Dave Kaplan | |
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Born |
Phoenix, Arizona |
May 11, 1959
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Talent manager, record company owner, publisher, record producer |
Known for | Brian Setzer, Sublime, UB40, Butthole Surfers, David A. Stewart |
Dave Kaplan is an American talent manager, who has successfully managed the careers of artists, including Brian Setzer, UB40, Sublime, David A. Stewart (Eurythmics), Stray Cats, Butthole Surfers, Glen Campbell (co-management), Richard Cheese, Rusty Anderson, Gary Hoey, BulletBoys, Noise Ratchet, Echobrain, Drake Bell and others. Kaplan is the founder of Dave Kaplan Management (DKM), one of the five cornerstones of his broad based entertainment company which also includes Surfdog Records, Surfdog Music Publishing, Surfdog Merchandising, Surfdog Entertainment Marketing (SDE), and Surfdog's Java Hut.
Dave Kaplan was born May 11, 1959 in Phoenix, Arizona. He graduated from the UCSB business school, Summa Cum Laude, as the Salutatorian of his graduating class, gained status as a Certified Public Accountant, and set up permanent residence in San Diego. In 1984, Kaplan moved to Los Angeles to join a small merchandising firm. The company soon signed artists including Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bette Midler and David Bowie, going on to become one of the largest merchandising companies in the early 1980s. His big break came with the opportunity to co-manage the British reggae group UB40, in 1985. Shortly thereafter, Kaplan’s partner left to work for Arista Records and Dave Kaplan Management was formed. From this foundation he went on to manage the careers of many artists, which he continues to do to this day. In 1995 Kaplan relocated his offices from Venice Beach, returning to Encinitas in San Diego's North County.