Don Kirshner Dead at 76.

You better believe God's gonna have some groovy concerts in Heaven, now that he has THE promoter to organize them now.

I remember seeing "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" way back when during the days when I was young, foolish and stayed up past my bedtime to find out what was so cool about this monotone guy and how he had the power to get all of the coolest rocking-est sounds on his show time and again.

Of course, with groups the likes of KISS, Foghat, Molly Hatchet, Black Sabbath, The Allman Brothers and others, every big act of the day wanted to be on his show and be a par of the Kirshner Experience, as it were. Not that I blame them.

But did you know that Kirshner got his big start by working in a little place called The Brill Building in New York? Up until then, he had worked with pre-stardom Bobby Darin and Connie Francis and, after that, moved into the Brill and almost immediately got involved with such names as Neil Sedaka, Carole King, created the Aldon Records label, signed on more up-and-coming names like Jan and Dean and even got involved with The Monkees. That period moved on but Kirshner became a titan as a music producer and was soon nicknamed The Man With The Golden Ear.

In spite of all his fame, he is quoted here, as concerns his Brill Building years:

"I believe that after I'm gone, my grandchildren will be whistling these tunes. Whether they know that I published them or not - they will be whistling these tunes the same as they do songs from My Fair Lady and Camelot, and these tunes will be part of American culture - they'll be used in movies and so on. Of all the legacies that I have given, personally to me it's very important that I was able to come out of the streets of Harlem, out of my dad's tailor shop, and have the ability to create an environment where this sound will be part of American and international culture forever."

Well said.

And so what better way to remember the man than with one of those acts as they performed (live, as opposed to pre-recorded like most shows usually do) on the "Rock Concert" - ladies and gentlemen, Kool and the Gang.


Kool & The Gang .Jungle Boogie [Live at Don Kirshner's]
Uploaded by capitainfunkk. - News videos hot off the press.

Rest in peace, Don.

Dope out.

- TGWD