Robert Stigwood RIP

RobertSwanderson · 01 Jan 2007

Robert Stigwood dies aged 81: Former manager of the Bee Gees and famed film producer passes away

Quote:

The former manager of the Bee Gees, Robert Stigwood , has died aged 81.

The legendary music mogul was agent and manger for the band as well as Cream, and went on to produce musicals including Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as movies including Saturday Night Fever and Grease, after setting up RSO (Robert Stigwood Organisation).

Stars have already begun sharing tributes online following the news, and Andrew Lloyd Webber shared snaps of him throughout his huge career.

He wrote: "Farewell beloved Robert, the great showman who taught me so much. With love, ALW."

He later added: "Robert Stigwood with ALW & Hal Prince at @OfficialEvita's opening night at @AdelaideFesCentre in 1980. #TeamALW."

Robin Gibb's son shared the sad news on Facebook to thank him for giving the Bee Gees their break, as he revealed he was his godfather.

He wrote: "I would like to share the sad news with you all, that my godfather, and the longtime manager of my family, Robert Stigwood, has passed away.

"A creative genius with a very quick and dry wit, Robert was the driving force behind The Bee Gees career, as well as having discovered Cream, and subsequently managing Eric Clapton."

Listing more of his accomplishments, Spencer Gibb added: "I would like to thank Robert for his kindness to me over the years as well as his mentorship to my family. “Stiggy", you will be missed."

Rick A · 23 Jul 2006

He worked so well with the Bee Gee's and wasn't he behind RSO records? His contribution to music was significant. RIP.

Rick A.

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

Robert Stigwood, Former Manager of Cream and the Bee Gees, Dies
By Nick DeRiso

Robert Stigwood, a manager who shepherded the careers of Cream and the Bee Gees before producing a string of smash musicals and films, has died at 81.

Stigwood began working with Cream in 1966, the same year he briefly lured the Who away from Brunswick Records long enough to record “Substitute” for his label Reaction Records. Stigwood produced Cream’s self-titled debut, also releasing it on Reaction, before signing a new distribution deal with Polydor that brought producer Felix Pappalardi on board in time for 1967’s celebrated Disreali Gears.

That same year, Stigwood merged his first company with NEMS, which was founded by Beatles‘ manager Brian Epstein. But Epstein’s sudden death led Stigwood to form another venture, the Robert Stigwood Organisation. By then, he was already managing the Bee Gees. Later, he’d oversee Eric Clapton‘s post-Cream career (including the all-star band Blind Faith) as his company began producing theatrical hits such as Hair, Oh! Calcutta!, Pippin and Evita.

Stigwood added movie successes with the release of Saturday Night Fever (which featured principal musical contributions from the Bee Gees), Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy and Grease. He also launched the RSO Records label to handle recordings by artists like Clapton, including the initially slow-selling, but now widely hailed Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and the Dominoes and the soundtracks for Fame and The Empire Strikes Back.

His notable stumbles include the 1978 film version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, another vehicle for the Bee Gees, as well as the sequels to Saturday Night Fever and Grease. Stigwood bounced back in the late ’90s, however, with the 1996 big-screen adaptation of Evita starring Madonna that won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture.

Read More: Robert Stigwood, Former Manager of Cream and the Bee Gees, Dies | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/robert-stigwood-dies/

RobertSwanderson · 01 Jan 2007

That cow was all over my record collection.

Linda · **Posted:** Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:35 pm

alantig · 20 Sep 2006

Kid Bailey · 16 Jul 2006

On 13 January 1967 Stigwood signed a deal with his friend and colleague Brian Epstein to merge their two companies. The Beatles were by now no longer touring, and Epstein was tiring of the demands of his ever-expanding business. He was keen to reduce his involvement in NEMS Enterprises, the company he had founded in 1963, so he decided to strike a deal with Stigwood.

Why Epstein decided to merge with Stigwood is uncertain. There had been numerous other offers made for NEMS over the previous couple of years and Epstein is reported to have turned down more than one multimillion-dollar offer from American interests, so it is unlikely that he chose to become a partner with Stigwood simply for financial reasons.

According to author George Gunby, Epstein told the Beatles' publicist Alistair Taylor that Stigwood had originally offered to buy NEMS, but the deal eventually became a merger, in which Stigwood would have to put all his company assets into NEMS; in return he would received a reciprocal shareholding in NEMS, plus a salary, an executive position as co-managing director, and access to all of NEMS now-considerable financial and other resources.

It was a beneficial arrangement for Stigwood, and it effectively placed him at the pinnacle of the British pop industry in one step, but Epstein seems to have been about the only person in NEMS who was keen on the idea. Alastair Taylor is reported to have exclaimed "You must be joking!" when Epstein told him of the merger. Epstein was also considering handing over his role as manager of the Beatles, but when the Fab Four learned of this they were outraged. They evidently disliked Stigwood intensely. Interviewed in 2000 by Greil Marcus, Paul McCartney recalled the group's angry reaction:

"We said, 'In fact, if you do, if you somehow manage to pull this off, we can promise you one thing. We will record God Save the Queen for every single record we make from now on and we'll sing it out of tune. That's a promise. So if this guy buys us, that's what he's buying.'"

Consequently, Epstein stayed on as manager of the Beatles but he handed responsibility for most of his other acts to Stigwood.
Courtesy of Wikipedia

Rest In Peace

TSmithPage · **Joined:** 20 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 3671

Anyone know what RSO stood for?

Linda · **Posted:** Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:14 pm

The Robert Stigwood Organisation.

alantig · 20 Sep 2006

Rum, Schnapps & Ovaltine?

Relieve Self Orally?

Run South Only?

Wasn't it Robert Stigwood Organization?

Rokin Robin of Locksley · 20 Oct 2007

Remembering the Robert Stigwood incident with Small Faces manager Don Arden, when Robert was considering pursuing them, from Wiki:

During 1966 one of Stigwood's staff made the mistake of discussing a possible change of management with one of Arden's top acts, the Small Faces. Not surprisingly, Arden took exception to this, and in spite of the fact that Stigwood had never met the group personally, Arden decided to pay him a visit with some of his minders, to teach him a lesson:

Don Arden: "I had to stop these overtures – and quickly. I contacted two well-muscled friends and hired two more equally huge toughs. And we went along to nail this impressario to his chair with fright. There was a large ornate ashtray on his desk. I picked it up and smashed it down with such force that the desk cracked – giving a good impression of a man wild with rage. My friends and I had carefully rehearsed our next move. I pretended to go berserk, lifted the impressario bodily from his chair, dragged him on to the balcony and held him so he was looking down to the pavement four floors below. I asked my friends if I should drop him or forgive him. In unison they shouted: 'Drop him'. He went rigid with shock and I thought he might have a heart attack. Immediately, I dragged him back into the room and warned him never to interfere with my groups again."

Robert Stigwood RIP

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