Neil Young has written an emotional tribute to his long-standing manager Elliot Roberts, who died on Friday aged 76. In a post on NYA Times Contrarian, Young describes Roberts as "the greatest manager of all time" and "my friend for over 50 years". Order the latest issue of Uncut online and have i...
Neil Young has written an emotional tribute to his long-standing manager Elliot Roberts, who died on Friday aged 76.
In a post on NYA Times Contrarian, Young describes Roberts as “the greatest manager of all time” and “my friend for over 50 years”.
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“We are all heartbroken, but want to share what a great human being Elliot has been,” writes Young. “Never one to think about himself, he put everyone else first. That’s what he did for me for over fifty years of friendship love and laughter, managing my life, protecting our art in the business of music…
“Elliot was the funniest human being on earth with his uncanny wit and a heart filled with love. You never knew what he was going to say, but almost always a laugh was coming… This world is forever changed for me, for all who knew him and loved him. His memory shines with love.”
A key figure in the rise of LA’s Laurel Canyon music scene of the late-’60s and ’70s, Roberts – born Elliot Rabinowitz – helped to set up Asylum Records along with his business partner of the time, David Geffen. He managed Joni Mitchell until 1985, and also at times managed CSNY, Eagles, America, Tom Petty, Tracy Chapman, Jackson Browne, Tegan & Sara and The Cars.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Graham Nash said: “He was the glue that kept CSNY together in our early years and I will certainly miss him with sadness in my heart.” Stephen Stills said that Roberts was “probably the kindest, gentlest, and far and away the funniest man I ever worked with in Show Business.”
A full Elliot Roberts obituary will appear in the next issue of Uncut.