| Nasty_Canasta |
| (Bronze Member) |
| 10/06/05 05:23 PM |
Harold Leventhal, folk music promoter, dies at 86
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Thursday October 06, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) Folk music promoter Harold Leventhal has died. Leventhal worked with Woody Guthrie and introduced Bob Dylan in his first major concert hall show. He was 86.
Leventhal died Tuesday at New York University Medical Center. His death was announced on the Web site of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives.
From the 1950's to the end of the 20th century, Leventhal was a champion of folk music who introduced audiences to both foreign and American artists.
He presented a 21-year-old Bob Dylan at Town Hall in New York in Dylan's first major concert hall appearance on April 12th, 1963. He was also the longtime producer of the Thanksgiving folk concert at Carnegie Hall, which featured Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger.
Leventhal won a Grammy in 1989 as a producer for the album ``Folkways: A Vision Shared A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly.''
He also produced several movies about the folk music world, including ``Alice's Restaurant'' in 1969; a 1976 biography of Woody Guthrie called ``Bound for Glory''; and ``Wasn't That a Time!'' in 1982. ``Bound For Glory'' received two Academy Awards, for music and cinematography.
| samgoody |
| (Bronze Member) |
| 10/07/05 01:18 AM |
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Re: Harold Leventhal, folk music promoter, dies at 86
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It's a tribute to the general musical illiteracy of so many of the posters here that this has obituary been up all day and no one has remarked on the passing of a true legend. I guess whatever Nick and Jessica are doing is much more important.
Yet another reason why the "music" "business" is in the shitter today.
| ohwell |
| (Gold Member) |
| 10/07/05 05:20 AM |
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Re: Harold Leventhal, folk music promoter, dies at
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Yes, very sad. I posted an even longer obit even earlier in the day and there was zero response.
NY Times Obit for Harold Leventhal
I keep flashing back to "A Mighty Wind" strangely enough.
Years ago I happened to attend the memorial service for Moses Asch, founder of the great Folkways label, and the first eulogy was delivered by the actual Sam Goody.
| Daylight |
| (Silver Member) |
| 10/07/05 05:42 AM |
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Re: Harold Leventhal, folk music promoter, dies at
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Had the exact same thought when i read the headline. A mighty wind is blowing...
| Anne Leighton |
| (Diamond Member) |
| 10/08/05 05:10 AM |
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Re: Harold Leventhal, folk music promoter, dies at
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Sam,
Some of us weren't on this board.
But you know, it's not a tribute to the general illiteracy of this board, just an unawareness of the mechanics of the folk industry. Had it have been a performer, you'd have seen more responses.
And by the way, I didn't know about Mr. Leventhal's passing till today. I read about it in the newspaper, by the way. Mr. Leventhal's name jumped out at me. What I did not know was that he grew up in the Bronx, tho'.
There were a lot of things he did as a manager that can inspire us in different ways. He was a great listener and came across as soft-spoken, but he said some pretty profound things. The issue of protecting your artist, even from the realities of the day-to-day world was one principle he believed in as a manager. He felt musicians needed to live in some sort of fantasy world. Of course for years after I got that quote, I wondered, "What kind of fantasy world does Pete Seeger live in?" Because Pete seems to be really doing something for the real world.
Mr. Leventhal did manage musicians in a genre that was popular, but I still would like to believe there can be majorly successful niche managers and labels who can work with the style of acts he handled.
I'll wager his office does continue. In recent years I was in contact with (daughter) Judy Leventhal for a song need. I'm very sure he taught his children.....and obviously Woody's children well.
| teverett |
| (Diamond Member) |
| 10/08/05 12:36 PM |
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Re: Harold Leventhal, folk music promoter, dies at
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Can't speak for everybody who does it, but one reason I post (and read) obits is because the good ones convey a sense of history, intertwined with the life of the individual.
In other words, someone who read the NYT Leventhal obit, even if they hadn't recognized the name, would be a better-educated person after having read it.