A Legendary Music Manager Passes Away
Brian Avnet, a renowned personnel manager and music manager, has passed away at the age of 82. Avnet was known for discovering Josh Groban and working with notable artists such as David Foster, Manhattan Transfer, and many others.
Early Life and Career
Avnet was born on July 16, 1942, in Baltimore. His father, Duke, was a lawyer who practiced in the area for 54 years, and his mother, Beatrice, was a social worker. At the age of 15, Avnet landed a job at the newly opened Painter’s Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills, Maryland, where he became the youngest manager at the venue. He also worked with Lee Guber at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island.
Rise to Fame
Avnet graduated from Gettysburg College and completed an internship at Princeton’s theater department. He worked in summer stocks, shared a New York apartment with Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, and continued to produce A Streetcar Named Desire with Voight at the Studio Arena Theater in Buffalo, New York. Avnet also worked with Bette Midler when she played clubs in New York before becoming a Broadway sensation in the 1970s.
Notable Collaborations
In 1974, Avnet moved to Los Angeles to work with Lou Adler on the production of The Rocky Horror Show at the Roxy. The success of this nine-month run led to the 1975 film adaptation. He also produced a LA-stage production of Tommy and Jesus Christ Superstar at the Universal Amphitheater, where he supervised his first season. Avnet worked closely with artists such as Johnny Mandel, Herb Alpert, Lani Hall, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Cyndi Lauper, Take 6, Jean-Luc Ponty, Eric Benét, and Joshua Ledet.
Legacy
Avnet began working with the Manhattan Transfer in 1979, and two years later, the vocal group won Grammys in both the pop and jazz categories in the same year. He also discovered Josh Groban and helped launch his career. With composer and producer David Foster, Avnet worked on recording projects for Whitney Houston, Céline Dion, Toni Braxton, Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Faith Hill, Brandy, En Vogue, Olivia Newton-John, The Bee Gees, Michael Bolton, All-4-One, Julio Iglesias, and Smokey Robinson.
Personal Life and Passing
Avnet passed away on May 14th in his Los Angeles home after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by his wife, Marcia, his brother Richard, and his nephew Evan. A private memorial service will take place in LA in September, and donations in his memory can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Avnet was a respected and beloved figure in the music industry, known for his honesty, talent, and kind heart. As Alan Paul, a founding member of Manhattan Transfer, said, "Brian was an excellent manager and like a brother to me."
