Fleetwood Mac / Stevie Nicks Manager Howard Kaufman has passed away

Irving Azoff

Azoff Issues Statement Regarding Kaufman's Passing

Irving Azoff has released a short but moving statement about the passing of his former partner, Howard Kaufman. 

Howard was a giant among men. He never sought the spotlight, but was the best in the business.

We worked together for more than 45 years. He was a great influence on me and taught me a lot.

Despite his major health issues, he always wanted to work till the end and I’m glad he got his wish.

It’s a tragic loss for our industry. He will be missed by me as well as scores of others he touched.

Pollstar confirmed Thursday that Kaufman had passed away. No further details were available at press time. 

Kaufman was one of the most powerful managers in the industry despite keeping a low profile. At the time of his death his company, H.K. Management, shepherded acts like Stevie Nicks, Aerosmith, Jimmy Buffett, Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Lenny Kravitz, Chicago, and Def Leppard, along with co-managing Fleetwood Mac.

Kaufman and Irving Azoff ran Front Line Management from 1974 to the early '80s until Azoff was named prexy of MCA Records. The two merged their companies in 2005 and resurrected the moniker.

Kaufman became a special adviser to Azoff when Ticketmaster bought the company in 2008 and Azoff was named CEO of Ticketmaster Entertainment. He is also credited, during his days at IFA, with encouraging Fred Bohlander and Dan Weiner to step out on their own and form Monterey Peninsula Artists.

Pollstar

Howard Kaufman
by Bob Lefsetz
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He famously told a household name band he'd make them more money in two years than they had in the previous twenty.

And then he did.

Most people don't know who he was. Because unlike those that followed him into the business, Howard was not about fame, he was about protecting the interests of his artists, and money.

And everybody cares about the money. Knock around this business long enough and you'll hear the famous cliche... "It's not about the money, it's about the money."

And Howard started off as an accountant. He worked with James William Guercio. And then he went on to partner with Irving Azoff and steer the careers of Jimmy Buffett and Stevie Nicks and Aerosmith and Def Leppard and... You want someone in your corner, and that was Howard. He could be funny and he could be stern, but one thing's for sure, you could not pull the wool over his eyes.

The first time I met him was on a plane down to Chula Vista, to see Jimmy Buffett, and he told me Fleetwood Mac was gonna reform and I asked him about new material and he told me he'd be happy if they never made another record. This was 2003, he already knew where the bucks were buried, on the road. You see old does not mean dumb, does not mean over the hill, oftentimes it means wisdom and foresight and Howard had it.

And now he's dead.

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