Paul Tollett

Paul Tollett
Born	1965 (age 58–59)
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Cal Poly Pomona
Occupation	Promoter
Years active	1986 – Present
Employer	Goldenvoice
Title	CEO and president

Paul Tollett is an American music promoter. He is the president and CEO of Goldenvoice, a Los Angeles-based concert production company, and the co-founder of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. ^[1]

Early life and education

Tollett was born in Ohio and grew up in Pomona, California. He and his brother, Perry, regularly attended punk and hardcore shows promoted by Goldenvoice. ^[2] The Tolletts promoted their first show while in high school. ^[3]

Career

Tollett met Gary Tovar, Goldenvoice's owner, at a Bad Manners concert in Long Beach in 1986. ^[4] He worked part time for Goldenvoice while a chemistry student at CalPoly Pomona, dropping out in his senior year to become a full time employee. ^[5]

In 1991, he and Rick Van Santen, a longtime associate of Tovar's, bought Goldenvoice. Their first shows featured artists including Black Flag, Jane’s Addiction, and N.W.A. ^{[6] [7]} Tollett said in 2011 that Tovar taught him "everything". ^[2]

In 1996, Paul and Perry Tollett co-founded the Glass House, a live music venue in Pomona. No Doubt was the first band that played the Glass House, which became known for its all-ages rock and punk shows. In 2007, with partners Ed and Jerry Tessier, the Tolletts purchased and renovated the historic Pomona Fox Theater. ^[8]

In 1997, Tollett and Van Santen developed the concept for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which was held for the first time in 1999. It lost approximately $750,000. Although Goldenvoice survived the loss, based in part on Tollett's history of "fair dealing with bands and venders", it was a struggle; Tollett sold his house and his car. ^[4]

Goldenvoice was acquired by AEG in March 2001; by then it was one of the most prominent promoters of rock and punk shows in the United States. ^[9]

The second Coachella took place as a one-day festival in 2001. In 2012 it was expanded to six days over two consecutive weekends. ^[10] The 2018 festival drew an audience of approximately 250,000 people. The 2019 festival sold out in six hours. ^{[11] [12] [13]}

Van Santen died in 2004. ^[7] Tollett and Van Santen were "inseparable" from 1988 to the time of Van Santen's death. In a 2011 interview, he said: "We couldn't have done it without each other." ^[2]

References

1. Appleford, Steve (2019-01-11). "Must Reads: As Coachella turns 20, its press-shy co-founder gets candid about sexual harassment and why Kanye dropped out". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
2. "Gary Tovar Has His Goldenvoice – OC Weekly". www.ocweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
3. Varga, George (2012-04-13). "The man behind Coachella & Stagecoach". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
4. Seabrook, John (2017-04-10). "The Mastermind Behind Coachella". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
5. "A Music Empire Started with Big Dreams and Hard Work | PolyCentric" . Retrieved 2022-02-14.
6. "Paul Tollett, President and CEO, Goldenvoice". www.pollstar.com. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
7. Variety Staff (2004-01-06). "Rick Van Santen". Variety. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
8. "Coachella music festival energizes Pomona venues Glass House and Fox Theater". Daily News. 2012-04-12. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
9. Leeds, Jeff" (2001-03-07). "Anschutz to Buy Concert Firm Goldenvoice". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-02-16.
10. Waddell, R. (2012). "The Golden Child," Billboard, issue 124, vol. 12, pp 14-21.
11. Billboard Staff (2019-02-08). "No. 49: Paul Tollett | Power 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
12. "How Music Festivals Became a Massive Business in the 50 Years Since Woodstock". Time. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
13. Bostock, Bill. "Glastonbury and Coachella are the 2 most famous music festivals in the world — here's how they compare". Insider. Retrieved 2022-02-20.