User:Ludasaphire/David Spero

http://events.autismspeaks.org/atf/cf/%7B24ad99c2-e521-48b5-be31-5fcd7fde406d%7D/DAVID%20SPERO%20BIO.PDF

David Spero is currently the Senior Director of programming at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Spero grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. His father, Herman Spero, produced "The Upbeat Show" which ran an TV from 1964 through 1971 and was broadcast in several cities including Cleveland, Detroit, Erie, and Buffalo. David Spero often visited the set of the show.

The Beatles stayed at the Spero's home in 1966 when they came to Cleveland, Ohio, for the first time. They were just one of the musical groups that stayed at Spero's house during the years that the TV show aired.

Spero started his career in the music industry at the age of 18 as music director and morning show host of one of Cleveland's first progressive rock radio stations. Through his connections in radio he became personal manager for the Michael Stanley Band, a hot Midwest touring band. After a 13-year hiatus spent as the Regional Managing Director for Columbia Pictures, Spero returned to talent management counting among his clients Joe Walsh, The Raspberries, Glenn Frey, and Harry Nilsson.

David Spero: A legendary artist manager and noted music memorabilia collector, David’s talent rosters reads like a who's who of rock & roll. He has managed or worked along side Joe Walsh, The Eagles, Cat Stevens, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr's All Starr Band, James Gang, Styx, Survivor, Ian Hunter, Don Felder, Eric Carmen, Michael Stanley, Sam Moore, Dickey Betts, JD Souther, Billy Bob Thornton, Patty Smyth and Scandal and The Funk Brothers. David is also a Board Member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and recent inductee into the Ohio Radio & TV Hall of Fame.

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=47202081887

http://www.harrynilsson.com/index.php?action=ARTICLE&subaction=DISPLAY&detail=881&articleref=881

Collecting references:

http://esquirerecords.net/mag/4/content/JG-Spero.htm

http://www.deannaadams.com/articles.htm

http://www.goldminemag.com/article/David_Speros_rock_n_roll_memorabilia_heads_to_auction/

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_May_1/ai_100975349/

http://books.google.com/books?id=LBCZvsVKomwC&pg=PA310&lpg=PA310&dq=%22Rock+and+roll+hall+of+fame%22+Spero&source=bl&ots=flZvbkXIiK&sig=g6XnbwK_IRUuKwlI4FeAqW22hRM&hl=en&ei=u9mdSv7HAonvnQf_odnkCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8#v=onepage&q=%22Rock%20and%20roll%20hall%20of%20fame%22%20Spero&f=false

http://buzzardbook.wordpress.com/index.php?s=Spero

http://www.vindy.com/news/2006/may/21/blossom-music-center-styx-finds-itself-on-musical/?print

http://www.eaglesfans.com/info/articles/local_overseer.htm

http://buzzardbook.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/the-ascension-of-kid-leo/

When David Spero counts Ringo Starr, Billy Bob Thornton and Joe Walsh among his closest friends, it is no wonder that the high-profile talent manager is upbeat. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-116233197.html

"Legendary Team of Personalities Includes Raechel Donahue, David Spero" http://www.radiodailynews.com/rdncentralarchivesII.htm

http://www.backstageauctions.com/catalog/item.php?prodpa=&unid=6138

"Cleveland rock pioneer David Spero" http://rockandrollreport.com/getting-ready-to-cruise-the-moonlight-groove-highway/

"Cleveland rock-radio pioneer David Spero" http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/03/20/PKG4OBMHDH1.DTL

"The multifaceted David Spero" http://books.google.com/books?id=jlozhlCZFGIC&pg=PA71&lpg=PA71&dq=%22alex+bevan%22+%22David+Spero%22&source=bl&ots=5G0uGg3F_y&sig=ShHAh4N9SpB57IDBxmjgSMS--Pc&hl=en&ei=XEqhStKBLoraNdLO-NsP&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=%22David%20Spero%22&f=false

He is the vice president of education and public programs for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. His role is to help "educate to the merits of rock 'n roll" as the mission statement of the Rock Hall indicates. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_7190/is_200210/ai_n29868509/

the Hall hired David Spero, who had vast experience in the music business, but little in the education department.http://www.freetimes.com/stories/11/31/locals-only-doctor-rock-warren-zanes-aims-to-renew-the-rock-halls-educational-focus

