Lee Zeidman, president of Staples Center, Nokia Theatre, and L.A. Live, reconnects with friend Gerald Greenberg at the IEBA conference in Nashville.
REPORTING FROM BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — Jerry Greenberg doesn’t have to work. At 32 years old, he was named the youngest president of a major label when he ascended to the top position at Atlantic Records, all while serving as a cook in the Army Reserves. He later served as president of MGM/United Artists Music, Atco Records (Atlantic’s California-based label), WTG Records, and Michael Jackson’s label MJJ Music. Now, he’s sitting across from me in an eatery a couple of blocks from his Beverly Hills home that he uses to conduct his ‘business meetings.’
Though taking a back seat for a while, Greenberg has returned to the industry in a big way, working as a consultant for Legend Group Records, as well as a new EDM label PEM Records out of Ibiza, Spain, and working on a documentary of his life.
With his baseball cap and unassuming manner, it’s easy to see why his wife’s father said that once you get to know Greenberg, you could think he is a plumber. Still, there’s a diamond “GG” pinky ring and a glint in his eye that sets him apart.
“I never set out to become president,” he confided. “I wasn’t this power hungry guy. I tell people that I probably won by default just by moving up the ladder.”
So why dive back into the industry now? In large part, Greenberg was inspired by 23-year-old John Spicer, Legend Group Record’s flagship country artist. Producer Tom Fletcher gave Greenberg a CD of rough cuts, and that was the beginning.
“It was, ‘anything I can do, you let me know,’” said Greenberg, who then came on as a consultant for the label.
More companies have tapped Greenberg as a resource lately, and he often gets asked what exactly his consulting means. “You get two things: you get my phone book, and you get 40 years of experience — end of discussion.”
That experience includes introducing the United States to artists like Led Zeppelin, ABBA, and the Rolling Stones. He was and continues to be respected by artists because of his no-nonsense sensibility and honesty.
“I ran Atlantic Records for 20 years and have dealt with every big artist you can imagine. I always told them, ‘I’ll give you my honest opinion and advice, but in case of a tie, you win,’” said Greenberg.
The music business has changed in a few key ways since then, with one aspect being the amount of content available.
“I believe that there is more young talent out there now than you’ve ever seen in your life,” he said. “How it’s all going to get exposed, that’s another question. It's a whole new era of how you listen to music and pay for music.”
Now, Greenberg spends his time consulting and working on a documentary of his career, tentatively titled “17 Seconds” and based on the amount of time his heart stopped after a torn aorta developed the day Michael Jackson died.
“I’m setting out to make it for the guy in Wisconsin who hasn’t heard of Jerry Greenberg or Irving Azoff, but he knows ABBA and he knows the Rolling Stones and might be interested in the backstory,” said Greenberg.
Now that he’s back in the industry interacting with a younger crowd, one thing that has stood out is the way he’s introduced.
“I said to my wife, ‘I must have really made a mark in this business because every time I meet somebody I’m introduced as a legend,’” he said. “I never set out to be a legend, I never said I’m a legend, and I certainly don’t refer to myself as a legend.”
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