Artie Kornfeld

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Artie Kornfeld (born Arthur Lawrence Kornfeld, 9 September 1942, Brooklyn, New York) is an American musician, record producer and music executive. Known world wide as “The Father of Woodstock” the name given to him by the Woodstock Preservation Alliance.

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[edit] Early years

The son of Irving Kornfeld (a police officer) and his wife Shirley, Kornfeld lived in Levittown, New York as a child, though later his family would move frequently. He started playing music in 1956, when he got his first guitar, and was signed to a recording contract at age 16. He attended Adelphi College and American University, and at the latter he became friends with Cass Elliot of The Mamas & the Papas.

Later, he recorded demos in the Brill Building with Gerry Goffin and Toni Wine. In 1962, Kornfeld co-wrote "I Adore Him" by The Angels with Jan Berry (later of Jan and Dean), which went to #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Kornfeld co-wrote songs for Jan & Dean's album, as well as their hit "Dead Man's Curve". He also co-wrote, with Steve Duboff, The Cowsills' song "The Rain, the Park and Other Things".

Kornfeld produced "6 O'Clock News" for the group The Hopeful in 1966 which was released on the Mercury label, catalog number 72637. This tune was a soft protest song adapted from "America the Beautiful", by Kornfeld.

As a performer, Kornfeld and Duboff were in a rock band named The Changin' Times. They co-wrote and recorded the song "The Pied Piper". On tour the Changin' Times opened for Sonny and Cher in 1965. A cover version by Crispian St. Peters was a number one hit in 1966, and in 1983 Kornfeld produced another version by Felony that was a minor hit.

[edit] Capitol Records

At age 21, Kornfeld became the youngest vice president at Capitol Records, after being A&R Senior Director of Mercury Records and VP of Roulette Records. Before and after Woodstock 1969, Kornfeld as a writer, producer, manager, and promoter earned over 100 Gold and Platinum discs. By the age of 24, Kornfeld had written over 75 Billboard charted songs and was on over 150 albums.

[edit] Woodstock

Main article: Woodstock Festival

Kornfeld, along with John P. Roberts, Joel Rosenman and Michael Lang, planned and produced the Woodstock Rock Festival of 1969. Kornfeld met Lang in 1968. Lang managed a band called Train, and brought them to Capitol in an attempt to get them signed to a contract. The two became friends, and Lang moved in with Kornfeld and his wife.

The pair came up with the idea for a recording studio in Woodstock, because the area was becoming a popular destination for artists, and many musicians were coming to the area. They also wanted to plan a rock concert and cultural festival.

Artie Kornfeld was solely responsible for the historic record & Warner Brothers movie contracts and hired Micheal Wadleigh to film the Woodstock Movie which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1970

Kornfeld's persistence, energy, enthusiasm and foresight is what kept Freddie Weintraub (Warners Bros) aggressively pursuing the Woodstock movie project. In a legendary thirty-hour period, a contract was hammered out between Artie Kornfeld, the VP of Business Affairs of Warner Bros and Freddie Weintraub.

Much of the historical documentation of Woodstock is supplied by the acts featured in the film which Kornfeld had to convince to appear. He is in the movie so much because backstage, he was solely in charge of getting the performers to sign what basically were blank contracts prior to going on stage.

Kornfeld's dedication to the Woodstock ideals did not end with the festival. Known as "The Father of Woodstock", a title given to him by the Woodstock Preservation Alliance, he played a big role in helping save the Woodstock site from being built upon when Max Yasgur's farm was sold.

[edit] Beyond Woodstock

Far after the historical Woodstock festival, Artie Kornfeld has taken the ideals of the counterculture and put them into practice in a modern day setting. He has spent 40 years speaking to schools, organizations, and universities on the true meaning behind Woodstock. Kornfeld has done over 5,000 radio interviews and hosts his own Internet radio show "The Spirit of the Woodstock Nation" on http://artistfirst.com/woodstocknation.htm

Artie's memoirs "The Pied Piper of Woodstock" which starts in 1953 and takes you through the beginnings of the rock culture, racial integration, Woodstock and beyond. Artie has stated that the book "will make you feel like your wearing the Producer's badge from Woodstock" [1]

[edit] Composer, Publisher, Producer, Manager, & Promoter

  • First Vice President of Rock Music at Capitol Records (or any label).
  • Summary of 40 + years experience: Composer, publisher, producer, manager and promoter of over 100 Platinum projects
  • Four BMI Million Performance Awards.
  • Eight BMI Awards as a Writer & Publisher.
  • As A&R VP (3 major labels) and as an Independent Producer played a major role in the “top of the charts” success of some of the top rock artists of all time.
  • Manager and Creative Director of the band “Survivor”.
  • Took unknown band to one of the top selling singles of all time “Eye of the Tiger”.
  • Co-Producer & Manager with Don Rubin of the band “Felony”. who’s #1 alternative record & Top 30 hit single and # 1 dance record in the U.S. “The Fanatic” & thru Artie’s guidance to the late Rick Carroll (KROQ) which led to the explosion of alternative music & radio.
  • Consultant to, & protégée of his industry mentor, icon Charles Koppleman EMI (7 yrs) Marketing Director for The Entertainment Co & Screen Gems Music .
  • As independent promotion director, became a “must have” for artists because of successes for Neil Young (Freedom, Harvest Moon), Tracy Chapman (Fast Car),Survivor, etc.
  • Public Recognition- TV Interviews- CNN ,VH1, LATE NIGHT SHOW, ET.
  • As performer with Sonny & Cher “I Got You Babe Tour” as “Changing Times”.
  • Radio & Press over 300 interviews.

[edit] Artists charting with Artie Kornfeld compositions

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Pied-Piper-Woodstock-Artie-Kornfeld/dp/0615325998/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255287856&sr=8-3-spell

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artie_Kornfeld"