Elliot Mintz

Last updated
Elliot Mintz
Elliot Mintz Photograph by Jimmy Steinfeldt.jpg
Photo by Jimmy Steinfeldt
Born (1945-02-16) February 16, 1945 (age 79)
Bronx, New York
Nationality American
Occupation(s) Radio personality, Television personality, Media consultant
Years active1963–present
Website elliotmintz.com

Elliot Mintz (born February 16, 1945) is an American radio and television personality as well as media consultant. He began his career as a radio DJ in the 1960s before becoming a radio and television personality. He hosted shows on KPFK, Earth News Radio, and Innerview and was also an entertainment correspondent for ABC 7 in Los Angeles. In the 1970s he became a spokesperson for John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and took on other musicians and actors as clients as a publicist, including Bob Dylan. He later became the publicist for Paris Hilton and Canadian drummer Neil Peart from Rush. Mintz also presented The Lost Lennon Tapes , a music documentary series that ran between 1988 and 1992.

Contents

Early life

Mintz was born in the Bronx borough of New York City on February 16, 1945. In 1963 he moved to California to attend Los Angeles City College - partly inspired by the film The Misfits [1] - where he studied broadcasting and began to do radio interviews. Early interviews by Mintz included Jayne Mansfield and Jack Lemmon. His first interview to be broadcast nationally came after the death of John F. Kennedy, when he discovered a classmate of his, Roland Bynum, had known Lee Harvey Oswald while in the US Marines together. The interview was the first character and background interview done about Oswald in the US, and was picked up by the national and international radio broadcast networks. He then became a radio D.J. in the 1960s. [2] [3] [4]

Radio and television career

From 1966 to 1968, [4] Elliot Mintz had two shows on KPFK in Los Angeles, California, Looking In and Looking Out. [5] The shows provided a platform for community conversation as well as for interviews Mintz would do with public figures. Each show would begin with a series of rhetorical questions, which listeners could call in to respond to. [6] When he started with KPFK, Mintz was the youngest talkshow host in the US, at the age of 21, broadcasting a nightly radio show on the station. [1] In 1971 he hosted a Kaiser Broadcasting syndicated television show called Headshop that integrated musical guests with film clips shot in and around Southern California. [3] [7]

From 1973 to 1974, Mintz was the entertainment correspondent for Eyewitness News on KABC television in Los Angeles. He also worked on-air at KLAC (1968–69), KMET (1969), and KLOS (1970–71). During this part of his career he interviewed Hollywood actors and recording artists, and lived next door to Timothy Leary. [4] [8] In 1980 Mintz received a California Associated Press, Television, and Radio Association award for his November 30, 1979 radio interview of an Iranian student at the American Embassy in Tehran during the Iran Hostage Crisis. [9] Mintz's interviews include those with Mort Sahl, Norman Mailer, Ray Bradbury, Alan Watts, Salvador Dalí, Jack Lemmon, John Wayne, Groucho Marx, [1] Timothy Leary, Jack Nicholson, [10] Allen Ginsberg, [11] Jayne Mansfield, Raquel Welch, Karen Black, and musicians like John Lennon, Donna Summer, John Coltrane, [12] Stevie Wonder, [13] Ringo Starr, Alice Cooper, and Mick Jagger. [4]

Mintz was the host of the television interview show Headshop, where he interviewed individuals including Kris Kristofferson. [14] He retired in 2014, upon which he released a website containing his past interviews for download. Other radio stations he worked for include KPPC, KABC, Earth News Radio, Innerview, and Westwood One. [12]

He appeared on episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2021. [15]

Public relations career

Mintz is a public relations person and spokesperson for individuals and corporate clients. His first client was Bobby Sherman during the 1960s. [11] He also represented John Lennon and Yoko Ono, whom he befriended in 1971. He joined their entourage throughout the 1970s and remains a spokesperson for both the John Lennon Estate and Ono. [2] Other clients of Mintz's have included Christie Brinkley, [16] Crosby, Stills and Nash, [17] Diana Ross, [18] Don Johnson, [19] [20] Janet Jones, [21] Melanie Griffith, [22] and Bob Dylan. [23] [24] During the 2000s Mintz represented Paris Hilton, [25] and appeared on her television show The Simple Life . [7]

