Berle Adams (Born Beryl Adasky)
June 11, 1917 – August 25, 2009
Berle Adams was a longtime music industry executive who, through his career was Vice President of MCA and co-founded Mercury Records. Adams began his career as an agent, representing such acts as Coleman Hawkins and Louis Jordan. He later formed his own agency as well as a couple of publishing companies. In 1945, he co-founded Mercury Records, quickly releasing hits by the likes of Vic Damone and Frankie Laine. In 1950, Lew Wasserman hired Adams at MCA where he stayed for the next two decades, working mostly in television. While with MCA, Adams formed Uni Records who signed the Who, Neil Diamond and Elton John to name a few. In 1971, Adams left MCA to work for the William Morris Agency. Berle Adams passed away on August 25, 2009 at the age of 92.
Brian Cole’s first foray into show business was as a stand-up comic and actor, eventually joining the Association as bassist. The group had two pop hits with “Along Comes Mary” and “Cherish.” Their other claim to fame was that the were the opening act for the legendary 1967 Monterey Pop Festival which first introduced many to the Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, andOtis Redding. It was also considered by some historians as the beginning of the “Summer of Love.” The band continued to build an audience over the next few and were about to embark on their 1972 when Brian Cole was found dead of a heroin overdose in his room. He was just 29.
Cass Elliot (Born Ellen Cohen) September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974
Mama Cass, as she was known, is best remembered as one of the singing women of ’60s folk rock band, The Mamas & The Papas. She, along with Michelle Philips, John Phillips and Denny Doherty made records that are considered to be staples of the psychedelic pop scene of the late ’60s and early ’70s. Such hits included “California Dreamin'” and “Monday Monday.” Born in Baltimore, Elliot moved to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway. After appearing in a few musicals, Elliot set her sights on the local folk music scene, eventually falling in with Doherty who would later recruit the Phillips’ to form The Mamas & The Papas. The group worked together until 1971, after which Elliot released solo records, including the hit, “Dream A Little Dream of Me.” She was also a popular personality on television, appearing regularly on such programs as Hollywood Squares, The Mike Douglas Show and Match Game. Contrary to the popular myth that she choked to death on a sandwich, Mama Cass died of a heart attack in her sleep following a London performance. She was just 32. The Who’sKeith Moon died in the same room four years later.
John Entwistle was best known as the bass player for the Who. His loud and fast style of playing was as important to the group as the voice of Roger Daltrey; the songwriting and guitar of Pete Townshend; and the sloppy but essential drumming of Keith Moon. If one of those parts were missing, the magic of the Who would have never happened. Entwistle also played the trumpet, piano, and french horn; wrote great songs and sang. Playing the bass like a lead guitar, would influence such greats as Geddy Lee, Phil Lesh, Flea, Tommy Stinson and Billy Sheehan. He even went as far as being the first known bassist to use Marshall stacks in concert, a practice normally reserved for guitarists. The Rolling Stones’Bill Wyman once described Entwistle as “the quietest man in private but the loudest man on stage.” Entwistle stayed with the Who during their 30+ year run, staying busy during band hiatuses with his own side projects or on tour with Ringo Starr. But he apparently had a difficult time managing his own money and some have said that each time the Who reunited, it was out of the love that Daltrey and Townshend had for him – their way of helping him out of financial straits. It was one day before the start of one of these tours that Entwistle was found dead in his Las Vegas hotel room. It was June 27, 2002, and John Entwistle was dead of what was ruled a heart attack caused by a relatively small amount of cocaine. It should be pointed out that the Who were such a powerful four-piece live band, that it took an added keyboardist and a second guitarist to, in later years, take the place of John Entwistle and original drummer, Keith Moon.
Barbara Skydel was a well-known and respected booking agent for the better part of the last forty years. She began her career with Premier Talent Agency where she immediately proved her worth by taking on Led Zeppelin’s legendary 1969 U.S. west coast tour. Skydel soon found herself working with such acts as Bruce Springsteen, Grand Funk Railroad, Van Halen, U2, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. By the mid ’80s, she was a partner at the firm, which by then was one of the biggest in the world. As the first female executive at a major talent agency, Skydel earned the respect of both peers and artists alike. No less than U2’s Bono had referred to her as “Aunty Barbara.” In 2002, Premier merged with the William Morris Agency where Skydel remained as Senior Vice President until her retirement in 2009. Later acts that she handled included Sebastian Bach, the Pretenders, Keith Richards and the Who. Barbara Skydel passed away on June 10, 2010. Cause of death was not immediately released.