Mike Kappus
| Mike Kappus | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 24, 1950 Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States |
| Genres | Blues, rhythm and blues, rock, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Music manager, record producer, booking agent |
Mike Kappus (born May 24, 1950) is an American music manager and record producer.
Kappus was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2014. The Blues Foundation described Kappus as "the kind of manager and booking agent any musician would want" and "one of the most respected men in the business." In addition to naming Kappus 'Manager / Agent of the Year' an unprecedented four times, Kappus was chosen to induct Eric Clapton (2015), Elvin Bishop (2016), and Mavis Staples (2017) into the Blues Hall of Fame.
Mike Kappus was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States. He and some of his friends at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire promoted regional bands and, in 1970 at age 19, Kappus became a licensed booking agent. During this time Kappus promoted Ted Nugent at the State Theater in Eau Claire for $1,000. In 1971, he joined an established agency based in Milwaukee. During the next five years, Kappus procured various musical talent for various clubs and music festivals and universities. These included booking Asleep at the Wheel, Jimmy Cliff, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, plus jazz musicians including Grover Washington, Jr., Weather Report, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and George Benson, and rock acts such as the MC5 and Styx. He also established relationships with future Rosebud clients such as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Mose Allison, John Hiatt and John P. Hammond. In the early through mid-1970s, Kappus also gained further experience while curating a stage at Summerfest in Milwaukee.
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