Allen Klein just died, according to the latest info.

Allen Klein (born December 18, 1931) was a controversial American businessman and record label executive. His career highlights included celebrated clients such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Many of his famous clients eventually turned against him, however, and he became involved in acrimonious legal battles against them.

In 1965, Klein became the co-manager of The Rolling Stones. In 1966 Klein bought Andrew Loog Oldham's share of the Rolling Stones' management, though Oldham continued in his role as the band's producer until late 1967. Mick Jagger had studied at the London School of Economics and was initially impressed enough with Klein's business skills to recommend him to Paul McCartney. Not long after, however, Jagger started to doubt Klein's trustworthiness. By the late 1960s the Stones decided to fire Klein, and set up their own business structure in 1970; however, a legal settlement meant giving Klein the rights to most of their songs recorded before 1971.

This is the official press release just in:

Allen Klein

(1931 – 2009)

Allen Klein, iconic music business entrepreneur and founder of ABKCO Music & Records died early July 4th after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s. New York-based ABKCO traces its origins back to Allen Klein & Co. the firm Klein started in the late 1950s. Today, ABKCO is one of the leading independent record companies in the world. It is home to critical catalog assets that include recordings by Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones, The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Bobby Womack, Marianne Faithfull, the Kinks, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell and many others. The company’s music publishing division comprises over two thousand copyrights including songs composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Sam Cooke, Bobby Womack, Ray Davies, Pete Townshend and other legendary songwriters. In 2006, Klein was the recipient of the Abe Olman Publisher Award presented by the Songwriters Hall of Fame in recognition of his career-long leadership position in music publishing.

Allen Klein, the youngest of four children, was born in Newark, NJ on December 18, 1931. Tragically, his mother died before he reached his first birthday and at the age of four, he was placed in an orphanage where he stayed until he was nine. Thereafter, he was raised in part by his grandmother and an aunt. As a teenager, he had several jobs while attending evening classes and he worked at the Essex County News where he learned the basics of distribution. He graduated from Upsala College in East Orange, NJ with a degree in accounting. Following a stint in the US Army, he clerked for the Manhattan accounting firm of Prager and Fenton.

Through a friendship with publisher Don Kirshner, Mr Klein became involved in the music business. A meeting with Bobby Darin started him on the path of auditing record companies on behalf of recording artists and he developed a fervent following among these clients based on his uncanny ability to identify unpaid royalties. In 1962, Klein met Sam Cooke and would soon become his manager. On Cooke’s behalf, he secured an unprecedented agreement with RCA Records providing for not only artistic control but Cooke’s ownership of his own masters via Tracey Records, a label that Klein set up for this purpose. That contract forever changed the traditional relationship between label and artist that had been in place since the birth of the industry.

Now in its fiftieth year, ABKCO was founded in 1958 as an umbrella company involved in management, music publishing, film, TV and theatrical production. In 1967, Klein added Philadelphia’s Cameo Parkway Records to ABKCO’s portfolio. In the mid-1960s, Klein turned his sights to the UK where he became associated with producer Mickie Most (Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Donovan, etc). He worked with Rolling Stones manager/producer Andrew Loog Oldham to secure a new contract with Decca (UK) and would later purchase the band’s master recordings from Oldham. For a time, Klein managed both the Beatles Apple Corps Ltd. as well as the Rolling Stones. Klein represented The Beatles in re-negotiations between Apple and EMI in 1969 which resulted in their being granted the highest royalty rate ever paid to an artist up to that time.

In 1971 Klein co-produced The Concert for Bangladesh with George Harrison at Madison Square Garden, the first ever concert event at the facility and the forerunner of every rock fund raising benefit on behalf of a cause or charity. Following the Beatles split, he continued to work with his close friends John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Through ABKCO’s involvement in Broadway productions, Klein worked with such theater luminaries as Edward Albee, Rene Taylor and Joseph Bologna. ABKCO Films produced several movies, most notably The Greek Tycoon starring Jacqueline Bisset and Anthony Quinn as well as El Topo and Holy Mountain, the cult classics directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky. ABKCO was awarded a Grammy® for the DVD documentary Sam Cooke: Legend in 2004 and an ABKCO-produced Sam Cooke film biography based on Dream Boogie, Peter Guralnick’s best selling biography of the soul and gospel star, is currently in pre-production.

Mr Klein is survived by his sister Naomi; his longtime companion Iris Keitel; his wife Betty; their three children Robin, Jody and Beth; his son-in-law Dan and daughter-in-law Jennifer; and his four grandchildren, Jeremy, Julian, Jade and Zachary. A philanthropist of great breadth, he supported many causes including City of Hope, The Painted Turtle, The NYU Dept of Cardiology Lipid Treatment & Research Center, Sloane Kettering Children’s Hospital, the Juvenile Diabetes Association, Alzheimer’s Association, the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy and the Central Park Medical Unit.

In the music business, Allen Klein was both an icon and an enigma. While he had never sought the spotlight for himself, the company he created became one of the leading independent treasuries of copyrights and master recordings and will continue as a family-run business.

Services for Allen Klein will be held in New York this Tuesday, July 7 at 11:45 AM at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 76th Street. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Allen Klein may be made to The Alzheimers Association of New York and the Juvenile Diabetes Association.

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-07-04 21:02 by bv.

Somehow I don't think this thread will receive much warmth. I think we can all grow ZZ Top style beards while we await the tributes from Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger.

dayan emet ... thanks for the information, BV

Huh.

I think it is a Jewish religious saying.

RIP ABK, an important figure from the history of the music business.

