Died On This Date (May 22, 2011) Faye Treadwell / Pioneering Manager Of The Drifters
themusicsover Fayrene “Faye” Treadwell
September 5, 1926 – May 22, 2011
As one of the first African-American female artist managers in the entertainment industry, Faye Treadwell blazed the trail for women executives to follow ever since. After the 1967 death of her husband and then-manager of R&B greats, the Drifters, Treadwell bought out his business partners and took over as manager of the group. Prior to that, Treadwell handled administrative and publicity duties for the group. For the better part of the next four decades, she guided the various incarnations of the Drifters that counted as many as 50 members along the way. That list includes Ben E. King, Bill Pinkney, Clyde McPhatter, Ali-Ollie Woodson, Johnny Moore, and Rudy Lewis. During the early ’70s, Treadwell moved the singers – then fronted by Moore – to London where such American groups of that era were held in a higher regard. Throughout the years, Treadwell fought and won landmark court battles against others for infringing on the Drifters’ trademark by performing under their name. Faye Treadwell retired in 2001 and passed away from complications of breast cancer on May 22, 2011. She was 84.
Jim Dickson was a recording engineer, producer, and eventual manager of the Byrds. He is often cited as one of the foundations of the ’60s folk-rock movement, particularly that which was coming out of Southern California. During his early years, Dickson produced records by the likes of Hamilton Camp, David Crosby, and the Dillards. He soon began managing a new band formed by Crosby and Chris Hillman who at first went by the Beefeaters and then the Jet Set. It was their desire to become Los Angeles’ answer to the Beatles. In 1964, Dickson was sent a demo of Bob Dylan’s then-unreleased “Mr. Tamborine Man,” which the band, now known as the Byrds, recorded and released. It would became one of the era’s definitive songs and helped launch a sound that inspired countless other musicians. To help the band build a following in those early days, Dickson enlisted the help of such famous friends as Jack Nicholson and 
Bob Marcucci was a successful artist manager who is perhaps best remembered for discovering and guiding the early careers of Frankie Avalon and Fabian. Born in Philadelphia, PA, Marcucci was just 25 when he entered the music business as a song writer. A short time later, he launched his own Chancellor Records where he signed Avalon and Fabian. In later years, Marcucci managed popular gossip columnist Rona Barrett, and served as co-producer of the Bill Murray film, The Razor’s Edge. The 1980 film, The Idolmaker was loosely based on his life in the music business. Bob Marcucci died of respiratory failure on March 9, 2011. He was 81.
Sean “The Captain” Carasov was a respected music industry executive who launched his career in the mid ’80s. In those early years he acted as the Beastie Boys’ road manager and more – working for Russell Simmons at the time – on the inaugural tour. If there was ever a “fourth Beastie,” by all accounts, it might very well have been Carasov. An expert on and lover of hip-hop, he had no difficulty landing A&R gigs at such labels as Jive, Atlantic and Mammoth just as the genre was starting to explode. His successes include signing A Tribe Called Quest and curating the popular Menace II Society soundtrack. Carasov also contributed numerous articles to music magazines from France to Japan. In later years, he handled music supervision for the film, American Pimp and was did A&R for ARTISTdirect Records. Sean Carasov was 48 when he took his own life on October 30, 2010.
Although he also managed among others, Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas and Gerry & the Pacemakers, Brian Epstein is best remembered as manager of the Beatles. Many give him credit for the early success of the band. Epstein first met the Beatles after the Cavern Club show on November 9, 1961. By late January of 1962, Epstein was officially the band’s manager. He helped facilitate many of the band’s earliest successes, but by January of 1966, the Beatles decided not to renew their contract which was due to expire the following year. Epstein was notoriously addicted to drugs, and on August 27, 1967, he died of what was ruled and accidental overdose. He was 32 years old. In later years, Paul McCartney claimed that “if anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Brian.” And