Gary Kurfirst - A Piece of Hard Rock & Rock History

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Gary Kurfirst Official Website

Gary Kurfirst (8 July 1947 – 13 January 2009) was an American figure in late 20th and early 21st century popular music, working as a promoter, producer, manager, publisher, and record label executive. Kurfirst founded Radioactive Records, whose acts included Live, Black Grape, Jane's Addiction, the Ramones, Big Audio Dynamite, Talking Heads, Eurythmics and Shirley Manson. He managed a variety of artists including Manson, Blondie, Tom Tom Club, the Ramones, Jean Beauvoir, Eurythmics, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Toots and the Maytals, and The B-52s.

Management Clients

2004 - Diamanda Galas
2004 - Skinny Puppy
2003 - Ambulance LTD
2003 - Lake Trout
2003 - Los Amigos Invinsibles
2002 - Indigenous
2002 - Radio Mundial
2000 - Live
1992 - Babble (see Thompson Twins 1989)
1991 - Downtown Science
1991 - Dig
1990 - Lori Carson
1990 - Deee Lite
1989 - Thompson Twins (see Babble 1992)
1988 - Jerry Harrison/Producer
1988 - Jane's Addiction
1988 - Deborah Harry
1988 - Casual Gods/Jerry Harrison
1987 - Wendy & Lisa
1986 - Jean Beauvoir
1986 - David Byrne
1985 - Water Boys
1984 - Ricki Lee Jones
1984 - Big Audio Dynamite
1982 - Chris Frantz & Tina Weymouth,
1982 - Tom Tom Club
1981 - Holly & The Italians
1980 - Eurythmics
1979 - Ramones
1978 - B-52s
1977 - Talking Heads
1976 - Third World
1976 - Peter Tosh
1976 - Mighty Diamonds
1976 - Eddie & The Hotrods
1975 - Toots & The Maytals
1975 - Steve Winwood
1975 - Robert Palmer
1974 - Ian Mathews
1972 - West Bruce & Laing
1972 - Deodato
1971 - Mitch Ryder
1970 - Mylon LeFevre
1970 - Head, Hands & Feet
1970 - Free
1967 - Mountain

 

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Concert Promotions

YEAR - ARTIST - VENUE
1986 Talking Heads - Palace Theater
1985 Talking Heads/Burning Spear - Forest Hills Tennis Stadium
1985 Diana Ross - Portland Civic Center
1985 Bonnie Raitt - Syracuse University
1985 Big Audio Dynamite - Irving Plaza
1985 Benny Goodman - New York Philharmonic
1985 B52s/Eurythmics - Forest Hills Tennis Stadium
1985 B52s - Sam Houston Colesium
1983 Talking Heads - Houston Music Hall
1982 The Clash - Houston Coliseum
1979 B52s - Irving Plaza
1979 Talking Heads - Irving plaza
1979 Joan Baez - Carnegie Hall
1978 Benny Goodman - Carnegie Hall
1977 Andy Gibb - Syracuse Memorial Auditorium
1977 Yes - Augusta Civic Center
1977 The Stranglers - Entermedia Theater
1977 Talking Heads/Dillinger - Entermedia Theater
1977 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - University of Maryland
1976 Bob Marley/Stanley Clarke - Madison Sq. Garden; Boston Garden; Montreal Forum; Toronto Maple Leaf Garden; Starlight Bowl (LA); Greek Theater (SF); Miami Auditorium
1976 Grateful Dead - Syracuse University & Portland Maine Civic Center
1976 Chicago - Portland Maine Civic Center
1976 Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Syracuse University & Portland Maine Civic Center1970 10 Years After - Island Garden Arena
1970 Jethro Tull - Stonybrook Univ. & Club Revolution
1968 The Doors - Madison Sq. Garden
1968 The Doors/The Who - Singer bowl
1968 Jimi Hendrix/Janis Joplin - Singer Bowl
1968 Jimi Hendrix/Soft Machine - Boston Garden
1968 Jimi Hendrix - Symphony Hall
1967 The Who/The Vagrants - Village Theater
1967 Jimi Hendrix - Stonybrook University
1967 Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart - Island Garden Arena
1967 Procol Harem - Village Theater
1967 The Doors - Village Theater
1967 Wilson Pickett - Village Theater
1967 Otis Redding/Carla Thomas - Village Theater
1967 Blood Sweat & Tears - Island Garden Arena & Westchester County Center
1967 Jeff Beck Group/Rod Stewart - Village Theater & Island Garden Arena
1967 Yardbirds/Jimmy Page - Village Theater & Island Garden Arena
1967 Cream/Richie Havens - Village Theater & Island Garden Arena
1967 Donovan/Janis Ian - St. Johns University
1967 Cream/Moby Grape/Canned Heat - Village Theater
1967 Young Rascals/The Vagrants - Singer Bowl
1967 Young Rascals /Vanilla Fudge - Island Garden Arena
1966 Shangri-Las - Malibu Country Club
1966 Ronettes - El Patio Country Club

 

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Gary began promoting dances while he was in High School. He honed in his fine skill of promotions by heading up some of the biggest concerts in the USA and continued concert promotions up until the late 1980's.

Gary headed up the first East Coast concerts for Jimi Hendrix and The Who.

Gary established Fillmore East with the management of Bill Graham. Many artists recorded live albums here due to the outstanding acoustics.

In August 1968, Gary organized the New York Rock Festival, an open-air concert with 18,000 in attendance that featured performances by The Chambers Brothers, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Soft Machine. This open air concert is credited as the inspiration for the legendary Woodstock Festival.

Program Guide

Check out the ticket price!!!

The 1968 New York Rock Festival concert setlists

The founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell, was quoted in Gary Kurfirst's obituary, "one of the first managers who basically built the rock business".

 

[Oldhippie]

Knew about a lot of his work, but never knew of the guy./