Shortly thereafter, while he was visiting Carmen, Bonfanti said, "You know, I think we could put this band back together." Carmen expressed interest, and Bonfanti contacted David Spero, who then managed former Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh. Spero offered to put out some feelers and gauge the interest among promoters.http://www.clevelandmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=E73ABD6180B44874871A91F6BA5C249C&nm=Arts+%26+Entertainemnt&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=1578600D80804596A222593669321019&tier=4&id=C6CDE66FB9D84EAFB20D40A461FB8C66 But before Bryson would participate, he issued a few stipulations. The first was all four band members would receive an equal cut of proceeds from the show instead of being paid according to a sliding scale Spero proposed during their 2000 reunion attempt.[Same as prior]

In the spring of 1974, David Spero, long-time afternoon drive host and the last of the former WNCR personalities on WMMS, resigned to become the manager of the Michael Stanley Band.http://buzzardbook.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/the-ascension-of-kid-leo/

David Spero was a high-profile disc jockey and a high-profile manager of entertainers.http://esquirerecords.net/mag/4/content/JG-Spero.htm

His father, the late, great Herman Spero, was Producer of several shows on WEWS (Channel 5) including “Romper Room,” a show on which David appeared several times as a child.

David is perhaps best known for managing the careers of Joe Walsh, Michael Stanley, Ian Hunter, Harry Nilsson, and Eric Carmen. http://esquirerecords.net/mag/4/content/JG-Spero.htm

At an early age, David developed an affinity for musical artists and an ability to communicate with them on their own level – a talent he would exploit fully later.http://esquirerecords.net/mag/4/content/JG-Spero.htm

As a teenager in high school, he worked at Man Talk (the long gone, but not forgotten Coventry clothes store). All the bands and touring acts came into the small taste of Carnaby St. right here in Cleveland. When the store’s owner bought some time on WXEN radio (from midnight to 2 a.m.), David got to be the deejay and play his favorite songs.

Well, he never looked back, because soon he got his first paying gig at WNCR-FM soon after. By the time he’d reached the age of 20, David was already a fixture at WMMS-FM (with Billy Bass, Denny Sanders and the other historic crew of radio pioneers).

What I recall about David Spero from this time period was that he was much more than a disc jockey. It was important for him to know the artists. I was working at SCENE Magazine at the time and interviewed many of the acts that came to town. David would always be somewhere nearby. At first I thought he just wanted to be part of the glitter and glitz, but I soon realized he needed to know what made the artists tick. As result, he developed many close friendships with talent such as Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, The Eagles and many more.

These friendships served him well and he maintains many of these relationships today.

By 1975, Spero had jumped the dial and took on management of Cleveland’s soon-to-be favorite son: Michael Stanley. Helping form The Michael Stanley Band, Spero used his influence to get the band a deal with Epic Records. He struggled with the band through their first three albums and after having established them as a major concert and recording act, Spero lost the band in a semi-friendly power struggle to Belkin Productions and Belkin Management.

An offer to get back on radio came in 1978 from Eric Stevens at M105-FM. Although he was glad to be back on the air, the state of FM had already started to tighten up and the bloom was off the rose.

The next dozen or so years were spent with Columbia Pictures, where David rose to Regional Managing Director. When the company decided to close its Cleveland offices, Spero opted to stay here and seek employment elsewhere. Enter Joe Walsh…

With The Eagles on permanent (pre-Hell Freezes Over) haitus, Joe Walsh was looking for a manager and a fresh start. When Spero hooked Walsh up on Ringo Starr’s All-Star Band tour, it was the beginning of a fairly long relationship. Harry Nilsson, Eric Carmen and Ian Hunter were among his other clients over the years.

Artist management is an often trying, draining and thankless task. So, when The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame came calling in 2000, Spero felt it was time to start a new chapter in his life. And this is where it all came together.

As Senior Director of Programming, David’s job has him dealing with managers, artists, television (he produces the MTV Live At The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame show) and radio. He’s set up many creative events and shows since his tenure began. David Spero has made his mark on The Rock Hall and he’s brought life to what was fast becoming a real museum. God forbid!

David Spero is one Clevelander who has really made a difference in the rock community. Saaaalute!!!

David Spero A legendary artist manager and noted music memorabilia collector, David’s talent rosters reads like a who's who of rock & roll. He has managed or worked along side Joe Walsh, The Eagles, Cat Stevens, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr's All Starr Band, James Gang, Styx, Survivor, Ian Hunter, Don Felder, Eric Carmen, Michael Stanley, Sam Moore, Dickey Betts, JD Souther, Billy Bob Thornton, Patty Smyth and Scandal and The Funk Brothers. Mr. Spero is also a Board Member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a recent inductee into the Ohio Radio & TV Hall of Fame. http://www.songvest.com/index.php?a=28&b=146

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