User:Spencer Proffer/sandbox

SPENCER PROFFER

Spencer Proffer (born Salek Profesorski December 25, 1948) is a media and music producer. He is the CEO of Meteor 17, a convergence media production company based in Los Angeles (www.meteor17.com). Proffer produced the first hard rock record (Quiet Riot’s Metal Health) to reach number 1 on the Billboard Magazine chart, selling a record breaking six million albums. His Children of the Sun collaboration with Billy Thorpe was the first rock record to spawn a computer animated laser choreography of a music album in planetariums across North America. Proffer has produced and arranged over 200 albums, produced 11 films and supervised and produced music for 140+ films and television. He co-produced a charitable concert and media event with Doc McGhee & Quincy Jones (2005) for over 43,000 Marines and their families and in 2012 he donated twenty-five scholarships to youth across North America to attend Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. (http://www.meteor17.com/space_camp_scholarships.php).

PERSONAL LIFE

Proffer was born in Munich, Germany and immigrated to America at the age of six. He grew up in Los Angeles, California, the son of working-class non-English speaking parents Anna and Saul. His Polish parents became naturalized citizens of the United States when Spencer was sixteen. Saul Proffer was a sewing machine repairman and his unflappable commitment to quality and laser focus on providing a better life for his family set a high bar for an impressionable only child. Inspired by his father and wanting to make life a little easier for his parents, Proffer first stepped into the business world at age thirteen, when he sold subscriptions to the Herald Examiner daily newspaper to contribute to his family's living expenses. He swept floors at a radio station in exchange for phonograph records to feed his ever growing love of music. While attending Fairfax High School and UCLA, Spencer held a variety of jobs, including maitre d, band leader and guitarist. He also served as a professor's assistant in the re-habilitation of veterans returning from Viet Nam using music as an element at the Westwood, CA Veteran’s Administration Hospital. He was also a guitar instructor for children and a music copyist for esteemed record producer and arranger Don Costa. He bought his parents a home in the Fairfax district when he was fifteen, having saved up funds for the down payment from newspaper subscription sales. At the age of eighteen, he won a performing and songwriting competition at UCLA which led to his first recording contract. At 19, he co-wrote Picture Postcard, recorded by Gary Lewis and the Playboys. And by the time Spencer was 21 he had 29 songs recorded as a songwriter.

Spencer paid for college and graduate school with his music earnings, which began to generate meaningful income when he secured multiple recording contracts (ABC Dunhill Records, MGM Records and CBS Records) for various recording groups, all helmed by Proffer.

Spencer graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UCLA at the age of 20 and enrolled at Loyola University School of Law. He was Executive Editor of the school's Law Review and wrote an acclaimed article on the bad faith refusal of an insurance company to settle a legitimate claim in Fletcher vs. Western National Life Insurance Company that was widely published. He was an active member of the St. Thomas More Law Honor Society while working three jobs, one being conducting a research program for the Bank of America on the feasibility of their incorporation in various states to issue traveler's checks. He wrote songs for the animated Hardy Boys ABC Television series and performed nights and weekends with his band, Proffer, Marmelzat and Reed (PMR). While in law school, PMR attracted the attention of Clive Davis, CEO of CBS Records, and the group was signed to a recording contract on Columbia Records. After graduating law school at 23 (and passing the California Bar Exam at the same age, one of the youngest to do so at the time), he accepted a position to work for Mr. Davis at CBS and moved to New York. While at CBS, he was anchored in the business affairs and law departments with broad exposure to other key areas of the company through his work for various division chiefs. He left CBS shortly after Mr. Davis' departure, to become National Executive Director and Head of Worldwide A+R at United Artists Records, owned at that time by Transamerica. While at UA, Spencer produced and co-produced a number of worldwide hit records ranging from Tina Turner's Acid Queen album (aligned with her performance in the Who's Tommy) to the #1 hit "One Man Woman" by Paul Anka and Odia Coates. Family Spencer has two sons, Sterling (27) and Morgan (25). He is married to Judith, former Publisher of the L.A. Weekly and co-founder of the Sun Community Newspaper chain in Southern California. Judy is also founder and publisher of boutique book publishing imprint, Huqua Press. Spencer and Judy reside in Encino, California where the boys were raised.

