EP 126: Supermensch Shep Gordon on Film, Food and Rock 'n Roll

Shep Gordon is a legendary music manager, film producer and inventor of the “celebrity chef.” Among his many clients, he has guided the careers of Alice Cooper, Luther Vandross, Pink Floyd, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, Groucho Marx, and Raquel Welch. He is beloved in the entertainment business for his kindness, honesty, and sense of service in an otherwise cut-throat industry, and it has earned him the nickname “Supermensch.”

Today, Shep Gordon will reveal how checking into the right motel and a little advice from Jimi Hendrix launched his career in the music business. He’ll talk about some of the stunts he came up with to get publicity for his very first client, Alice Cooper, and how an incident with the band and a very young Cameron Crowe inspired a classic scene in the movie “Almost Famous.” He talks about taking on the notorious “chitlin’ circuit” while managing R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, and how he invented the concept of the “celebrity chef” and made guys like Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse household names. Plus Shep Gordon discusses the high price of fame, his rules for doing “compassionate business,” and cooking for the Dalai Lama.

If you enjoyed today’s podcast, then you can order Shep Gordon's new memoir They Call Me Supermensch: A Backstage Pass to the Amazing Worlds of Film, Food, and Rock ’n Roll on Amazon or you can download the audio version for free at www.audibletrial.com/kickassnews. Follow Shep Gordon on Twitter at @SupermenschShep.