A true show business heavyweight, rock manager
Albert Grossman represented some of the biggest names in the business during the '60s and '70s, including
Bob Dylan,
Janis Joplin, The
Band,
Paul Butterfield and
Peter, Paul and Mary among others. Graduating with an economics degree from a midwestern university,
Grossman worked for the Chicago Housing Authority before opening up a small folk club in the city. From there he built a small artist management company around folk singers
Odetta and
Bob Gibson.
Yet, it wasn't until
Grossman discovered
Bob Dylan that he began to become a force in the business. A genius at negotiation and fiercely protective of his clients,
Grossman intimidated nearly every record exec he came in contact with, creating an environment where his acts the highest paid and the best treated. Evidence of his tough business tactics can be seen in the D.A. Pennebaker directed documentary of
Bob Dylan's 1966 tour titled
Don't Look Back.
–
Steve Kurutz, Rovi