C.Fred (talk) 20:47, 4 March 2015 (UTC)

Thanks, Fred. Could you please remove the "the" before "Avery Fisher Hall"? It and most other concert halls are usually referred to without an article. (As in, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?") DaveMacDo (talk) 15:44, 6 March 2015 (UTC)


 * Done. I rechecked the source, and it doesn't use "the". —C.Fred (talk) 16:09, 6 March 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 29 April 2015
REQUEST. There is a mention of David Geffen's brother who was a lawyer. I don't see that being of great interest to the average Wikipedia reader. If the powers that be here believe it is then you might as well put up info about his Aunt Beverly the check out clerk at Kroger or his great grandfather Butrum who was a fur trader in the 1700's. Thank you for your time.

139.55.55.107 (talk) 19:57, 29 April 2015 (UTC)


 * It is relevant because it is part of the personal life section of the article, and his brother and brother's children are his closest relatives. It is standard to mention relatives that way in the personal life section of an article. —C.Fred (talk) 20:07, 29 April 2015 (UTC)

Closest LIVING Relatives - NOT "Surviving"
David Geffen's nieces would only be his closest surviving relatives if he were dead and they survived him. Because he is still alive, they are his closest living relatives. 73.162.218.153 (talk) 16:47, 20 November 2015 (UTC)

Minor Edits
The article is protected so I can't fix these myself: --Shwartz (talk) 16:15, 27 June 2016 (UTC)
 * The article mentions his parents met in British-mandated Palestine but there's no WikiLink to "Mandatory Palestine".
 * The article names his mother sometimes as Batya and sometimes as Basya (which is some sort of a Jewish pronunciation of "Batya").

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Semi-protected edit request on 4 July 2017
"In 2015, Geffen pledged $100 million toward renovation of what is currently Avery Fisher Hall, part of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. His gift, which will cover about 20% of the hall's renovation, will give him naming rights in perpetuity over the building, which will be known as David Geffen Hall." can be rewritten as "what was then Avery Fisher Hall" to avoid confusion, as the previous text seemed to be copied from other sources in 2015. Rwalle (talk) 12:01, 6 October 2017 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rwalle (talk • contribs) 23:58, 4 July 2017 (UTC)

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 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20111206032409/http://boatworktimes.com/yacht-mainmenu-26/luxury/4439-david-geffen-takes-possession-of-qrising-sunq-worlds-sixth-largest-yacht.html to http://boatworktimes.com/yacht-mainmenu-26/luxury/4439-david-geffen-takes-possession-of-qrising-sunq-worlds-sixth-largest-yacht.html
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Los Angeles Times takeover
Where is the section on Geffen's attempts to take over the Los Angeles Times? Kind of a big topic to omit. http://deadline.com/2008/04/urgent-david-geffen-goes-after-la-times-again-in-serious-discussions-with-sam-zell-5453/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.95.112.141 (talk) 13:57, 15 February 2018 (UTC)

wLink to "2019–20 coronavirus pandemic"
At David Geffen: pipe wikilink 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic for "the virus epidemic" in the "in the Grenadines in the Rising Sun during the virus epidemic" sentence.

X1\ (talk) 03:46, 1 April 2020 (UTC)

Need for a photo
I think we should actively search for a freely available photo that we could use in his infobox. werldwayd (talk) 00:11, 19 April 2020 (UTC)

Edit request
I think it may be worth adding to the Geffen Records section that one of the artists that was eventually signed to Geffen Records was Joni Mitchell, who had been with Asylum in the 70s with David Geffen as well. A line about Mitchell moving to Geffen and releasing three albums on the label, all in the 80s, would suffice. (The albums were 1982's Wild Things Run Fast, 1985's Dog Eat Dog and 1988's Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm.) 2601:282:1300:296:DCD1:EF93:4E57:7B4C (talk) 16:47, 3 July 2020 (UTC)

