American music manager
Doc McGhee
(born September 5, 1950 in Chicago, IL, as Harold Millard McGhee) is an American
music manager
, best known for working with hard rock bands
Kiss
,
[1]
Bon Jovi
[2]
and
Motley Crue
.
[3]
The latter two groups experienced their rise to stardom under his management. He has also worked with
Hootie & the Blowfish
.
He was in a reality series for
VH1
called
Supergroup
along with
Scott Ian
,
Ted Nugent
,
Evan Seinfeld
,
Sebastian Bach
and
Jason Bonham
. He was also seen on the
AMC
reality series
4th and Loud
, which chronicled his,
Gene Simmons
', and
Paul Stanley
's roles as owners of the
Los Angeles Kiss
Arena Football League
team.
Moscow Music Peace Festival
[
edit
]
In 1989 McGhee joined with Russian musician and promotor
Stas Namin
to create the
Moscow Music Peace Festival
which brought together hard rock and metal bands from the United States, Europe and Russia to benefit programs to help drug addicts.
[4]
The lineup consisted of Bon Jovi, the Scorpions, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Gorky Park (the local Russian outfit), Ozzy Osbourne, and Cinderella.
[5]
Aerosmith was also scheduled to perform there, but not only pulled out at the literal last minute, but also insisted their contribution, their rendition of The Doors' "Love Me Two Times", be lifted from the official
Make A Difference
album's final pressing, on the grounds of being suspicious as to where the money was actually going.
[5]
Over 100,000 people attended and it was broadcast in 59 countries.
[6]
The concert inspired one of the bands, the McGhee-managed
Scorpions
, to write the top-selling song
Wind of Change
.
[7]
McGhee's life and involvement in the Festival is featured in episodes 5 and 6 of the podcast
Wind of Change
.
[8]
[9]
Drug smuggling conviction
[
edit
]
In November 1982, McGhee was arrested for contributing to the import of 20 tons of marijuana into North Carolina via shrimp boat. The 21-count indictment said that McGhee and the smugglers had the intent to distribute the marijuana. McGhee would have to serve 30 years in jail and be fined $140,000, but the possession-with-intent-to-sell charge was changed.
[10]
Identified as a link between US smugglers and the Colombian drug suppliers (his soon-to-be-ex-business partner being none other than the infamous Noriega), McGhee pleaded guilty and was ordered to spend $250,000 and 3,000 hours dedicated to his Make a Difference Foundation, a non-profit aimed at deterring youth drug use.
[11]
[12]
After the sentence, neither McGhee nor his office would comment on the sentencing.
[10]
Bands managed
[
edit
]
[13]
Solo artists managed
[
edit
]
Discography
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Criss, Peter
(2013).
Makeup to Breakup: My Life In and Out of Kiss
. Simon and Schuster. p. 279.
ISBN
9781451620832
. Retrieved
September 13,
2014
.
- ^
Olson, Margaret (2013).
Bon Jovi: America's Ultimate Band
. Scarecrow Press. p. 56.
ISBN
9780810886629
. Retrieved
September 13,
2014
.
- ^
Neil, Vince
(2010).
Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen
. Grand Central Publishing. p. 99.
ISBN
9780446574693
. Retrieved
September 13,
2014
.
- ^
Keller, Bill; Times, Special To the New York (August 13, 1989).
"Leather Rockers Take Moscow, A New Market for West's Fringes"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
June 29,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
Wall, Mick (September 20, 2022).
"Parties and Punch-ups: Behind the Scenes at the 1989 Moscow Peace Festival"
.
www.loudersound.com
.
- ^
Hilburn, Robert (August 12, 1989).
"ROCKIN', ROLLIN' RUSSIA"
.
The Washington Post
.
- ^
Bienstock, Richard (September 2, 2015).
"Scorpions' 'Wind of Change': The Oral History"
.
Rolling Stone
. Retrieved
June 29,
2022
.
- ^
"5. I Follow The Moskva"
.
Crooked Media
. Retrieved
June 1,
2023
.
- ^
"6. The Doctor Is In"
.
Crooked Media
. Retrieved
June 1,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Rosenbluth, Jean (February 13, 1988). "Doc McGhee Pleads Guilty to Drug-Smuggling Charges".
Billboard
. Vol. 100, no. 7. p. 82.
ProQuest
226974297
.
- ^
"SMUGGLING TRIAL. A government witness in a..."
The Orlando Sentinel
. December 8, 1989
. Retrieved
October 18,
2020
.
- ^
Jarvis, Charles (February 17, 1989).
"Rock star makes anti-drug appearance for convicted manager"
.
UPI
. Retrieved
October 18,
2020
.
- ^
Billboard 20. jul 1985
, p. 33, at
Google Books
External links
[
edit
]