Doc McGhee (born September 5, 1950 in Chicago, IL, as Harold Millard McGhee) is an American music manager, best known for working with hard rock bands Kiss,[1] Bon Jovi[2] and Mötley Crüe.[3] The latter two groups experienced their rise to stardom under his management. He has also worked with Hootie & the Blowfish.

He was in a reality series for VH1 called Supergroup along with Scott Ian, Ted Nugent, Evan Seinfeld, Sebastian Bach and Jason Bonham. He was also seen on the AMC reality series 4th and Loud, which chronicled his, Gene Simmons', and Paul Stanley's roles as owners of the Los Angeles Kiss Arena Football League team.

Moscow Music Peace Festival

In 1989 McGhee joined with Russian musician and promotor Stas Namin to create the Moscow Music Peace Festival which brought together hard rock and metal bands from the United States, Europe and Russia to benefit programs to help drug addicts.[4] The lineup consisted of Bon Jovi, the Scorpions, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Gorky Park (the local Russian outfit), Ozzy Osbourne, and Cinderella.[5] Aerosmith was also scheduled to perform there, but not only pulled out at the literal last minute, but also insisted their contribution, their rendition of The Doors' "Love Me Two Times", be lifted from the official Make A Difference album's final pressing, on the grounds of being suspicious as to where the money was actually going.[5] Over 100,000 people attended and it was broadcast in 59 countries.[6] The concert inspired one of the bands, the McGhee-managed Scorpions, to write the top-selling song Wind of Change.[7] McGhee's life and involvement in the Festival is featured in episodes 5 and 6 of the podcast Wind of Change.[8][9]

Drug smuggling conviction

In November 1982, McGhee was arrested for contributing to the import of 20 tons of marijuana into North Carolina via shrimp boat. The 21-count indictment said that McGhee and the smugglers had the intent to distribute the marijuana. McGhee would have to serve 30 years in jail and be fined $140,000, but the possession-with-intent-to-sell charge was changed.[10] Identified as a link between US smugglers and the Colombian drug suppliers (his soon-to-be-ex-business partner being none other than the infamous Noriega), McGhee pleaded guilty and was ordered to spend $250,000 and 3,000 hours dedicated to his Make a Difference Foundation, a non-profit aimed at deterring youth drug use.[11][12] After the sentence, neither McGhee nor his office would comment on the sentencing.[10]

Bands managed

[13]

Solo artists managed

Discography

Year Title Credits
1979 Niteflyte - Niteflyte executive producer
1982 Pat Travers - Black Pearl management
1983 Mötley Crüe - Shout at the Devil management
1984 Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi management
1985 Bon Jovi - 7800° Fahrenheit management
1985 Mötley Crüe - Theatre of Pain direction
1986 The Unforgiven - The Unforgiven direction
1987 Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet management
1987 Mötley Crüe - Girls, Girls, Girls management
1988 Bon Jovi - New Jersey management
1989 Skid Row - Skid Row management
1989 Mötley Crüe - Dr. Feelgood management
1989 Stairway to Heaven/Highway to Hell executive producer
1990 Scorpions - Crazy World management
1991 Richie Sambora - Stranger in This Town management
1993 Scorpions - Face the Heat management
1994 Roger Taylor and Yoshiki - Foreign Sand executive producer
1994 Roger Taylor - Happiness? executive producer
1995 God Street Wine - $1.99 Romances A&R
1998 Kiss - Psycho Circus management
2003 Kiss - Kiss Symphony: Alive IV Kiss management
2011 Night Ranger - Somewhere in California management

References

  1. ^ Criss, Peter (2013). Makeup to Breakup: My Life In and Out of Kiss. Simon and Schuster. p. 279. ISBN 9781451620832. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  2. ^ Olson, Margaret (2013). Bon Jovi: America's Ultimate Band. Scarecrow Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780810886629. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  3. ^ Neil, Vince (2010). Tattoos & Tequila: To Hell and Back with One of Rock's Most Notorious Frontmen. Grand Central Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 9780446574693. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  4. ^ Keller, Bill; Times, Special To the New York (August 13, 1989). "Leather Rockers Take Moscow, A New Market for West's Fringes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Wall, Mick (September 20, 2022). "Parties and Punch-ups: Behind the Scenes at the 1989 Moscow Peace Festival". www.loudersound.com.
  6. ^ Hilburn, Robert (August 12, 1989). "ROCKIN', ROLLIN' RUSSIA". The Washington Post.
  7. ^ Bienstock, Richard (September 2, 2015). "Scorpions' 'Wind of Change': The Oral History". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  8. ^ "5. I Follow The Moskva". Crooked Media. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  9. ^ "6. The Doctor Is In". Crooked Media. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Rosenbluth, Jean (February 13, 1988). "Doc McGhee Pleads Guilty to Drug-Smuggling Charges". Billboard. Vol. 100, no. 7. p. 82. ProQuest 226974297.
  11. ^ "SMUGGLING TRIAL. A government witness in a..." The Orlando Sentinel. December 8, 1989. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  12. ^ Jarvis, Charles (February 17, 1989). "Rock star makes anti-drug appearance for convicted manager". UPI. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Billboard 20. jul 1985, p. 33, at Google Books

External links

Authority control databases: Artists
Categories