What does this mean for the future of the ABKCO label?

sorry for his death but he was ruthless to the stones and had no remorse for anyone in the industry

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billwebster
What does this mean for the future of the ABKCO label?

I just hope the person(s) inheriting the decision-making responsibility for the company keep the interests of the fans in mind.

I will play Lennon's Steel and Glass in his honour.

Richards outlast another....Hang Fire!!!!!

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billwebster
RIP ABK, an important figure from the history of the music business.

What does this mean for the future of the ABKCO label?

I'm askin' myself the same question!

I'm not a lawyer, but maybe this news could open doors to edit some unreleased footage, in an official way?

HMN

I never knew Klein had Alzheimer's.

I wonder how much, if at all, this played in his business decisions in recent years.

Should we all contribute to flowers or something?

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Sir Craven of Cottage
Should we all contribute to flowers or something?

If you feel like contributing something, I, personally, would suggest making a contribution to the Alzheimer's foundation.

>> What does this mean for the future of the ABKCO label? <<

it says in the press release BV posted for us that the company "will continue as a family-run business" -
which is what it has been for a while now.

(and yeah, "dayan emet" is a Jewish thing to say when someone dies.
it means - roughly, or anyway it can mean - that we aren't the ones to judge)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-07-05 09:12 by with sssoul.

RIP

RIP

Now we will never know what the rmk means on Child Of The Moon!

Two deaths related. I was exactly about to post a thread about the Stones songs and Michael Jackson

I wonder if Michael Jackson tried also to buy part of the Stones catalogue, besides the Beatles'.

Dead Man Don't Wear Plaid!!!!

Former Beatles, Stones manager Allen Klein dies
Sat Jul 4, 2009 2:10pm EDT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Record label mogul Allen Klein, who handled the affairs of both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, died in New York on Saturday after a battle with Alzheimer's disease, a spokesman said. He was 77.

During a career spanning more than 50 years, the former New Jersey accountant secured a fortune as one of the savviest and most infamous players in the music business.

He played a key role during the bitter demise of the Beatles, coming on board in 1969 at the behest of John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison. Paul McCartney was fiercely opposed to Klein, preferring the legal expertise of his high-powered father-in-law Lee Eastman. The feud set the scene for the court battle that led to the group's dissolution.

Klein later reunited with Harrison to organize the all-star Concert for Bangladesh show in 1971 concert. It took a decade for the funds to reach the refugees because of complex tax problems. He also continued to work with Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Klein also managed the Rolling Stones during the 1960s and ended up owning the rights to their recordings and copyrights from that decade -- to the eternal regret of Mick Jagger.

He first made his mark in the music industry by auditing record labels on behalf of clients such as Bobby Darin and Connie Francis. When he invariably found that they were owed royalties, he took a percentage of the difference as a fee. he also managed Sam Cooke, helping the R&B star set up his own label and publishing company.

Klein's family-owned ABKCO Music & Records also handled the recordings of such artists as the Animals, Herman's Hermits, Bobby Womack, Marianne Faithfull, the Kinks, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell and many others.

He is survived by his wife and three adult children. His funeral will take place in New York on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Dean Goodman; editing by Bill Trott)

[www.reuters.com]

I guess if Michael Jackson deserves a measure of respect at death so does a thief!

"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Generally I don't think it's nice to speak ill of the dead, but in Klein's case I'll make an exception: He should rot in hell.

Yes, he "looked out" for artists like Sam Cooke and The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. He gained their trust, and then ripped them off. Big time. In a business of monsters, he was one of the biggest monsters of all, a guy who got rich, filthy rich off the work of others. He looked out for #1, and #1 was Klein.

Yeah, he was pals with Harrison, but then he bought the rights to "He's So Fine" and sued him. What a buddy.

The only sad part about his death is that for the Beatles and the Stones it was 45 years too late.




As for all these "Rest In Peace" messages, what's wrong with you people? Will you also be sending flowers to the cops that busted Mick and Keith??

Well, I was trying to be tactful BUT I think you got to the point much better!LOL

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loog droog


As for all these "Rest In Peace" messages, what's wrong with you people? Will you also be sending flowers to the cops that busted Mick and Keith??

At last somebody speaks some sense.

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loog droog
Generally I don't think it's nice to speak ill of the dead, but in Klein's case I'll make an exception: He should rot in hell.

Yes, he "looked out" for artists like Sam Cooke and The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. He gained their trust, and then ripped them off. Big time. In a business of monsters, he was one of the biggest monsters of all, a guy who got rich, filthy rich off the work of others. He looked out for #1, and #1 was Klein.

Yeah, he was pals with Harrison, but then he bought the rights to "He's So Fine" and sued him. What a buddy.

The only sad part about his death is that for the Beatles and the Stones it was 45 years too late.

As for all these "Rest In Peace" messages, what's wrong with you people? Will you also be sending flowers to the cops that busted Mick and Keith??

"There have been times in recent past where a person would become an IOORIAN - announce the death of a love one and never be heard again. I've been on this board for almost 5 years..and there is no telling how many folks have died that are not relevant to the Stones or any other topic. Yes it saddens me when a family member has kick the bucket..but damn it quit using this room as a pillow! I'm tired of the crap."

You can't deny Klein's importance in Stones' history....it's just that his impact was NEGATIVE!

One minute people are wishing he hadn't killed the '72 live album, the next they want to take up a collection for the guy. I don't get it.

To summarize:

Yeah - send dead flowers.

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loog droog
One minute people are wishing he hadn't killed the '72 live album, the next they want to take up a collection for the guy. I don't get it.

And I don't quite get this statement, loog droog.

I suggested that if anyone wanted to make a donation, they make it to the Alzheimer's Foundation.

Do you have a problem with that?