“My philosophy was that you didn’t have to wait for history; you could create history.” – Shep Gordon
Shep Gordon (@SupermenschShep) has been named one of the “100 most influential people” by Rolling Stone magazine. He is the man behind some of the biggest names you’ve ever heard.
If you like the storytelling and lessons of Cal Fussman, you’re going to love this one.
Shep has worked with, and befriended, some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, from Alice Cooper to Bette Davis, Raquel Welch to Groucho Marx, Blondie to Jimi Hendrix, Sylvester Stallone to Salvador Dali, Luther Vandross to Teddy Pendergrass. He is also credited with inventing the “celebrity chef” phenomenon, which revolutionized the food industry and turned the culinary arts into the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. He has worked with Nobu Matsuhisa, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Roger Vergé (and many others, including his holiness, the Dalai Lama.)
In this episode, we discuss how he made clients famous, and some of his biggest PR stunts (and flops).
Anthony Bourdain, who is a huge fan of Shep’s, released a memoir detailing Shep’s life and adventures, titled They Call Me Supermensch: A Backstage Pass to The Amazing Worlds Of Film, Food, and Rock ‘N’ Roll.
I’ve been reading it, and it’s fantastic. Imagine it like Animal House meets Harvard MBA.
If you only have 5 minutes, listen to Shep’s thoughts on the dangers of fame, and who is most vulnerable.
Enjoy!
You can find the transcript of this episode here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.
- Listen to it on iTunes.
- Stream by clicking here.
- Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as.”
Want to hear another episode with a brilliant storyteller? — Listen to this episode with Cal Fussman. In it, we discuss Cal’s interviews with the most influential people in history, how he made himself a guinea pig (Cal boxed against world champion Julio Cesar Chavez), and his best life lessons (stream below or right-click here to download):
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Selected Links from the Episode
- Connect with Shep Gordon:
- They Call Me Supermensch: A Backstage Pass to The Amazing Worlds Of Film, Food, and Rock ‘N’ Roll by Shep Gordon
- Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (a film by Mike Meyers)
- Keawakapu Beach on Maui
- Janis Joplin’s Hotel Room via Atlas Obscura
- Alice Cooper: ‘Rock music was looking for a villain’ by Simon Reynolds, The Guardian
- Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve seen him electrocuted, you’ve seen him hung, and now you’re about to see him fired from a cannon. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Alice Cooper! by Roy Hollingworth, Melody Maker
- Teddy Pendergrass gives ladies only concerts by Peter J. Boyer, Associated Press
- L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food by Roy Choi
- Anne Murray performing Snowbird on television in 1973
- Inside John Lennon, Keith Moon and Alice Cooper’s Legendary Hollywood Drinking Club by Barry Nicolson, NME (featuring the famous Anne Murray photo)
- Commander’s Palace Restaurant, New Orleans
- Emeril’s, New Orleans
- Sonos Connect Wireless Receiver
- Teddy Pendergrass Radio on Pandora
- Books by Joseph Campbell
- Books by the Dalai Lama
- Even This I Get to Experience by Norman Lear
- Life by Keith Richards and James Fox
- something to food about: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs by Questlove and Ben Greenman
- The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) (not to be confused with The Central Intelligence Agency)
- LocoL Revolutionary Fast Food
- Yak Butter Tea Is a Traditional Tibetan Drink With a Practical Purpose by Clarissa Wei, Eater
Show Notes
- How did Shep Gordon end up in Hawaii? [06:14]
- How Shep Gordon went from being a probation officer to a manager in the music industry. [07:51]
- Shep recalls some of his favorite stunts and what it sometimes takes to capture an audience. [10:44]
- When you’re the face of rebellion like Alice Cooper, there’s no such thing as bad press if it gets parents to hate everything about you. [21:10]
- Shep on the role of a good manager in the entertainment industry. [23:02]
- Shep on how he beat the competition to manage Teddy Pendergrass. [25:56]
- Selling Teddy Pendergrass as The Black Elvis. [30:33]
- Rookie management mistake: putting greed before service. [33:47]
- How Shep has maintained his life-long orientation toward service. [36:25]
- Why did it take nearly a decade for Shep to agree to let Mike Meyers make a documentary about him? [39:07]
- How initial embarrassment over attention from the documentary gave way to an opportunity to connect with and inspire others. [43:16]
- Roy Choi and Anthony Bourdain talk Shep into writing a book. [45:12]
- What you should take away from Shep’s book. [46:04]
- How did Shep prepare girl-next-door Anne Murray for stardom with the help of some Hollywood Vampires? [47:48]
- On meeting Emeril Lagasse and helping create the celebrity chef phenomenon. [51:08]
- Shep’s practice for appreciating life’s miracles. [54:06]
- What separates those who get consumed by fame and those who are able to thrive with it? [56:08]
- Books Shep has gifted most often to others. [1:03:52]
- What would Shep’s billboard say? [1:05:54]
- Inspirational quotes. [1:06:41]
- Best or most worthwhile investment of money, time, or energy. [1:07:20]
- Shep’s advice to new parents. [1:10:03]
- Shep’s most significant life lessons. [1:12:02]
- On the rhythms of nature. [1:18:12]
- Should you try Tibetan yak butter tea? [1:18:47]
People Mentioned
- Colonel Tom Parker
- Elvis Presley
- Janis Joplin
- Jimi Hendrix
- Jim Morrison
- Lester Chambers
- Alice Cooper
- P.T. Barnum
- Derek Taylor
- Rick Rubin
- Teddy Pendergrass
- Groucho Marx
- Goddard Lieberson
- Sid Seidenberg
- B.B. King
- Luther Vandross
- Lily Meola
- Roger Vergé
- Mike Myers
- Roy Choi
- Anthony Bourdain
- Anne Murray
- John Lennon
- Harry Nilsson
- Micky Dolenz
- Yoko Ono
- Emeril Lagasse
- Wolfgang Puck
- Nobu Matsuhisa
- Paul Prudhomme
- Joseph Campbell
- Michael Douglas
- Johnny Appleseed
- Amelia Boone
- Seth Godin
- Daniel Boulud
- David Bouley
- Alain Ducasse
- Hubert Keller
- The Dalai Lama
- Sylvester Stallone
- Jack Nicholson
- Danny DeVito
- Anthony Quinn
- Alex Rodriguez (AROD)
- Derek Jeter
- Steve Jang
- Daniel Patterson
- Jamie Oliver
- Jon Favreau