Susan Silver | |
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Born | Susan Jean Silver [1] July 17, 1958 [1] |
Education | University of Washington |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1983–present |
Spouse | |
Children | 1 |
Susan Jean Silver (born July 17, 1958) is an American music manager and businesswoman, best known for managing Seattle rock bands such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Screaming Trees. [3] [4] Silver also owns the company Susan Silver Management, [5] and co-owns the club The Crocodile in Seattle. [6] Silver was named "the most powerful figure in local rock management" by The Seattle Times in 1991. [4]
Silver was born in Seattle, Washington, on July 17, 1958, to Samuel and Emmogene (Jean) Silver. [2] She is the oldest of three children. [1] [2] Her father was Jewish and came from Russia. [7]
Silver majored in Chinese at the University of Washington [8] and had been to all the major concerts in Seattle since she was 15. She started by booking for the club The Metropolis and Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman's club parties. [9]
Silver started working as a music manager in 1983. [3] Her first clients were the bands The U-Men and First Thought. [3] In 1985, Silver met Soundgarden, whose lead vocalist was her then-boyfriend Chris Cornell, and in the following year she started managing the band. [3] Back then, Silver was also managing Screaming Trees. [3] Silver said she became a manager because she wanted to help musicians achieve their dreams. [9]
At the same time that she was managing rock bands, Silver was also the manager of a John Fluevog shoe store in Seattle. [10] The store would become famous years later for selling the Dr. Martens boots worn by several members of Grunge bands from Seattle. [10] One of Silver's co-workers at the store at the time was Kevin Martin, lead vocalist of Candlebox. [10]
In 1988, Silver met music manager Kelly Curtis. [3] Curtis and his friend Ken Deans owned a company, and Deans was the manager of the band Alice in Chains. [3] Deans gave Silver a cassette tape of Alice in Chains and she liked it. [11] Silver then went to an Alice in Chains concert and thought they were fun and very energetic. [11] When Curtis became interested in working with the band Mother Love Bone, Deans decided that he did not want to work with Alice in Chains anymore, so he offered the managing job to Silver and Curtis, [11] who started co-managing the band. [3] [11] Curtis and Silver passed on the Alice in Chains demo tape The Treehouse Tapes to Columbia Records' A&R representative Nick Terzo, who set up an appointment with label president Don Ienner. [12] Based on that demo, Terzo signed Alice in Chains to Columbia in 1989. [12] Some time later, Curtis started managing the band Pearl Jam, and Silver became the sole manager of Alice in Chains. [3]
In May 1990, record label Sub Pop sent Nirvana a new proposed contract, but vocalist Kurt Cobain was reluctant to sign it, complaining about the label's lack of promotion for their debut album, Bleach . Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic consulted Silver for advice, and she looked at the contract and told them they needed a lawyer. They met Silver in Los Angeles and she introduced them to agent Don Muller and music business attorney Alan Mintz, who specialized in finding deals for new bands. Mintz started sending out Nirvana's demo tape to major labels looking for deals. MCA Records expressed interest, but the band ended up choosing DGC (part of Geffen Records) following advice from Sonic Youth, and the label released their hit album Nevermind in 1991. [13] [14] Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic offered her the opportunity to manage them, but she refused because she was too busy with her bands. [9] "There aren't many things I regret about my life, but of course not managing Nirvana was a mistake", Silver said in 2022. [9] When Nirvana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, Novoselic thanked Silver during his speech for "introducing them to the music industry properly". [15]
In 1995, Silver supported Krist Novoselic's political-action committee, Joint Artists and Music Promotions (JAMPAC), to defend the rights of artists and their fans. [16]
In 1996, Silver was featured on the Doug Pray documentary Hype! , talking about the Seattle music scene. [17]
Among Silver's clients in the 1990s were the bands Hater, [18] Inflatable Soule, [19] Crackerbox, [20] Sweet Water, [20] Sponge, [20] singer Kristen Barry, [4] [21] and producer Terry Date. [4]
In 1998, Silver retired from the music business to concentrate on her family. [3] In 2005, Silver and Deborah Semer formed a new company in Seattle, Atmosphere Artist Management. Their first client was the music and dance group Children of the Revolution. [22]
Alice in Chains was inactive from 1996 until 2005. After lead vocalist Layne Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002, [23] the band only performed in public again in February 2005 for a benefit concert with guest vocalists in Seattle. [24] After that experience, the band called Silver and said they wanted to tour as Alice in Chains again. [25] The band released their first album with new vocalist William DuVall in September 2009, Black Gives Way to Blue . [26] The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart, and was certified gold by the RIAA in 2010 for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. [27]
Since 2009, Silver co-manages Alice in Chains along with David Benveniste and his company Velvet Hammer Management. [28]
Since 2009, Silver co-owns the club The Crocodile in Seattle along with Alice in Chains' drummer Sean Kinney, [29] [30] Capitol Hill Block Party co-founder Marcus Charles, [6] Peggy Curtis, [6] and Portugal. The Man guitarist Eric Howk. [6]
In 2013, Rolling Stone named The Crocodile as one of the best clubs in America, ranked at No. 7. [31] The Guardian included the club in its list of the "Top 10 live music venues in Seattle". [32]
