Jon Stoll (1953–2008) was the founder and president of Fantasma Productions, one of the world's longest standing and largest

concert promoter Tour promoters (also known as concert promoters or talent buyers) are the individuals or companies responsible for organizing a live concert tour or special event performance. The tour promoter makes an offer of engagement to a particular artist, ...

s and

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Early life

Jonathan Edward Stoll was born in Mamaroneck, N.Y. on November 6, 1953 to Marjorie and Larry Stoll. As a 15-year-old student in

Mamaroneck Mamaroneck ( ) is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of M ...

, Stoll decided to raise money for his school by staging a battle of the bands. He also gained valuable experience working backstage at New York-area

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

s, and at 18 he was managing a

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

. While at

Bryant College Bryant University is a private university in Smithfield, Rhode Island. It has two colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business, and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. History Butler Exc ...

in Smithfield, R.I., he continued to stage shows, and when his parents moved to

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

, he soon began promoting concerts at

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drive-in theater A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of movie theater, cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers ...

s. "For $3 or $4 you could go see a

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, etc.," he said in 1985. "We'd draw 6,000 to 10,000 people."

Fantasma Productions

In 1985, Stoll founded Fantasma Productions, which promoted concerts, staged

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, and published ''Easy Times'', a youth-oriented

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. Gradually, the Fantasma Productions expanded to

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and

, then throughout Florida, the Southeast and other major venues, including in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

. Fantasma also was responsible for booking acts for

SunFest SunFest is a musical and art festival held annually in the first week of May in West Palm Beach, Florida. SunFest is the state's largest waterfront music and art festival in Florida and attracts more than 100,000 visitors. Main attractions of this ...

Mizner Park Mizner Park is a high-end shopping, residential, and entertainment district located in the affluent downtown neighborhood of Boca Raton, FL. The district consists of a collection of high-end shops and restaurants with luxury apartments built in a ...

Boca Raton Boca Raton ( ; es, Boca Ratón, link=no, ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It was first incorporated on August 2, 1924, as "Bocaratone," and then incorporated as "Boca Raton" in 1925. The population was 97,422 in the ...

and the

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. Stoll bought the Carefree Theatre in

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, converting parts of the building into a retail art gallery, sports bar, bistro, and comedy club known as the Comedy Corner. The theatre also played host to the Palm Beach Film Festival and the South Florida Jewish Film Festival every year and began showing foreign films in 1990. By 1987, Fantasma had grown to 50 employees who booked and managed more than 500 concerts a year. After

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s in 2005 damaged the Carefree Theatre beyond repair, he bought an abandoned church just north of Southern Boulevard, off Parker Avenue, and created The Theatre, another small

concert hall A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage that serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats. This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia, dramatic theatres or convention centres that may ...

. In the mid-'90s, Stoll was one of the few independent promoters who refused

buyout In finance, a buyout is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" the present equity holders of the target company. A buyout ...

attempts by large

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s, maintaining that it was bad for business and bad for artists. "I just think it's unfortunate that there are less options for artists," he told

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 ...

in 2006. "If you have no options, then you have to deal with one buyer – and whatever they decide to pay you." In 2000, he was named Independent Promoter of the Year at the 12th Annual

Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. History and profile Founded in 1981 in Fre ...

Awards in Las Vegas, and in 2007 he served as president of the National Association of Concert Promoters. In late 2007, Stoll had a stroke that required surgery. On January 12, 2008, at age 54, Stoll died of complications from brain cancer.

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stoll, Jon Music promoters Deaths from brain tumor West Palm Beach, Florida 1953 births 2008 deaths