Iconic and infamous music business entrepreneur Allen Klein has died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. He was 77.
Klein — a controversial manager whose clients included Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles — founded Allen Klein & Co. in the late 1950s. Today, ABKCO is one of the world’s leading independent music companies.
The New Jersey-born accountant’s rise to fame began with Cooke, who he helped land an unprecedentedly lucrative recording deal in 1963. He then moved on to the Rolling Stones — and, when their relationship ended, he walked away with the rights to some of the band’s classic hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” He also represented the Beatles during the tumultuous months before their 1970 breakup.
Along the way, he earned a reputation as a dogged businessman with a take-no-prisoners negotiating style.
Klein is survived by his longtime girlfriend Iris Keitel, an ABKCO executive, and three adult children.
Good riddance A55hole!
Now this is a death I’m not sad to hear about.
One of the truly evil people in the music business of the 20th century.
One question for you Allen Klein haters: Are you now, or have you ever been, a communist??… Newsflash: the Beatles and Stones were capitalists, which was why they liked Allen Klein.
I stand corrected… I just read about what Allen Klein did to some band called The Verve: they paid Klein’s company to *legally* use a sample of a Stones song in one of their recordings. Then when the song became a hit, Klein argued they used *a bit more* of the sample than they were supposed to and thereby forced them to either to turn over 100% of the royalties for the song or take it off the market… So ever since then Jagger & Richards are credited as the songwriters on that song instead of the guy from The Verve… Pretty sleazy, Mr. Klein… You can be Satan’s girlfriend in Hell (if he breaks up with Saddam, of course).
Go to youtube and watch
LITTLE MONKEY BOY CLIMBING
the most adorable video ever!
TWO people from the music industry died yesterday. Allen Klein and Drake Levin. Allen,as mentioned was a music industry executive. Drake Levin was lead guitarist for Paul Revere & The Raiders in the 60′s until he was drafted.After his service he played for The Brotherhood,Emitt Rhodes,Lee Michaels,Billy Dunn and Curtis Lawson.In his later years,he owned and ran a recording studio in San Francisco.
Where as Mr.Klein wasn’t exactly loved within the industry,Drake Levin was.
Jodorowsky outlived him.
This dude is the reason the Beatles broke up!!!
May he su
Mr. Klein was a real jerk for what he did to the Beatles, the Stones and the Verve.
that’s former
http://www.nowgoal.com/21.shtml
I am in total agreement with mel’s comment – it is because of Klein’s actions that MJ ended up with the Beatles’ publishing
NYCRhymology, if a capitalist is one who tricks, cheats and steals then Klein was a capitalist extraordinaire. It must suck not to have control over your own creations, including most of your biggest hits if you’re the Stones. Taking advantage of young artists who were naive about the business and how ruthless it is would not be considered something commendable. Few tears will be shed for Klein. Here’s hoping the artists can somehow get their catalogs back.
Paul sued the other three Beatles over Allen Klein. He was trying to steal money from Paul over his first solo record and he was trying to take money from all the Beatles that he wasn’t entitled to. Paul was vilified at the time but he ended up being on the right side.