EARLY CAREER

Upon Transamerica's sale of United Artists in 1977, Proffer ventured on his own as an independent record producer, songwriter and arranger. He launched the Pasha Music Organisation out of a studio apartment and within a year constructed a deal with David Geffen's Elektra/Asylum Records to produce and arrange the first solo album from Hollie's lead singer, Allan Clarke. In 1977, Spencer met Australian superstar guitarist and singer Billy Thorpe. Spencer and Billy formed an instant friendship and partnership. They would collaborate on four albums. The first, Children Of The Sun, was an enormous commercial and critical success. The title song (which they co-wrote), told the tale of a friendly race from a distant galaxy that gave earthlings an opportunity to migrate to another universe and start a new race. The album became the #1 rock record in America, spawning the first computer animated, laser choreography of a music album in planetariums across the country, which Proffer produced. Laser technology also supported Thorpe's highly successful live touring engagements. Proffer and Thorpe had planned to produce a full length feature film based upon the Children Of The Sun saga when Capricorn Records, distributed by Polygram at that time, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and records were no longer available to be purchased anywhere in the country for a period of two years. Subsequently, Proffer remixed and re-released this seminal rock album on his own Pasha/CBS label, 10 years later. The album is considered a classic, and the title song is consistently one of the top recurrent songs on Sirius XM radio and rock stations today.

BUSINESS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

In 1978, Proffer and his recording engineer, Larry Brown, designed and built the Pasha Music House - two state of the art recording studios in Hollywood, which served as the home for all of Proffer's productions for the next twelve years. The first project recorded at Pasha was a series of tracks for the platinum selling soundtrack to Staying Alive (directed by Sylvester Stallone and starring John Travolta), on which Spencer served as an Executive Producer. Proffer produced many renowned rock artists at Pasha including Cheap Trick, Heart, The Little River Band, Eddie Money, The Beach Boys, W.A.S.P., The Vanilla Fudge, Ian Hunter, Shooting Star, Jon Butcher, and The Outlaws. Preproduction for Guns & Roses debut Geffen release Appetite for Destruction and Motley Crue's Shout At The Devil were recorded at Pasha. Additionally, the first rock record to reach #1 in Billboard Magazine was produced and mixed by Proffer: Metal Health by Quiet Riot. It sold a groundbreaking 6 million albums. It was released on Proffer's Pasha Records, via his long term co-venture with CBS Records. Proffer's next decade was spent supervising and producing music for film and television. In 1994, he formed a partnership with Jerry Offsay and The Showtime Network where Spencer served as the off campus Supervising Music Producer on all their original films and mini-series. He worked closely with the directors of each film to select the appropriate composer, negotiated all the agreements and licenses connected with each film and mixed many of the scores, while contributing over 100 songs that Spencer wrote or co-wrote for the films. By the end of the 90s, Spencer had graduated to developing and producing his own movies for which he served in two capacities - as a producer as well as in charge of all music elements. Proffer was a Co-Executive Producer of the Showtime developed Academy and Golden Globe Award winning film, Gods & Monsters. Additionally, Spencer was an Executive Producer of the documentary special, Robbie Robertson: Goin' Home, which featured talents such as Eric Clapton, Martin Scorsese, the Band as well as unique footage from Bob Dylan, with whom Robbie worked for many years. It earned two Primetime Emmy Award nominations in 1997. Another highlight of Spencer Proffer's creative career was co-arranging and producing three original compositions with Stevie Wonder, written for the New Line Feature, The Adventures of Pinocchio. All were recorded with a 90 piece symphony orchestra. One of these tracks received a 1997 Grammy nomination for ‘Best Instrumental Recording' (title song with harmonica). For that same film, Proffer also produced, arranged and mixed a seven minute operetta with Brian May of Queen which punctuated a key scene in the film.