PS: I also respectfully suggest that someone with editing capabilities consider breaking out the segment of the Personal Life section that lists the books about Geffen into its own section or subsection/list. He is featured in other books as well, and obviously an exhaustive list of every book in which he is mentioned is not possible or practical, but perhaps several that are about the key figures he worked with could be included. For example, he is prominently featured in a section of the biography "Soul Picnic" about Laura Nyro. 2601:282:1300:296:DCD1:EF93:4E57:7B4C (talk) 16:51, 3 July 2020 (UTC)

Gulfstream Pictures
Gulfstream Pictures is a Company founded in 2011 by David Geffen.--2600:1702:4B28:F760:915D:3679:8FE0:C453 (talk) 01:06, 17 July 2020 (UTC)

Films
Here is Gulfstream Pictures Films.--69.209.0.192 (talk) 01:08, 17 July 2020 (UTC)

David Geffen (Supervising Executive Producer for Gulfstream Pictures)
David Geffen is also sected as the Supervising Executive Producer for Gulfstream Pictures.--2600:1702:4B28:F760:219:E3FF:FEE0:BE2B (talk) 05:53, 11 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Blended (2014)
 * The Fluffy Movie (2014)
 * Mother's Day (2016)
 * The Nut Job (2014)
 * The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (2017)
 * Spark (2016)

Unlock please
Any reason why this page is locked? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 36.11.229.217 (talk) 04:16, 17 March 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 1 July 2021
In sub-section "Geffen Records", fix typo from "Over the years Geffen Records/DGC has releasing recordings by the likes of..." to "Over the years Geffen Records/DGC has released recordings by the likes of..." Mhosanna (talk) 11:30, 1 July 2021 (UTC)


 * Yes check.svg Done. I've also adjusted some of the other wording in the sentence. —C.Fred (talk) 11:34, 1 July 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 9 August 2021
Geffen ended his only heterosexual relationship with Cher in 1972. 2A00:23C7:800:ED01:216B:A531:6838:7BE (talk) 22:44, 9 August 2021 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Terasail [✉️] 12:00, 11 August 2021 (UTC)

Edit request
Per WP:WEIGHT, would someone please remove the sentence from the lead about Geffen being a polluter. --73.134.122.38 (talk) 07:38, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Edit Request
Re: In 2009, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich agreed to a divorce settlement with his wife Irina that resulted in her taking ownership of the 115-meter (377 ft) yacht Pelorus. Approached on Geffen's behalf by broker Merle Wood, Geffen bought Pelorus in 2011 for $300 million.[63][64] Later that year Geffen sold Pelorus to Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for €214 million, more than €15 million below its former price.[65]

2nd sentence is problematic - it was wife who was approached and Geffen who purchased.

If all this is relevant could be:

In 2009, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich agreed to a divorce settlement with his wife Irina that resulted in her taking ownership of the 115-meter (377 ft) yacht Pelorus. She was approached on Geffen's behalf by broker Merle Wood and Geffen bought Pelorus in 2011 for $300 million.[63][64] Later that year Geffen sold Pelorus to Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for €214 million, more than €15 million below its former price.[65]

or:

In 2009, the wife of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took ownership of the 115-meter (377 ft) yacht Pelorus in their divorce settlement. She was approached on Geffen's behalf by broker Merle Wood and Geffen bought Pelorus in 2011 for $300 million.[63][64] Later that year Geffen sold Pelorus to Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for €214 million, more than €15 million below its former price.[65]

94.126.214.30 (talk) 09:59, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

Edit Request: Remove "polluter" sentence from lead
From the article's 3rd sentence: "He has been ranked the most polluting individual American and second most polluting individual in the world."

The sentence does not belong in the lead about David Geffen.

The accompanying source lists 20 billionaires as "polluters". Should that status lead in their Wikipedia articles? Is "polluter ranking" Wikipedia's leading measure of men?

UNEDITABLE--Please consider removing. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Whecks (talk • contribs) 03:23, 6 November 2021 (UTC)