LISTEN OUT LOUD: A Life in Music--Managing McCartney, Madonna, and Michael Jackson, by Ron Weisner, with Alan Goldsher, is an exciting, no-holds-barred, humorous, affectionate, and compelling first hand look at legendary music manager Ron Weisner's career working alongside Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Madonna, Gladys Knight, Quincy Jones, and countless other superstars. "Listen Out Loud" will be released on June 3 through Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.
Ron Weisner began his career in the 1960s at Buddah Records and then worked as a music manager with some of the most influential artists of the era. He also spent decades producing television shows and special events (Ron Weisner Entertainment) for the likes of Beyoncé and Chaka Kahn, as well as the annual Apollo Theater's Spring Gala and post-performance party; the BET 20th Anniversary
Celebration (2000) and the BET Awards (2009 and 2006); "
Michael Jackson: The Tribute" in Vienna, Austria, on
September 26, 2009, and most recently the Apollo Theater's 80th Anniversary event in June 2014.
An excerpt from LISTEN OUT LOUD: "Michael on drugs was a shadow of his sober self, and even after the way he dumped me, I still cared about the guy, so I called LaToya and told her, 'Let's do this. Let's get him fixed. I'll put together a team, I'll arrange for an airplane, I'll find the right facility. I'll put everything in place and pay for it myself'...On May 15, two days before the kidnapping - and yes, that's exactly what this was, a kidnapping - I got a call from LaToya, who was, to put it mildly, freaking out. 'You gotta stop it, you gotta stop it, you gotta stop it!' So I stopped it all: the airplane, the rehab facility, the team, everything came to a halt. I don't know if the snatching - or the kidnapping, or whatever you want to call it - would've lengthened Michael's life....but at the very least, it would've given him a chance." - Ron Weisner on
Michael Jackson
Weisner was a high-powered manager for over four decades and having also represented
Steve Winwood, Curtis Mayfield,
Bill Withers,but most notably he saw
Michael Jackson through his game-changingmulti-platinum albums
Thriller and Off the Wall. He fought back as the industry tried to steer Jackson in a musical direction that would have derailed his career. And he saw Michael suffer through devastating press coverage that turned the troubled singer's world upside down.
LISTEN OUT LOUDcovers all of this and more, such as intriguing tales about
Bill Withers's shyness, Madonna's brazenness, and
Paul McCartney's perseverance. Featuring an introduction by
Gladys Knight and commentary by Winwood, Withers,
Quincy Jones, and some behind-the-scenes record label power brokers, Weisner's illuminating memoir underscores the destructive changes to the industry during his 40-year career, including the shift in focus from artistic integrity to the pursuit of cold, hard numbers. It's an intimate glimpse into the music world from a man with a keen eye, sharp ears, and a big heart.
Additional LISTEN OUT LOUD quotes:
Quincy Jones quotes: "Listen Out Loud reminded me why Ron Weisner is my brother from another mother. Like me, he's not afraid to do something just because it hasn't been done. This is a must-read for music industry professionals, musicians, listeners . . . Hell, this book is a must-read for anybody!"
"At our first meeting in New York,
Madonna was abrasive, the farthest thing from warm and cuddly, but there was something about her that screamed success...still, it was uncomfortable being around her" - Ron Weisner
Pre-order LISTEN OUT LOUD now through Amazon.
http://amzn.to/RsJI2N
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