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Since the death of Lennon, Mintz has acted as a spokesperson for the Lennon estate. [2] While sifting through Lennon's belongings, he discovered hundreds of unreleased tape recordings including half-finished new songs and early versions of famous hits. Beginning in 1988, he hosted a weekly syndicated radio series based upon these recordings called The Lost Lennon Tapes , which was broadcast for about four years. After the show came to an end, Mintz began hosting the spinoff radio program The Beatle Years. [8] Mintz has appeared in feature documentaries about Lennon and Yoko Ono, including Imagine: John Lennon , The U.S. vs. John Lennon and The Real Yoko Ono. In 1985, he was a technical advisor on the television film John and Yoko: A Love Story . [7] He also authored an essay about his relationship with them published in a 2005 book entitled Memories of John Lennon. [26] In October 2024 Mintz published a memoir We all shine on: John, Yoko and me. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lennon</span> English musician and member of the Beatles (1940–1980)

John Winston Ono Lennon was an English singer, songwriter and musician. He gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. His work included music, writing, drawings and film. His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history as the primary songwriters in the Beatles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoko Ono</span> Japanese artist and activist (born 1933)

Yoko Ono is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.

<i>John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band</i> 1970 studio album by John Lennon

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is the debut solo studio album by English musician John Lennon. Backed by the Plastic Ono Band, it was released by Apple Records on 11 December 1970 in tandem with the similarly titled album by his wife, Yoko Ono. At the time of its issue, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band received mixed reviews overall, but later came to be widely regarded as Lennon's best solo album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Lennon</span> British-American composer and musician (born 1975)

Sean Taro Ono Lennon is a British-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and his parents' group Plastic Ono Band. He has released two solo albums: Into the Sun (1998) and Friendly Fire (2006). He has produced numerous albums for various artists, including Black Lips and the Plastic Ono Band.

<i>Wedding Album</i> 1969 studio album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Wedding Album is the third and final in a succession of three experimental albums by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It followed Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins and Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions. In Britain, the album was released credited by "John and Yoko", without last names mentioned. In the United States, it was released credited by "John Ono Lennon & Yoko Ono Lennon."

<i>Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions</i> 1969 studio album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions is the second of three experimental albums of avant-garde music by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released in May 1969 on Zapple, a sub label of Apple. It was a successor to 1968's highly controversial Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins, and was followed by the Wedding Album. The album peaked in the United States at number 174, 50 places lower than the previous album. The album, whose title is a play on words of the BBC Radio show Life with The Lyons, was recorded at Queen Charlotte's Hospital in London and live at Cambridge University, in November 1968 and March 1969, respectively. The Cambridge performance, to which Ono had been invited and to which she brought Lennon, was Lennon and Ono's second as a couple. A few of the album's tracks were previewed by the public, thanks to Aspen magazine. The album was remastered in 1997.

<i>Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins</i> 1968 studio album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins is the first of three experimental albums released by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Apple Records. It was the result of an all-night session of musical experimentation with Yoko in John's home studio at Kenwood, while his wife, Cynthia Lennon, was on holiday in Greece. Lennon and Ono's 1968 debut recording is known not only for its avant-garde content, but also for its cover, which shows the couple naked. This made the album controversial to both the public and the parent record company EMI, which refused to distribute it. In an attempt to avoid controversy, the LP record was sold in a brown paper bag, and distributed by Track and Tetragrammaton in the United Kingdom and the United States respectively. Two Virgins, while failing to chart in the UK, reached number 124 in the US. The album was followed six months later by Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May Pang</span> American former music executive (born 1950)

May Fung Yee Pang is an American former music executive. She worked for John Lennon and Yoko Ono as a personal assistant and production coordinator. When Lennon and Ono separated in 1973, Pang and Lennon began a relationship that lasted more than 18 months. Lennon later referred to this time as his "Lost Weekend". Pang published two books about her relationship with Lennon: a memoir, Loving John ; and a book of photographs, Instamatic Karma. A documentary about their relationship, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, was produced in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic Ono Band</span> Rock band

