DON KIRSHNER, SHAPER OF HIT RECORDS, DIES AT 76: LA Times states: "Don Kirshner, the veteran music mogul who shepherded songs from a monstrously talented stable of young writers to the top of the pop charts in the 1960s, launched the career of the Monkees and then became a familiar face to millions of rock fans as impresario of his late-night music TV series in the 1970s, died Monday of heart failure in Boca Raton, Fla., where he had lived for the last decade, a family spokeswoman said Tuesday. He was 76. "Don Kirshner's Rock Concert" brought the biggest names in rock and pop music to television in live performances instead of the lip-synced sessions that often characterized rock music on television. Each week Kirshner, usually dressed in a high-collared leisure suit, dryly introduced acts in his distinctive Bronx accent, including theRolling Stones, Rare Earth, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sly & the Family Stone, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Barry Manilow, the Eagles, Devo, Prince and countless others over the show's run from 1973 to 1982." www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-don-kirshner-20110119,0,6670988.story.
Online commentator Moses Avalon states: "Although those born after 1975 will largely remember Kirshner for his tacky South Florida attire and nasaly speech, Don Kirshner to many was an icon that helped shape the industry with his Rock Show. Unlike Bandstand and other similar shows Don insisted that his acts play live and sought out only acts that could live up to their recordings. He cared deeply about both the acts and the that his audience got a superior performance. A true music lover has passed an I for one will mourn." Read more: nyti.ms/i6tNmC.
