Neil Bogart

American record producer (1943–1982)

Neil E. Bogart (born Neil Scott Bogatz,^[1] February 3, 1943 – May 8, 1982) was an American record executive. He was the founder of Casablanca Records, which later became Casablanca Record and Filmworks.^[2][3]

Life and career

Born Neil Scott Bogatz in the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, central Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Ruth (Markoff) and Al M. Bogatz. His family was Jewish.^[4][5] He grew up in the Glenwood Houses, a housing project in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn. He was a singer in the 1960s, using the name Neil Scott, prior to running the Michigan offices of Cameo-Parkway Records.^[6] After Cameo-Parkway was shut down by the government for stock fraud in 1968,^[7] Bogart became an executive at Buddah Records. He is credited with being a key player in the rise of bubblegum pop music during his time working at Cameo-Parkway and Buddah.

He started Casablanca in 1973 when he first signed Kiss and later became identified with the rise of disco by promoting the careers of acts such as Donna Summer and the Village People. The Casablanca roster also contained rock acts such as the Godz, T. Rex, Fanny, and the Hudson Brothers, but the label became best known for its disco product. The label was also known for tapping into the funk market with the signing of George Clinton's Parliament in 1974.

Shortly before his death, he founded Boardwalk Records and jumped on the new wave bandwagon, as disco was in decline. Joan Jett, Night Ranger, Phil Seymour, and Harry Chapin were among his last signings.^[8][9]

Death

Bogart's health began to deteriorate in 1981, leading to the removal of one of his kidneys and frequent trips to the hospital.^[10] Bogart died of cancer and lymphoma at age 39 in Los Angeles. He was interred at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California. ^{[citation needed]}

Legacy

Bogart's widow, Joyce Bogart-Trabulus, teamed with songwriter Carole Bayer Sager to found the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund (now the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program) in 1984.^[11] That same year, the fund established its laboratories at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.^[12] The fund was a division of the T.J. Martell Foundation until the mid-2000s.^[13]

In art, entertainment, and media

Music

• The Kiss album Creatures of the Night is dedicated to Bogart's memory (the dedication is found on the back cover^[14] of the original vinyl release of the album, near the bottom [Casablanca Records NBLP-7270]. The dedication is also found on the CD release on the inside of the insert, where the credits are located [Casablanca Records/Mercury 314-532-391-2]. The dedication simply states: "Neil Bogart 1943-1982").
• Donna Summer's self-titled album from 1982 is also dedicated to Bogart's memory, and the liner notes contain one of his favorite sayings, "Why head for the mountaintop when you're reaching for the sky?"^{[citation needed]}
• Village People's 1982 album Fox on the Box was also dedicated to Bogart's memory.
• His son Evan helped discover Eminem with Dean Geistlinger at the 1997 Rap Olympics. ^[15]

Films

• In the 1980 film Can't Stop the Music, actor Paul Sand plays a record executive loosely based on Bogart.^[16]
• In 2013, Justin Timberlake signed to star in the feature film Spinning Gold, a biopic of Bogart written by his son, Tim Bogart.^[17] On June 20, 2019, it was reported that Jeremy Jordan had taken over the role.^[18] The film was released on March 31, 2023.

Literature

• Going Platinum, a book about Bogart, was published in 2014. It was written by his nephew Brett Ermilio and Josh Levine and published by Globe Pequot Press.

References

1. "Neil Bogart Biography at biography.com". Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
2. Dannen, Fredric (September 14, 2011). Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business. Random House Digital, Inc. pp. 231–. ISBN 9780307802088. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
3. Griffin, Nancy; Masters, Kim (June 17, 1997). Hit and Run. Simon and Schuster. pp. 87–. ISBN 9780684832661. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
4. "Bobby by Neil Scott". September 18, 2018.
5. Who was who in America. Marquis-Who's Who. February 4, 1985. ISBN 9780837902142 – via Google Books.
6. Sheff, David. "Post-Kiss, the Village People and Donna Summer, Neil & Joyce Bogart Redo Their Own Lives". People Magazine.
7. Norman, Philip (February 15, 2005). Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation. Simon and Schuster. p. 406. ISBN 9780743235655. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
8. Damon, Sharon. "Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: Female pioneer in the world of rock". AXS.
9. "Harry Chapin dies at 38 in car crash". UPI.
10. Symmons, J. (2023). The Rise of the Fox: 1950-1982, Eric Carr Revealed, Volume 1, an unauthorized biography, p. 324, Spirit of Inquiry. ISBN 978-1-7390695-1-3
11. Ermilio, Brett; Levine, Josh (November 4, 2014). Going Platinum: KISS, Donna Summer, and How Neil Bogart Built Casablanca Records. Lyons Press. p. 191. ISBN 9780762791330. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
12. "Our History: The Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program". Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
13. "Ultra-Lounge Act". Billboard. June 8, 1996. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
14. "Creatures of the Night". Casablanca Records. Archived from the original on July 5, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
15. "Highsnobiety #TBT | the 19-Year-Old Intern Who Discovered Eminem". January 22, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
16. "Can't Stop The Music (1980)". Nostalgia Central. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
17. Battan, Carrie (May 3, 2013). "Justin Timberlake to Star as Casablanca Records' Neil Bogart in Biopic". Pitchfork.
18. Clement, Olivia (June 23, 2019). "Jeremy Jordan to Play Casablanca Records Founder Neil Bogart in Spinning Gold". Playbill. Retrieved June 23, 2019.

External links

• Justin Timberlake To Portray Neil Bogart In Feature Biopic Of Late Record Executive