From 1995-1999, Spencer produced and directed the original music for HBO’s highly acclaimed award-winning multicultural series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child and composed many of the original songs. Major stars lent their vocal talents to these animated programs, including Marc Anthony, Jon Secada, Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick, En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa, Whoopi Goldberg, Cyndi Lauper, Ruth Brown, Rosie Perez, Sharon Stone, Calista Flockhart and Sinbad. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111996/?ref_=sr_1)

In 1998., Spencer acted as Music Consultant for the hit ABC television series Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, and was the Supervising Producer of the soundtrack album on Geffen Records. The successful album (certified gold) featured top-selling teen acts Backstreet Boys (who also appeared on the show), N*Sync, Britney Spears, Spice Girls, Sugar Ray, Ben Folds Five and the show’s star, Melissa Joan Hart, singing the Blondie classic One Way Or Another. (http://www.discogs.com/Various-Sabrina-The-Teenage-Witch-The-Album/release/3754870)

In 1999, Proffer was also a Producer and Cast Album Producer, arranger and mixer of the two-time Tony nominated Broadway hit show, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues. He carefully removed select musician performances from the live cast recording at Lincoln Center i{n NYC} and replaced them with musical contributions from blues legends B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, young blues virtuoso Jonny Lang and gospel personality Andrae Crouch. Randy Jackson, who served as the Executive Producer of the cast album, worked closely with Spencer to replace all the bass parts of the recordings. (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/49944-Aint-Nothin-But-the-Blues-Closes-Jan-9-Tour-Planned)

Also in 1999, Proffer worked closely with CBS Television's development executive Michael Wright (currently head of programming at TNT and TBS) to create the miniseries Shake, Rattle & Roll. It was broadcast during the November 1999 “sweeps” ratings period and aired repeatedly on VH1. Spencer served as Executive Producer, along with Mike Medavoy (chairman of Phoenix Pictures) and the project’s director and primary screenwriter, Mike Robe. Additionally, Spencer produced, arranged and mixed all the original recordings, which featured major musical personalities who not only lent their musical performances but also acted and performed in the miniseries as musical legends of the period. Participating were B.B. King, K-Ci & JoJo, Chanté Moore, Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge (of blink-182), Terence Trent D’Arby, Dicky Barrett (lead singer of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Dan Wilson (leader of Semisonic), country heartthrob Gary Allan and Broadway sensation Billy Porter (Smokey Joe’s Café). The New York Times called this project “…the most ambitious music-oriented miniseries to date…” The project also contained original songs written by such renowned talents such as Bob Dylan, Carole King, Lamont Dozier, Leiber-Stoller and Graham Nash. Proffer wrote the main song for the ending of the film, 'Side By Side' with Motown legend, Lamont Dozier. The soundtrack album was released on MCA Records. (http://www.allmusic.com/album/shake-rattle-roll-mca-original-tv-soundtrack-mw0000252814/credits)

That same year Spencer was the Executive Producer, Supervising Music Producer and Co-Composer (of the score) for Showtime Network's feature, Mr. Music, starring Mick Fleetwood and Jonathan Tucker. The soundtrack featured recordings by Pat Benatar and Graham Nash. (http://www.allmusic.com/album/mr-music-mw0000048776/credits)

In 2000, Spencer produced and co-wrote all of the original songs for MTV’s first original dramatic series, Live Through This (http://movies.nytimes.com/person/179799/Spencer-Proffer). Also that year he co-wrote and produced the title song, Behind the Mask, with Jose Feliciano for the international television series Queen of Swords (http://podiobooks.com/title/queen-of-swords-riding-toward-sunset/).

