Sam Feldman (music executive)

Last updated
Sam Feldman
Sam Feldman.png
Born
Samuel Leon Feldman

1949
Shanghai, China
Occupation Music executive
Website mfmgt.com

Samuel Leon Feldman OBC (born 1949) is a Canadian music executive. He is the co-founder of A&F Music Ltd. and S.L. Feldman and Associates. Feldman has represented artists including James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Sarah McLachlan, Leonard Cohen, Diana Krall, and Elvis Costello. Based in Vancouver, Feldman’s business activities include Macklam Feldman Management, Big Pictures Entertainment, and Music Supervision Services. In addition to his admission into the Order of British Columbia, Feldman is an inductee of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.

Contents

Early life

Samuel Leon Feldman was born in 1949 in Shanghai to parents of Russian Jewish descent. [1] The Feldman family immigrated to Vancouver, British Columbia in the year 1951, [2] during Sam's early childhood. [3] Feldman attended Lord Byng Secondary School. [4] He then worked summer jobs, including in the pulp and paper industry [2] in Prince Rupert [5] and traveled to Europe. In 1970, he worked as a doorman at the Daisy nightclub in the Vancouver neighbourhood of Kitsilano. [2] in order to repay $300 that he had borrowed from a friend for the trip. [6] He began booking local artists while promoting small music events [5] in the Vancouver area. In the process he met Bruce Allen, a more senior music business entrepreneur, who was booking bands in many of the local nightclubs, including the Daisy. [2] [7]

Career

In 1972, Feldman joined Allen’s company, Bruce Allen Talent Promotions Limited. [8] Soon after, Feldman and Allen entered a 50/50 partnership to form A&F Music Ltd. The business catered to musicians on the Canadian West Coast and found early success in managing bands such as Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Trooper, Prism, and Doug and the Slugs. [9] While Allen was busy managing Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Feldman focused on building the booking business and administration of A&F Music Ltd. [10] [11]

In 1979, Feldman rebranded the agency division of A&F Music Ltd as S.L. Feldman and Associates [12] and moved the agency division into separate offices. He and Allen continued to be equal partners in their parent company, A&F Music Ltd. [5] [13] Feldman maintained other business interests in the entertainment industry, including a number of nightclubs in the greater Vancouver area. [5] [14] By 1982, S.L Feldman & Associates controlled 90% of the booking agency business in Greater Vancouver. [5]

In 1990, Feldman partnered with Larry Goldhar, owner of the theatrical agency The Characters Talent Agency Ltd in Toronto, to launch the west-coast division of Characters, which, combined with S.L. Feldman & Associates, created Canada’s first full-service talent agency. Together, Feldman and Goldhar acquired Vancouver-based company the Morton Talent Agency and took over 800 clients. Feldman and Goldhar restructured the company and downsized the client list, which led to a 40% increase in sales. [2] S.L Feldman & Associates moved into a new building at the entrance to Granville Island. The company included a management division, partnerships with recording and publishing companies, a T-shirt distribution company, a consulting arm, and a theatrical talent agency. Feldman continued growing into entertainment industry-related businesses, expanding into film & television production and music supervision, licensing music for movies and television. [15] Such film & television productions included Whistler [16] and Big Sound. [17] In 2001, Big Pictures, a division of S.L Feldman & Associates, produced the feature film Rare Birds. [18]

In 2000, both Feldman and Allen were inducted into the B.C. Entertainment Walk of Fame, with their names appearing on Starwalk on Granville Street. [19] A&F Music earned a record number of honors, with nominations in 53 categories at the Juno Awards and nine Grammy nominations, including three for jazz singer Diana Krall at the Grammy Awards. [20] The S.L. Feldman & Associates roster continued to expand with clients such as Rush, [21] Joni Mitchell, [22] Leonard Cohen, [23] Elvis Costello, [24] Norah Jones, [6] James Taylor, [25] and Sarah McLachlan. Feldman purchased a 50% interest in New York-based agency Little Big Man Booking whose clients include the British band Coldplay, [26] Robbie Williams, [27] enabling access to the US market for his Canadian-based clients. [28]