On November 21, 2019, Silver interviewed writer and political activist Gloria Steinem at the Paramount Theater in Seattle when Steinem was promoting her new book, The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off!. [33]
In 1985, Silver started dating Chris Cornell, the lead vocalist of Soundgarden, a band that Silver started managing a year later, [8] [34] [3] and they got married in 1990. [35] Cornell wrote the song "Moonchild" from his debut solo album Euphoria Morning for Silver. [36] The couple's first and only child, a daughter named Lillian Jean, was born in June 2000. [37] The couple divorced in 2004. [38]
Silver says: "Movement and dance... for the last 25 years, helps me physically feel better but lifts me emotionally in a profound way. I got lucky enough to get introduced to TM (Transcendental Meditation) when I was in high school so that was really important... Therapy has been really valuable for me and getting out in nature... those are the pillars for me. Having a spiritual practice… really important for me. It has been for decades and decades." [39]
When asked about his heroes during a press conference in 2002, Alice in Chains' vocalist and guitarist Jerry Cantrell named Silver as one of his heroes. [40] Cantrell also thanked Silver for being one of the people who helped him get into rehab during his speech at the MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit on May 31, 2012, where he was awarded the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award. [41]
Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Founded by lead singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic, the band went through a succession of drummers, most notably Chad Channing, before recruiting Dave Grohl in 1990. Nirvana's success popularized alternative rock, and they were often referenced as the figurehead band of Generation X. Despite a short mainstream career spanning only three years, their music maintains a popular following and continues to influence modern rock culture.
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially by Scott Sundquist, and later by Matt Cameron in 1986. Yamamoto left in 1989 and was replaced initially by Jason Everman and shortly thereafter by Ben Shepherd. The band dissolved in 1997 and reformed in 2010. Following Cornell's death in 2017, Thayil declared in October 2018 that Soundgarden would not continue, though they did reunite in January 2019 for a one-off concert in tribute to Cornell. Cornell and Thayil were the only members to appear on every album by the band.
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney. Vocalist Layne Staley and bassist Mike Starr are former members of the band, having died in 2002 and 2011, respectively. The band took its name from Staley's previous group, Alice N' Chains. Often associated with grunge music, Alice in Chains' sound and style is deeply rooted in heavy metal music. The band is known for its distinctive vocal style, which often included the harmonized vocals between Staley and Cantrell, making Alice in Chains a two-vocal band.
Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture which emerged during the mid-1980s in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal. The genre featured the distorted electric guitar sound used in both genres, although some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Like these genres, grunge typically uses electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. Grunge also incorporates influences from indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth. Lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective, often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, addiction, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom.
Krist Anthony Novoselic is an American musician and activist. Novoselic co-founded and played bass for the rock band Nirvana.
Layne Thomas Staley was an American singer and songwriter who was the original lead vocalist of Alice in Chains, which rose to international fame in the early 1990s as part of Seattle's grunge movement. He was known for his distinctive vocal style as well as his harmonizing with bandmate Jerry Cantrell. Prior to his success with Alice in Chains, Staley was also a member of the glam metal bands Sleze and Alice N' Chains. He was also a part of the supergroups Mad Season and Class of '99.
Christopher John Cornell was an American musician. He was best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and the primary lyricist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. He also had a solo career and contributed to numerous movie soundtracks. Cornell was the founder and frontman of Temple of the Dog, a one-off tribute band dedicated to his late friend, musician Andrew Wood. Several music journalists, fan polls and fellow musicians have regarded Cornell as one of the greatest rock singers of all time.
Badmotorfinger is the third studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991, through A&M Records. Soundgarden began the recording sessions for the album with new bassist Ben Shepherd in the spring of 1991. The album maintained the band's heavy metal sound, while featuring an increased focus on songwriting compared to the band's previous releases. AllMusic considered the album's music to be "surprisingly cerebral and arty"; alternative tunings and odd time signatures were present on several of the album's songs, and lyrics were intended to be ambiguous and evocative.
Facelift is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released by Columbia Records on August 28, 1990. The tracks "We Die Young", and "Man in the Box" were released as singles. "Man in the Box" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal in 1992. Facelift became the first grunge album to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), achieving this feat on September 11, 1991. The album peaked at No. 42 on the Billboard 200 chart, and has been certified triple-platinum by the RIAA for shipments of three million copies in the United States.