In 2001, Spencer and his Morling company (named after sons Sterling & Morgan), formed a joint venture with Fender Musical Instruments to release original guitar based music. The Fender Records debut release featured music by Eric Clapton, Green Day, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morisette, Goo Goo Dolls, blink-182 and Kenny Wayne Shepherd (.  Also in 2001, Spencer Executive Produced At Any Cost for VH1, an early starring vehicle for James Franco.

In 2002 Spencer designed and negotiated a joint venture between Fender Records and California based surf apparel company Ocean Pacific to produce a CD and tour featuring emerging acts and prominent athlete-musicians.

In 2003, Spencer produced Grammy Award-winning artists Darius Rucker and Hootie & The Blowfish, a remake of David Gates' 1978 hit single Goodbye Girl to accompany the TNT Original film NEIL SIMON'S THE GOODBYE GIRL, starring Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom). The music video for Goodbye Girl featured the band, Heaton and clips from the film and was used to promote the TNT film on 6,200 Regal Cinemas screens nationwide.

In 2003, Spencer was the Supervising Producer of the Fox Television New Years Special, 'America's Party', hosted by Ryan Seacrest and featured Keith Urban and Hootie & The Blowfish.

In 2004 Spencer co-wrote and produced the title song to USA Network’s Frankenstein, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Dean Koontz and Tony Krantz.

In 2005 R&B recording star Tweet, a protégé of hip hop sensation Missy Elliot, recorded the title song for USA Network’s Ving Rhames Kojak series, co-written and produced by Spencer. The video for the song, When I Need a Man, appeared on over 7,000 National Cinemedia screens across America to cross promote the series launch.

ROCKIN' THE CORPS:

On April 1, 2005, more than 44,000 American military and their families received an unparalleled American thank you. This was the largest military show on American soil. In the tradition of Bob Hope’s USO military tours, the non-profit organization Support the Corps and a number of Hollywood’s superstar celebrities and rock stars donated their time and talent to a landmark concert, Rockin' the Corps, on the beach of Marine Base Camp Pendleton, California. Spencer Proffer and legendary manager Doc McGhee produced this star studded concert featuring Destiny’s Child, Kiss, Godsmack, Ted Nugent, Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Darius Rucker/Hootie & the Blowfish, Ja Rule, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, with the comedy of Jay Mohr & Louie Anderson. Quincy Jones, Joseph E. Robert Jr. and Jerry Inzerillo served as Executive Producers. Celebrity presenters included Heather Locklear, Sharon Stone, Marissa Tomei, Alyssa Milano, Carmen Electra, Michelle Rodriguez, Mary J. Blige, Mark Valley, Cindy Crawford, Randy Jackson, Chris Tucker and NBA legends Karl Malone and Bob Lanier. USA NETWORK Music Architecture:

IN 2006, Spencer and then USA Network SVP Chris McCumber (currently President of the Network) conceived branding the network with fresh music from a single label group, Virgin Records. Spencer architected and negotiated the arrangement with Virgin and worked on behalf of America's #1 cable network. The deal called for the record company to provide music from the label’s artists for use across all of USA’s marketing platforms including on-air promotion, cross-channel advertising, digital and mobile. This groundbreaking arrangement marked the first time a network has made such an exclusive pact with a record label. In 2008, acting on behalf of the network, Spencer brought together USA and Yahoo Music to create a new marketing model and development hub to discover and promote emerging artists. The venture served to discover and promote new music and emerging artists through a non-traditional marketing model. The collaboration moved beyond the boundaries of traditional marketing by enhancing USA Network’s slate of innovative programming and promotional content through relevant and breakthrough music. Meteor 17 (www.meteor17.com) In 2007, Proffer formed Meteor 17, a successor, wholly owned company of the Morling Manor Music Corporation. M17 is a convergence and production venture, a full service organization that actively participates from conception and architecture through all phases of deal making, production, distribution, promotion and merchandising. They can either create or successfully negotiate to gain control, on behalf of the client, of all proprietary rights, intellectual property, potential revenue streams and marketing rights to recorded music, live performances in concert and tours. Proffer is able to set up all forms of distribution of content via Internet, big screen, radio, television, DVD, CD as well as cellular and other emerging technologies via long-term alliances with top media companies at the highest levels. M17 has deep long term alliances and partnerships with multiple leading media and music production, marketing and distribution entities, an overview of which can be seen on the company's web site.

