Frank Barsalona
| Frank Barsalona | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 31, 1938 |
| Died | November 22, 2012 (aged 74) |
| Awards | Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |
Frank Barsalona (March 31, 1938 – November 22, 2012) was a legendary talent agent who revolutionized the rock concert business and the very notion of a rock concert itself.
Barsalona started out in the mail room at GAC, a New York-based talent agency, and became the company's youngest agent. In 1964, Barsalona founded Premier Talent Agency (sold to William Morris Agency in 2002) which was the first booking agency to focus on rock performers. At Premier, Barsalona encouraged young, enthusiastic promoters around the country to present emerging artists at their local venues which created the foundation of the modern-day concert touring business. The promoters Barsalona mentored and worked with became some of the most powerful promoters in the industry, and still are today. The roster of artists at Premier Talent numbered in the hundreds and included Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, U2, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds, Jimi Hendrix, Bon Jovi, Santana, Jethro Tull, Peter Frampton, Humble Pie, Van Halen, Herman's Hermits, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The J. Geils Band, Black Sabbath, Yes, Van Halen, Talking Heads, The B-52's, Eurythmics, The Pretenders, Cyndi Lauper, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Sex Pistols, Skid Row, Journey, Earth, Wind & Fire, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Foghat, Traffic, Fleetwood Mac, and Grand Funk Railroad, among many others. Barsalona was also a part owner in various radio stations in the Northeast, and part owner and president of the Philadelphia Fury soccer team (1977–1980).
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