Barry Fey
Barry Fey is an American rock concert promoter based out of Colorado who is best known for bringing prominent music acts to the United States for the first time.
[edit] Career
Barry Fey's first concert was Baby Huey and the Babysitters in 1965 at the American Legion Hall in Rockford that made only $92. On December 26, 1968 Fey promoted the first Led Zeppelin show in North America. Shortly after in June 1969, Feyline presented the 3 day Denver Pop Festival, which featured the final performance of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Fey has promoted more shows with The Rolling Stones and The Who than anybody else alive all before the days of the "national tours."
In 1976 Fey's company Feyline started his Summer of Stars concert series at Red Rocks Amphitheater, which made Red Rocks the place to play for every group worldwide. For three consecutive years (1978, 1979, 1980) Fey was voted promoter of the year by Billboard magazine.
In 1983 Fey, Chris Blackwell, and U2 produced the U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky concert film.[1]
In 1997 Fey was voted into the Touring Hall of Fame by Performance magazine.
Besides concerts Fey has been credited with saving the bankrupt Denver Symphony[2], and forming the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. He put them on a pay as you go basis and they are still thriving today. When the historic Paramount Theater in downtown Denver was facing destruction, Fey stepped in, and signed a ten-year contract, saving the building.
In 1983, he opened up the doors for Major League Baseball in Denver, by teaming up with Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and putting on an old timers baseball game.[3]
In 1991, Fey merged with Universal Concerts, which later bought him out in 1997, after a 30 year career. In an interview withImage magazine they called Fey, "Not only the best promoter in the land, but "A National Treasure."[4]
President, Bill Clinton, videotaped a message of thanks and congratulations upon Feys’ retirement in 1997.
[edit] 2009-Current
In 2009 Fey got his own radio show called "Behind the Scenes with Barry Fey" on Mile High Sports Radio, 1510 AM that discusses the music business and sports with callers. Once rumored to have a serious gambling problem, (that he denies) Fey believes what will differentiate his program from others, will be his frank acknowledgment about the role of gambling in the popularity of many sports.
On January 1, 2010 his official website BarryFey.com [1] appropriately titled the "Rockfather" was launched where he announced that he will be teaching a class "Real History of Rock -n- Roll" at the University of Colorado starting February 22, 2010 and doing speaking engagements worldwide. He also announced that he was in negotiations to write a tell all book about the music business.
November 1, 2011 Fey announced the the completion of his book "BACKSTAGE PAST" with forwards written by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne and Pete Townshend.[5]
[edit] References
The Denver Post [2] Denver Biz Journals [3] Colorado Westword [4]
