Danny Fields (born Daniel Feinberg; November 13, 1939) is an American music manager, publicist, journalist and author. As a music industry executive from the 1960s to the 1980s, he was one of the most influential figures in the history of
punk rock. He signed and managed
Iggy and the Stooges, signed the
MC5 and managed the
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United St ...
, and worked in various roles with
Jim Morrison
James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...
,
the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise ...
and the
Modern Lovers. In 2014 ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said, "You could make a convincing case that without Danny Fields, punk rock would not have happened."
Early life
Fields was born to a Jewish family and grew up in
Richmond Hill, Queens. After graduating
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
from the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...
in 1959, he attended
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each c ...
, but left during his first year. He moved to Manhattan's
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
in 1960, briefly enrolled at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
, and became involved with the burgeoning downtown arts and music scene.
Career
After stints at publications such as ''Liquor Store'' and ''Outdoor Advertiser'', Fields got a job at the teen-fan magazine ''
Datebook''. In 1966, as Managing Editor, he was responsible for shining a spotlight on
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
's "
more popular than Jesus
"More popular than Jesus" is part of a remark made by John Lennon of the Beatles in a March 1966 interview in which he argued that the public were more infatuated with the band than with Jesus and that Christian faith was declining to the exte ...
" quote.
In the 1960s, Fields began frequenting
Max's Kansas City
Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City, which became a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s. It was opened by Mickey Ruskin (1933–1983) in Decem ...
. It was there that he developed connections to
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
's
Factory
A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. ...
social circle. Fields occasionally shared his loft with Warhol actress
Edie Sedgwick, and wrote an account of the Warhol-sponsored
Velvet Underground
Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
during their early years. He later penned the liner notes for the band's album ''
Live at Max's Kansas City
''Live at Max's Kansas City'' is a live album by the Velvet Underground recorded at the famous nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City. It was originally released on May 30, 1972, by Cotillion, a subsidiary label of At ...
'', recorded in 1970, but released in 1972, after the band broke up.
Fields hosted a radio show on
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
's
WFMU during its groundbreaking 1968–1969 free-form years, and he was hired by
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
as a publicist. Elektra, which had primarily been a
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
label, was having huge success in the rock record market with
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...
, and hired Fields to publicize the band, despite the fact (discussed by Fields in numerous interviews) that he and lead singer
Jim Morrison
James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, poet and songwriter who was the lead vocalist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his wild personality, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, unpredictable and err ...
disliked each other.
Despite this mutual antagonism, Fields got Morrison on many key teen magazine covers in 1968. In September 1968, Fields visited Detroit and Ann Arbor on the recommendation of two fellow DJs at WFMU (Bob Rudnick and Dennis Frawley). He recommended to Elektra that the label sign the
MC5 and
The Stooges
The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Da ...
.
Both bands served as major inspirations for the US and UK punk music movements of the mid-to-late 1970s.
In 1975, Fields discovered the
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United St ...
at
CBGB
CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in Manhattan's East Village. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for '' Country'', '' BlueGrass'', and '' Blues'', Kri ...
, and helped get them signed to
Sire Records. As the band's co-manager, with
Linda Stein, Fields brought the band to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, where they had an enormous impact, inspiring the nascent UK punk movement, including such bands as the
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
,
The Clash
The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...
and
The Damned. Under Fields' management the Ramones recorded ''
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United St ...
'', ''
Leave Home
''Leave Home'' is the second studio album by American punk rock band the Ramones. It was released on January 10, 1977, through Sire Records, with the expanded CD being released through Rhino Entertainment on June 19, 2001. Songs on the album ...
'', and ''
Rocket to Russia''. The 1980 Ramones album ''
End of the Century'' includes the track "
Danny Says
"Danny Says" is a ballad written by Joey Ramone. The song was originally released as the third track on the Ramones' 1980 album, ''End of the Century''. The 2002 Expanded Edition CD of the album includes a demo version of "Danny Says" among the bo ...
", about Fields. The song has been covered by the
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the eponymous debut album, Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) ...
and
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
.
In 1990, Fields discovered singer-songwriter
Paleface at a performance in New York's Chameleon club and became his manager: he helped the young artist get signed to
Polygram Records and
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
.
After leaving the music business, Fields co-authored ''Dream On'', the biography of Warhol actress
Cyrinda Foxe, the wife of
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...
lead singer
Steven Tyler
Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, piano, and percussion. ...
. He subsequently wrote ''Linda McCartney: A Portrait'', which was turned into a television miniseries by CBS.
In 2015, Fields discovered East London punk band
False Heads in Camden and has been highly influential in the band's career and growing success, naming them as "the future of rock and roll".
Personal life
Fields was one of the first people in the music business to be openly gay.
He currently lives in New York City.
Film and books
Interviews with Fields are included in the documentaries ''Nico: Icon'' (1995), ''
We're Outta Here!'' (1997), ''25 Years of Punk'' (2001), ''
MC5: A True Testimonial'' (2002), ''
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones'' (2003), and ''A Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory'' (2007), ''
It's Alive 1974–1996'' (2007), and ''Lords of the Revolution: Andy Warhol'' (2009). He is also one of the central characters of ''Edie: American Girl'' by
Jean Stein
Jean Babette Stein (February 9, 1934 – April 30, 2017) was an American author and editor.
Early life
Stein was born to a Jewish family in Chicago. Her father was Jules C. Stein (1896–1981), co-founder of the Music Corporation of America (MC ...
and ''
Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk'' by
Legs McNeil and
Gillian McCain; the dedication of the latter book reads, "For his gorgeous taste in music, his generous intellect, and his killer sense of humor, this book is dedicated to Danny Fields, forever the coolest guy in the room." The 2006 book ''The Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB's: A Secret History of Jewish Punk'' (A Cappella Books/Chicago Review Press), by Steven Lee Beeber, includes a chapter about Fields, entitled, "A Nice Jewish Boy."
Ballon, Mark, "Book reveals secrets from the Patriarchs of Punk: CBGBs was really Heebie Jeebies"
''Jewish Journal'', February 1, 2007
''Danny Says
"Danny Says" is a ballad written by Joey Ramone. The song was originally released as the third track on the Ramones' 1980 album, ''End of the Century''. The 2002 Expanded Edition CD of the album includes a demo version of "Danny Says" among the bo ...
'', a feature-length documentary chronicling Fields' life, premiered at South by Southwest
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...
in 2015.
References
External links
Interview with Danny Fields (2016)
on WFMU's ''Gaylord Fields'' (host Gaylord Fields)
Interview with Danny Fields (2004)
on WFMU's ''Music to Spazz By'' (host Dave Abramson)
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fields, Danny
1939 births
American music journalists
American gay writers
Place of birth missing (living people)
Jewish American writers
Living people
People from Richmond Hill, Queens
Punk people
Ramones
American radio DJs
LGBT Jews
Jews in punk rock
People associated with The Factory
LGBT people from New York (state)