Sap is the second studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on February 4, 1992, through Columbia Records. Sap is mostly acoustic and marks the first time that guitarist Jerry Cantrell sings lead vocals in an Alice in Chains release, with the song "Brother". The EP was produced by Alice in Chains and Rick Parashar and features guest vocals by Ann Wilson of the band Heart, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Mark Arm of Mudhoney. The track "Got Me Wrong" became a hit two years later after being featured on the soundtrack to the 1994 film Clerks. On January 14, 1994, Sap was certified gold by the RIAA for the sale of more than 500,000 copies.
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to international fame in the early 1990s during Seattle's grunge movement and is known for its distinctive vocal style and the harmonized vocals between Cantrell and Layne Staley. Cantrell started to sing lead vocals on Alice in Chains' 1992 EP Sap. After Staley's death in 2002, Cantrell took the role of Alice in Chains' lead singer on most of the songs from the band's post-Staley albums, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), and Rainier Fog (2018), with DuVall harmonizing with him in the new songs and singing Staley's vocals in the old songs in live concerts.
Louder Than Love is the second studio album and major-label debut by American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on September 5, 1989, by A&M Records. After touring in support of their debut album, Ultramega OK (1988), Soundgarden left SST, signed with A&M and began work on its first album for a major label. The songs on the album featured a metal-leaning grunge sound with some songs featuring unusual or unorthodox time signatures.
Kim Anand Thayil is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he co-founded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984. Cornell and Thayil remained as the original members of the band until Cornell's death in 2017, and the band's subsequent split in 2018. Thayil was named the 100th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2010, and the 67th greatest guitarist of all time by SPIN in 2012. Thayil has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.
Sean Howard Kinney is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Alice in Chains. Kinney also founded the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has collaborated with other artists such as Johnny Cash and Metallica. He played drums for his Alice in Chains bandmate, Jerry Cantrell's first solo album, Boggy Depot (1998). Since 2009, Kinney has been co-owner of The Crocodile club in Seattle. He was a guest drummer on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers in September 2018. Kinney has earned nine Grammy Award nominations as a member of Alice in Chains.
Screaming Life is the debut EP by American rock band Soundgarden, released in October 1987 by Sub Pop. Screaming Life was later combined with the band's next EP, Fopp (1988), and released as the Screaming Life/Fopp compilation album in 1990.
Gruntruck is an American grunge band formed in 1989 in Seattle, Washington, by vocalist Ben McMillan and drummer Norman Scott, both previously from early Seattle sound pioneers Skin Yard. While in Skin Yard, Norman also briefly joined Soundgarden, and collaborated with Chris Cornell on a lesser-known band, the low frequency power trio Bass Truck. Lead guitarist Tommy Niemeyer from crossover thrash band The Accüsed and bassist Tim Paul, previously of Portland hardcore punk band Final Warning, rounded out the initial, classic lineup.
The Crocodile is a music club at 2505 1st Avenue at Wall Street in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Opened by Stephanie Dorgan as the "Crocodile Cafe" on April 30, 1991, it quickly became a fixture of the city's music scene. The Crocodile Cafe closed in December 2007, before being reopened as The Crocodile on March 19, 2009. Since then, the club has been owned by Alice in Chains' drummer Sean Kinney, manager Susan Silver, Portugal. The Man guitarist Eric Howk, Peggy Curtis, and Capitol Hill Block Party co-founder Marcus Charles. The Crocodile relocated to a bigger building at 2505 1st Avenue, four blocks away from its original location.
"Say Hello 2 Heaven" is a song by the American rock band Temple of the Dog. Written by vocalist Chris Cornell, "Say Hello 2 Heaven" was released on June 18, 1991 as the second single from the band's sole studio album, Temple of the Dog (1991). The song reached number five on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Peter Cornell is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.
3rd Secret is an American alternative rock supergroup formed in late 2021. It features members of the grunge bands Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam.
The daughter of legendary rock singer Chris Cornell has clarified, for the first time, her family's Jewish lineage — and admitted she wanted to explore it more. Speaking to the Jewish Telegraph about her new Instagram interview series Mind Wide Open, Lily Cornell Silver, whose father was lead singer with rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave before committing suicide in 2017, aged 52, explained: "My mom Susan's dad — his whole family is Jewish and from Russia. "They emigrated to Ellis Island in America from there. "There is Jewish heritage on my dad's side, as my grandma — his mum — does talk about it. "They were raised Irish Catholic, Chris's dad was Irish Catholic, but there is definitely some Jewish heritage there, but none of us really know for sure, and it's something I really do want to learn about."
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