Monkees Founder and Music Industry Legend Don Kirshner Dies

By Spinner Editors Posted Jan 18th 2011 12:41PM

Music Industry Legend and Founder of The Monkees Don Kirshner Dies

Don Kirshner, the businessman and songwriter who helped create The Monkees and launch the careers of several iconic performers, died Monday in Florida. According to a press release, the 77-year-old passed away from heart failure.

Known as "The Man With the Golden Ear," Kirshner was born in 1934 in New York City. He entered the music business in the late '50s as a manager for singer Connie Francis, but soon transitioned into providing what he saw as the industry's most pressing need: connecting performers with songwriters.

In the early '60s Kirshner founded Aldon Music, a publishing company that worked with a number of then-unknown performers, including Bobby Darin, Neil Diamond and Carole King, connecting them with resources including studio musicians, producers and songwriters. Kirshner and his staff also cranked out a series of hit singles for groups ranging from The Drifters to The Ronettes. Aldon Music was the single most dominant force in pop music for several years, eventually being bought out by Columbia.

In 1966, in the wake of The Beatles' emergence, Kirshner switched directions. Combining The Beatles' template with his own knowledge of hit-making, Kirshner created a new model for music marketing that would serve as a reference point for countless musicians and labels in the ensuing decades, ranging from boy bands to image-conscious rock groups.

The project? The Monkees.

Filmmakers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, who created The Beatles-inspired group specifically for a television series, asked Kirshner to write the music. He was soon hired on as a full producer and helped pen several hits including 'I'm a Believer.' He also consulted in The Monkees' branding and distribution, and when he stepped away from the group the following year, their sales and popularity dropped significantly.

In the '70s, Kirshner produced the highly successful 'Don Kirshner's Rock Concert' on ABC, a live-performance revue that served as an answer to other shows' reliance on lip-syncing and other staged performances.

Kirshner is survived by his wife, Sheila, to whom he was married for 50 years, as well as two children and four grandchildren.

Watch The Monkees Perform 'I'm a Believer':

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Tags: don kirshner, The Monkees

Comments

(21)

Tuesday 18 January

By me

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i watched the don kirschner's rock concert religiously every saturday night after snl--when snl was at its best (ACTUALLY FUNNY)!

By Alice

Me, too. What an impressive guy, this man was. Start with the fact he was married to the same woman for fifty years in a business that did not much respect such marriages. Tremendous talent.

By themeeker

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You HAD to watch Don Kirshner after SNL in the 70s. It was required viewing in my fraternity.

I will never forget Paul Schaffer's hilarious imitation of Kirshner either. If that's on youtube anywhere, I suggest you watch it.

By doneldathomas

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DITTO!!!!!!

By larlekool

We'll miss Don Kirshner. He was a brilliant businessman in the music business. I think the music world owes him a lot. And, I'm sure he took some bruises and gave some too. A person makes as many enemies in music as they do friends.

By IrisGlout

I'm pretty sure Neil Diamond wrote "I'm A Believer"....

By mrmoonlight32

Your are absolutely correct- Neil Diamond wrote "I'm A Believer". He had recorded it before The Monkees covered it.

By LORENZO

his show was on nbc

By hmateo

yes, Neil Diamond did write I'm a Believer

By jb

Neil Diamond wrote 'I'm a Believer' get your facts straight!

By Benwa

Saw the Eagles on a Friday night in 1972/3 on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. Definitely listened to more music after that than I would have before it.

By jeffthrow6892

I remember very well watching Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, I was pretty young & that show introduced me to many great artists!! Kirshner also had his own record label in the '70's, I have several Kansas albums on the Kirshner label....R.I.P.

By Peter M. Kahn

Maybe you sixties music fans will remember that the actor that starred in the fifties TV hit "Circus Boy" was also in the group "The Monkees". Also wasn't the song "Pleasant Valley Sunday" written about a street in West Orange, New Jersey? ((Mister Green is so sereen because he has a TV in every room.)
R.I.P Don Kirshner

Wednesday 19 January

By Rose Smith

I believe it was about Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange. I met Donnie on a job I had. Really nice guy.

By Cindy

He was the voice of the singer for "The Archies." Some very good bubblegum hits there, including "Bang Shang a Lang", "A Circle of Blue" and MOST of all, the very wonderful "Sugar, Sugar"

i remember that my very first 45 was sugar-sugar. i wore that song out.......

By side3

Though he was an exec, I'm pretty sure he did no writing. I do remember that Mike Nesmith used him as a rag doll once....

DON REST IN ROCK-IN-ROLL HEAVEN!!!!

By Mikki

The Monkees did OK after Don left. Pleasant Valley Sunday and Daydream Believer were post Kirshner. He was a talented guy though and very much a part of American Pop Culture.

By happyflight

i met mr kirshner in the late 60s when i dated for a brief time his sister in law suzette grod he and his wife were very kind to me RIP Allan Ross

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