The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and Fluxus-based artist collective formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-9 for their collaborative musical and sound art projects, films, conceptual art projects and eventual solo LPs. The creation of The Plastic Ono Band, which began in 1967 with Ono's idea for an art exhibition in Berlin, allowed Lennon to separate his artistic output from that of The Beatles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bed-in</span> Anti-war demonstration by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

A bed-in is a nonviolent protest against wars, initiated by Yoko Ono and her husband John Lennon during a two week period in Amsterdam and Montreal as an experimental test of new ways to promote peace. As the Vietnam War raged in 1969, artist Ono and Lennon held one bed-in protest at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam and one at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. The idea is derived from a "sit-in", in which a group of protesters remain seated in front of or within an establishment until they are evicted, arrested, or their requests are met.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ballad of John and Yoko</span> 1969 single by the Beatles

"The Ballad of John and Yoko" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in May 1969, with "Old Brown Shoe" as its B-side. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, and chronicles the events surrounding the wedding of Lennon and Yoko Ono. The song was the Beatles' 17th UK number-one single and their last for 54 years until "Now and Then" in 2023. In the United States, it was banned by some radio stations due to the lyrics' reference to Christ and crucifixion. The single peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song, along with its B-side, has subsequently appeared on compilation albums such as Hey Jude, 1967–1970, and Past Masters. It was also included on the compilation 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman Is the Nigger of the World</span> 1972 song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

"Woman Is the Nigger of the World" is a song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono with Elephant's Memory from their 1972 album Some Time in New York City. The song was produced by Lennon, Ono and Phil Spector. Released as the only single from the album in the United States, the song sparked controversy at the time due to the use of the word nigger in the title, and many radio stations refused to play the song as a result.

Howard Smith was an American Oscar-winning film director, producer, journalist, screenwriter, actor and radio broadcaster.

Roy Tuckman, better known as Roy of Hollywood, was an American radio host.

<i>The U.S. vs. John Lennon</i> 2006 American film

The U.S. vs. John Lennon is a 2006 American documentary film about John Lennon's transformation from member of the Beatles to anti-war activist opposing the reelection of Richard Nixon as president in 1972. The film also details the attempts by the Nixon administration to deport Lennon from the US to end his anti-war and anti-Nixon campaigns. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in New York City and Los Angeles, California on 15 September 2006, and had a nationwide release on 29 September. A soundtrack composed of John Lennon tracks was released by Capitol Records and EMI on 26 September 2006.

"Grow Old with Me" is one of the final songs written by John Lennon. It was first recorded by Lennon as a demo while in Bermuda. A handwritten lyric sheet for the song is dated July 5, 1980 Fairyland Bermuda. The song was first released on the posthumous album Milk and Honey in 1984. It was also rumored to be among the songs planned as a possible reunion single by his former bandmates during the making of The Beatles Anthology.

<i>The Beatles Tapes from the David Wigg Interviews</i> 1976 live album spoken word by the Beatles

The Beatles Tapes from the David Wigg Interviews is an audio album of interviews with each of the four members of the Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. British journalist David Wigg interviewed the individual Beatles at various points from December 1968 or January 1969 to December 1973, and excerpts from some of these recordings constitute the album's spoken words. Although he was a columnist for the London newspaper The Evening News, most of the interviews were recorded for the BBC Radio 1 series Scene and Heard. Interspersed among the interview excerpts are instrumental performances of Beatles songs played by other musicians. The Beatles tried to prevent the album's publication, but it was released in the United Kingdom on 30 July 1976 under the Polydor label and in the United States in 1978. Both George and Ringo did attempt to sue the Recording label, however, both of them lost the case because the interviews were done on public radio on the BBC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mrs. Lennon</span> 1971 single by Yoko Ono

"Mrs. Lennon" is Yoko Ono's first single from her second studio album Fly, released in 1971. It was written and performed by Ono, and produced by Ono and her husband John Lennon. It includes the B-side "Midsummer New York". "Mrs. Lennon" was featured in the 1972 film Imagine.