By 2007, S.L. Feldman & Associates represented 200 Canadian and international artists. At this stage, various divisions within A&F Music Ltd included Macklam Feldman Management, Bruce Allen Talent, Characters Talent Agency, Music Supervision Services, Big Pictures Entertainment, and Watchdog Management. The company employed 70 people in offices in Vancouver and Toronto. [29] Sam Feldman and Bruce Allen served as talent producers for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies. [30]

By 2018, the agency was booking more than 2,500 events and shows per year. [31] In 2019, A&F Music Ltd. sold its stake in the agency to two senior employees, [32] so that Feldman could focus solely on artist management and other business activities. [25] Feldman remains an active partner in Macklam Feldman Management. [31]

Awards

Personal life

Feldman is married to film and TV producer Janet York. They have 5 children between them. [6]

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References

  1. ↑ "Community milestones … Feldman, Cristall, Fogel & Grubner". Jewish Independent. Vancouver. August 18, 2023. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Evans, Mark (April 11, 1990). "From the door at The Daisy to entertainment lead role". National Post. p. 20. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024– via Newspapers.com Lock-green.svg .
  3. ↑ Ouston, Rick (March 1991). "The Emperor of Rock and Roll". Vancouver. p. 8. He emigrated to Canada from Shanghai at the age of three.
  4. ↑ Bridge, Maurice (March 12, 1990). "The Baron of Rock and Roll". Business in Vancouver. p. 8. Sam Feldman, 17 years old and fresh out of Lord Byng high school
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Kellogg, Alan (19 August 1982). "Rock Professor Carves Comfortable Niche". Edmonton Journal . p. C3. Archived from the original on 3 July 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024– via Newspapers.com Lock-green.svg .
  6. 1 2 3 Hyslop, Lucy (February 6, 2012). "Lunch with Talent Agent Sam Feldman". BCBusiness. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  7. ↑ Ouston, Rick (March 1991). "The Emperor of Rock and Roll". Financial Post. p. 26. In 1970, Sam Feldman was working as a doorman at the old Daisy nightclub booking bands on the side. The following year, he joined Allen's fledgling Bruce Allen Talent Promotion
  8. ↑ Ouston, Rick (March 1991). "The Emperor of Rock and Roll". Financial Post. p. 26. In 1970, Sam Feldman was working as a doorman at the old Daisy nightclub booking bands on the side. The following year, he joined Allen's fledgling Bruce Allen Talent Promotion
  9. ↑ "Sam Feldman - from Trooper to Doug & the Slugs". RPM. April 5, 1980. It was the team of Allen and Feldman who brought out the best in talent from the West coast… We had Bachman Turner Overdrive, Trooper, Prism and on and on… Feldman continues.. But to look at it individually, my exclusive client was Trooper until recently wish I luckily picked up Doug & the Slugs
  10. ↑ Ouston, Rick (March 1991). "The Emperor of Rock and Roll". Financial Post. p. 26. By 1973, Allen had left the booking business in his partner's hands… Allen offered to manage the Winnipeg singer and his new band, Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
  11. ↑ Ouston, Rick (March 1991). "The Emperor of Rock and Roll". Financial Post. p. 26. While Allen created rock bands, Feldman continued taking care of business in the partners' Gastown offices, signing up acts and rooms.
  12. ↑ Harrison, Tom (August 19, 1982). "Partners split their musical empire". The Province. p. C2. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2024– via Newspapers.com Lock-green.svg .
  13. ↑ Ouston, Rick (March 1991). "The Emperor of Rock and Roll". Financial Post. p. 26. Feldman...moved to his own offices. But the pair maintained a 50-50 business partnership
  14. ↑ Ouston, Rick (March 1991). "The Emperor of Rock and Roll". Financial Post. p. 26. Feldman holds pieces or directorships of the operations of Club-Soda and Frank's place.
  15. ↑ Bridge, Maurice (1990-03-12). "The Baron of Rock and Roll". Business in Vancouver. p. 26. There is a management division for a handful of major artists, a partnership in the recording and publishing company, Penta Entertainment Inc., a growing business in consulting, composing, budget management and licensing of music for television, movies, and soundtrack albums, the recent creation of what is probably Canada's biggest theatrical talent agency and some serious forays into film productions, as well as the joint purchase of a 40,000-square-foot office building at the entrance to Granville Island.
