David Spero
| David Spero | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
August 15, 1951 Shaker Heights |
| Residence | South Euclid, Ohio |
| Occupation | DJ, manager, producer, executive (at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) |
| Spouse(s) | Ellen Spero |
| Children | Adam Spero |
David Spero was a "rock-radio pioneer" in the 1970s and is a "high-profile" music manager and owner of the Cleveland office of Alliance Artists Ltd.
At the age of 13, before beginning his career as a DJ at WXEN (now WHLK), WNCR (now WGAR-FM), WMMS, M105-FM (now WMJI), and WNCX, Spero worked as a cue card holder on The Upbeat Show which his father, Herman Spero, produced. At 15, Spero was helping to set the order of songs as a co-writer and assistant producer of the show. In describing the show, Spero explained that it was like Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in that it featured the newest performers and their music, but unlike Clark’s show, which had just one act and mostly dancing, Upbeat had eight or more live acts each week.
At the age of 16, Spero got his start in radio on WXEN's graveyard shift. Shortly after WXEN, Spero moved to WNCR and then WMMS at around 19 years of age. While still living with his parents, Spero got a break at WNCR when radio host Don Imus helped him get promoted to the morning spot on the station. As a DJ at WMMS in the 1970s, Spero interviewed most of the rock stars who went to Cleveland. In fact, Humble Pie credits Spero for breaking the band locally in the US. And, although his fellow DJ "Kid Leo" is widely credited with breaking Bruce Springsteen, it was Spero who "told fellow WMMR [sic] DJ 'Kid Leo' about Springsteen."
In the spring of 1974, Spero took a break from being a DJ and resigned as the afternoon drive host on WMMS to manage Michael Stanley's career. Spero managed the Michael Stanley Band during their early building process. According to Jim Girard of Citi-Music Magazine, Spero used his influence to get the band a deal with Epic Records, although Spero credits Bill Szymczyk and Irving Azoff – Joe Walsh’s manager at the time, with getting Michael's new band signed. Michel Stanley's second solo album, Friends and Legends, was the first project Spero was involved with as his manager.
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