<i>The Lost Lennon Tapes</i> American music documentary series

The Lost Lennon Tapes was an American music documentary series presented by Elliot Mintz, comprising a three-hour premiere episode and 218 one-hour episodes, broadcast on the Westwood One Radio Network between 24 January 1988 and 29 March 1992. The show had about 7 million listeners weekly, and was broadcast in six countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bed Peace</span> 2013 single by Jhené Aiko featuring Childish Gambino

"Bed Peace" is a song by American recording artist Jhené Aiko, taken from her debut EP, Sail Out (2013). The song was first premiered in July 2013 during a performance for Rap-Up Sessions, "Bed Peace" was later released as the EP's lead single on September 17, 2013, through ARTium record and Def Jam Recordings. The song was produced by frequent collaborator Fisticuffs and features a guest appearance from American rapper Childish Gambino, who co-wrote the song along with Aiko.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Paul Leslie (28 October 2014). "Elliot Mintz: Media Consultant, Former Radio & Television Personality". 89.1 WBCX. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 Marie-Joëlle Parent (October 30, 2008). "In the shadow of stars". Canoe. Archived from the original on April 12, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. 1 2 Kyle Pope (August 27, 2006). "Walking Miss Hilton". The New York Times . Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Harvey Kubernik (2009). Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon. Sterling Publishing Company. p. 286. ISBN   9781402765896 . Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  5. ↑ http://www.pacificaradioarchives.org/projects/folios/6801kpfk/pdfs/6801kpfk.pdf Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine , see schedule for the 27th at 10PM.
  6. ↑ Matthew Lasar (2000). Pacifica Radio 2E. Temple University Press. p. 222. ISBN   9781566397773 . Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 "Elliot Mintz: Miscellaneous Crew". IMDB. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  8. 1 2 Claudia Puig (March 11, 1992). "'Lennon Tapes' Hits Its Last Reel : Radio: What began as a 2-year project ends four years later as host Elliot Mintz finishes his final 'Lost Lennon Tapes' show". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Phone call to the occupied American embassy in Iran / by Elliot Mintz and Roy Tuckman". Pacifica Radio Archives. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  10. ↑ "People: Mintz offering free access to celeb talks". The Spokesman-Review. May 19, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Valerie Milano (September 29, 2014). "Elliot Mintz Media Consultant and Broadcaster". The Hollywood Times. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Sandy Cohen (May 21, 2014). "Retiring host Elliot Mintz shares interviews free online". Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  13. ↑ "'Inner View' Now Offering Part 2 Stevie Wonder". Billboard Magazine. 27 November 1976. p. 20. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  14. ↑ Michael Walker (2010). Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock-and-Roll's Legendary Neighborhood. Macmillan. p. 76. ISBN   9781429932936 . Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  15. ↑ "'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' finale recap: The Year of the Ox". EW.com. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  16. ↑ "Model Christie Brinkley, Husband Separate". Fox News Channel. July 12, 2006. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Crosby gets new liver". Syracuse Herald-Journal. November 19, 1994. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Diana Ross gives birth to fifth child". The Telegraph-Herald . August 26, 1988. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Don Johnson, wife expecting a baby". USA Today . December 26, 2005. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Don Johnson ends holdout". The Vindicator . June 21, 1986. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  21. ↑ "HOCKEY; Lawyers Say Neither Gretzky Nor His Wife Will Be Charged". New York Times. February 17, 2006. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Melanie Griffith faints at home". Gainesville Sun. May 28, 1993. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Dylan's Change of Tune Riles Fans". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . October 17, 1996. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  24. ↑ WILLIAM E. SCHMIDT (November 4, 1988). "Hibbing Journal; No Honor for the Home Of a Famed Native Son". New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  25. ↑ Bryan Alexander (May 6, 2007). "Paris Hilton & Longtime Rep Part Ways". People Magazine . Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  26. ↑ Yoko Ono (2005). Memories of John Lennon. Harper Collins. ISBN   9780061870804 . Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  27. ↑ Mintz, Elliot (2024). We all shine on: John, Yoko and me. Bantam. ISBN   9780857506078.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.