2008-2010

MTV NETWORKS NEW VENTURE TO DISCOVER AND MARKET EMERGING TALENT:

In 2008, Spencer and esteemed music manager Doc McGhee formed a Joint Venture with MTV Networks to develop and promote new emerging talent. MTV provided the launch pad to cross promote and launch careers. First artist signed to the venture was Crooked X, a talent group of 14 year old rockers from Tulsa, Oklahoma who were lauded as the new Led Zeppelin of their generation. Proffer & McGhee produced a one hour special on the band which aired on MTV and MTV 2 repeatedly in 2009. The band made their debut album, via a joint venture arrangement between Meteor 17 and Capitol Records, with Proffer working closely with legendary German rock producer, Michael Wagener (Metallica, Ozzy Osborne, Motley Crue, Megadeth, Skid Row – 94 million units in sales) and Proffer handling the production roles.

In 2009, young country duo, The Carter Twins were added to the Venture as the first act signed to MTV Networks’ country network, CMT. Billboard Country Producer of the Year, Frank Rogers (Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Trace Adkins) helmed the boys’ first album, with Proffer and MTV’s Jeff Yapp serving as Executive Producers.

FLYING MACHINES/USA NETWORKS/YAHOO:

2009 saw NY based alternative rock band, Flying Machines, land a record deal through Meteor 17’s partnership with Capitol/EMI who released their first album. The band was discovered as a result of the USA Network/Yahoo partnership Spencer architected, which resulted in the band writing and recording the promotional song and video for USA’s launch of hit show ‘Psych’. The band was also the Grand Prize winner of the Converse and Journeys "Get Out of the Garage Music Contest” which was held over a three month period and received over 5,000 entries from all over the United States. Spencer Produced and mixed their debut album.

WARPED TOUR 15th Anniversary Media Enterprise

In 2010, Spencer served as the Co-Executive Producer on the The VANS Warped Tour 15th Anniversary Celebration Concert, DVD and CD, featuring seminal alternative artists whose careers were launched on the Warped Tour. Included were ALL AMERICAN REJECTS, THE AGGROLITES, BAD RELIGION, bLINK 182, ICE-T, NOFX, OZOMATLI, PENNYWISE, PETE WENTZ AND THE DECAYDENCE ALL STARS, RISE AGAINST AND UNDEROATH.

AS SEEN THROUGH THESE EYES:

In 2010, Spencer oversaw all musical aspects of the acclaimed documentary film As Seen Through These Eyes, produced by former Showtime President Jerry Offsay and directed by Hilary Helstein. It appeared in limited theatrical release and aired on the Sundance Channel, who financed the production. The film’s end title song, Art of the Soul, was performed by Sony platinum recording artist, Anna Nalick and written by Proffer, David Pomerantz and Judith Proffer. Composer Larry Brown and Proffer won the Grand Prize Gold Medal Award at the 7th Annual Park City Film Music Festival for Best Use of Music and Performance for the film.

Also in 2010, Spencer produced and co-wrote Citizens of the World, a song, a video documentary, a marketing campaign and an international humanitarian vision. It had its world premiere as a featured article and video embedded in The Wall Street Journal website. The performers, collectively known as Pangea, consisted of Flying Machines, (US) who performed the song in collaboration with four international superstars: Khaled (Algeria/France), King Sunny Ade (Nigeria), Kailish Kher (India) and Cheng Lin(China), whose cumulative worldwide record sales were at 73 million units. The artists sang in five different languages. He produced a video shown around the world with these international artists, filmed on the rooftop of the iconic Capitol Records building in Hollywood. This effort was the subject of a PBS Special Documentary.