  16. ↑ Gill, Alexandra (June 24, 2006). "Canadianizing the O.C. Effect". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  17. ↑ Levine, Elizabeth (December 19, 2000). "Onset: Big Sound". Playback. Archived from the original on September 8, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  18. ↑ LeBlanc, Larry (October 13, 2001). "Double U.S. Success for Vancouver's A&F". Billboard. Another division, Big Picture, headed by Fedlman's film/TV music department VP Janet York, recently co-produced its first feature film Rare Birds.
  19. ↑ McCollough, Michael (September 22, 2000). "B.C salutes 9 local legends from world of entertainment". The Vancouver Sun. p. A3. Nine local legends were inducted into the B.C. Entertainment Walk of Fame…The names of each appear on paving stones along Granville Street's "starwalk." They include: Bruce Allen, manager… Sam Feldman, manager. Over 28 years, S.L. Feldman &Associates has become Canada's top booking agency for 150 musical acts
  20. ↑ Bouw, Brenda (February 21, 2000). "Eye for Talent Pays Big Dividends". Financial Post. p. c1. This week, he (Feldman) heads to Los Angeles, where five of his artists are nominated for a total of nine Grammys - three of which are for British Columbia jazz sensation Diana Krall. Also on March 11-12, he (Feldman) will be at the Junos in Toronto where acts under A&F's various divisions are nominated in a whopping 53 categories.
  21. ↑ Derdyn, Stuart (January 26, 2019). "The Last Hoorah!". The Vancouver Sun. p. C1. Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024– via Newspapers.com Lock-green.svg .
  22. ↑ Bouw, Brenda (February 21, 2000). "Eye for Talent Pays Big Dividends". Financial Post. p. C1. The company is perhaps best known for its artist management division, which represents such acts as... folk singer Joni Mitchell.
  23. ↑ Davidson, Darren (October 27, 2021). "Business Buzz". Nelson Star. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Elvis Costello: Newspaper Pane". Canada Billboard. October 19, 2020. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  25. 1 2 LeBlanc, Larry (April 17, 2020). "This week In the Hot Seat with Larry LeBlanc: Sam Feldman, partner, A&F Music Ltd". Celebrity Access. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  26. ↑ LeBlanc, Larry (October 13, 2001). "Double U.S. Success for Vancouver's A&F". Billboard. Its booking division exclusively books... Sarah McLachlan in Canada. Feldman also holds a 50% interest in Little Big Man Booking in New York City, which handles U.K. acts Coldplay…
  27. ↑ Bouw, Brenda (February 21, 2000). "Eye for Talent Pays Big Dividends". Financial Post. p. C1. The company also handles such international talents as recent pop arrival, the Manic Street Preachers, and Robbie Williams.
  28. ↑ Robinson, Red (February 23, 2006). "Music impresario Sam Feldman started his career as a doorman". The Vancouver Sun. p. 45. Archived from the original on July 5, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024– via Newspapers.com Lock-green.svg .
  29. ↑ Petrozzi, Andrew (March 13, 2004). "Star Trek". Business in Vancouver. p. 29. The SFLA agency represents a lineup of about 200 artists… SFLA has various divisions, besides Macklam/Feldman Management, including Characters Talent Agency, Music Supervision Services, Gig Pictures Entertainment and Watchdog Management… With more than 70 employees in offices in Vancouver and Toronto, he readily admits he couldn't do it all himself.
  30. ↑ "Australian hired to produce 2010 Olympic ceremonies". The CBC. September 20, 2007. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  31. 1 2 "Sam Sells Feldman Agency To His Executive Team". Billboard Canada. February 15, 2019. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  32. ↑ Smith, Charlie. "Vancouver music industry legend Sam Feldman sells his stake in Feldman Agency". Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award". The JUNO Awards. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  34. ↑ Thompson, Robert (March 11, 2010). "Sam Feldman Honored By Music Managers Forum of Canada". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Sam Feldman". BC Entertainment Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  36. ↑ McIntyre, Gordon (August 7, 2023). "Ryan Reynolds, Penny Ballem, Sam Feldman among list of 2023 Order of B.C. recipients". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
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