SPACE WARRIORS:

M17 has a long term arrangement with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center/SPACE CAMP in Huntsville, Alabama to develop and produce media with extensions into television, DVD, merchandising, music and other platforms. The anchor is meant to inspire and promote science and space education. Any fictional aspects centers on characters, stories and adventures of individuals who attend and work at Space Camp. In 2012, the film entitled Space Warriors was produced entirely on location at Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. Proffer served as an Executive Producer and Supervising Music Producer. It was directed by Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer) cast by Joey Paul Jensen and produced in partnership with Walden Media. The film stars Danny Glover, Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Lucas and Thomas Horn. Proffer donated 25 scholarships to children across North America to further science and space education. STATE OF ALABAMA HONORARIUM: http://www.meteor17.com/space_camp_scholarships.php

In 2013, Proffer received a proclamation from the Governor of the State of Alabama, Robert Bentley. Spencer was named an Honorary Citizen of the State for his continuing efforts on behalf of The U.S. Space & Rocket Center and the state of Alabama, to inspire the next generation through Space Camp's renown educational programs at Space Camp as well as the NASA Visitor Center and Museum, Alabama’s #1 tourist attraction.

JIMI HENDRIX Acoustic Enterprise:

2013: Spencer is executive producing a unique tribute album which will be marketed and distributed by Sony/Legacy Records on Proffer's Pasha Records (formerly a successful label partner with Sony predecessor, CBS Records, in the '80s), worldwide, to be released in 2014. Sony/Legacy, distributor of the Jimi Hendrix catalog, is working in close harmony with Meteor 17, original Hendrix engineer and mixer, Eddie Kramer (who is serving as a Co-Executive Producer), Lee Trink, former President of Capitol/EMI Records No America, who will oversee the marketing and distribution aspects of the project for Meteor 17 (also serving as a Co-Executive Producer) and Phillipa Sledge, Memphis based partner to M17 (Co-Executive Producer). This acoustic/unplugged re-imagination of classic Hendrix titles for audiences of today with top worldwide artists, both legacy paired with current hit talent - all of whom have a love and affinity of Hendrix music. This project will demonstrate, musically and commercially, how relevant and timeless Jimi's music truly is.

I HOPE YOU DANCE feature film and Documentary

2013: Spencer has produced a full length documentary film, I HOPE YOU DANCE, the Power and Spirit of Song. It is the first film to explore how one extraordinary song has changed people’s lives. It is about hope, faith, optimism and the power of music to inspire and heal. By weaving together stories of how Lee Ann Womack’s worldwide mega #1 hit I Hope You Dance has motivated real people to transform their lives, to chase their dreams, to overcome obstacles and to persist in the face of extreme adversity. IHYD will inspire and empower people to achieve more, to live their best lives and to make the world a better place. The film contains true stories of aspiration, second chances, recovery, forgiveness and miracles.

Dr. Maya Angelou, Pastor Joel Osteen, world celebrated artist/songwriters Brian Wilson (who performs God Only Knows), Graham Nash (who performs Teach Your Children) Vince Gill, and Lee Ann Womack offer their unique perspective on themes explored in the film, the nature of creativity and its ability to touch and motivate. It is written and directed by John Scheinfeld (U.S. vs John Lennon; Harry Nilsson Everyone's Talking About Me).

Spencer and Meteor 17 are also developing a dramatic feature film inspired by the ethos and sensibility of I Hope You Dance. The original dramatic film will be produced by Mark Wolper/The Wolper Organization and Spencer, who will also produce and supervise all music in the film. Academy Award winning screenwriter, Ron Bass (Rainman) has adapted an original story by screenwriter Nancey Silvers and written a true tour de force for actors.

Spencer has taught numerous courses at UCLA, American University, Syracuse University and USC while having served on the Dean’s Council for the School of Communication at American University in Washington, D.C.

Film and television credits: To date, Spencer Proffer has been integrally involved in over 135 motion pictures and television programs as a music supervisor, producer, songwriter and dealmaker - see http://imdb.com/name/nm0698475/filmoyear