We were pretty young at the height of his fame. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. He always was a poet at heart. We were big in San Francisco, but we didnt do much in LA. How rewarding, then, to find a piece with Stanley mentioned in the title! And one other thing. But, more interestingly, many writers were questioning whether some of the numerous interviews he claimed to have conducted and printed ever really took place, and this was some five or six years before the Kubrick interview. The job, however, retained its appeal. Another thing began to puzzle me. It was so important to him to get this last album done. I guess he never quite left home. (Photo: Janet Macoska), Szymczyk brought the finished version of Tough Room -- which includes a dedication to longtime manager Mike Belkin, who died in 2019 -- north during February, more of an excuse for me to go see (Stanley) one last time. Ive already heard everything, he told Szymczyk. You can just put them in a drawer or on a cassette. Only two days before Michael's death, WNCX announced that the radio host had stepped away from his show, citing "serious health issues." As Distractify previously reported, Michael hadn't been on the air since Feb. 19. Then a friend called me and said I should check him out again on the internet. The holiday shows moved to The Front Row in 1984. Stanley credits Skinner with introducing him to a more healthful lifestyle and helping him start Line Level Music, the company that retains ownership of his work and sells Stanleys albums directly to fans on his website. The director was a John Henderson whose previous credits included TV programmes such as Sticky Moments with Julian Clary and The Borrowers. Im excited for it to get into the hands of the fans, because I think itll help everyone whos grieving, Sary says. ", Another long silence followed by, "The interview was tape recorded.". Another Top 40 hit came in 1983 thanks to My Town, off the album You Cant Fight Fashion. By Annie Nickoloff, The band started on the record just a month following the release of its sophomore album Bullseye. But who speaks for him? I put the article to one side and carried on reading and filing the other clippings. Michael Aquino Dead. Was Leppo His Last Interview? As each song went by the wayside that night, you [thought], Oh, my God. But its also an indication that Ive been doing this for a very long time. Trending We just jumped right in and did it.. Some of it sounded like Stanley, but if indeed this was Stanley, he was firing on a single cylinder. There were postings in the Dr Who user groups dating from the early and mid-1990s following the publication of a couple of his books. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. One morning in October a meeting was cancelled and I had a spare hour. We went downstairs, had a beer, Szymczyk remembers. It was at the end that Stanley told the packed crowd, We want to thank you for a great 13 years. It must go with the crash helmet that I wear whenever I'm out driving. Its quite an honor to receive something like this, he says. In the summer of 1982, the Michael Stanley Band broke the Blossom attendance record it set the year before by selling out four nights on August 25-26 and Aug. 30-31. He turns detective and follows the trail of a thoroughly shady character, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Kubrick never gave 'last' interview to TV Times. Flattered in the way he was when Spike Lee phoned up and said he was a big fan, because he was, essentially, an unassuming and modest man. Even with the production of Tough Room coming in the last days of Stanleys life, the liner notes he wrote make no mention of disease or death, instead it includes a dedication to his late manager, Mike Belkin Sr. He had the opportunities both professionally and personally to relocate. (Passing Tones) was the last one he sent me, and I think that probably is the only one where hes coming to grips with what reality is, Szymczyk notes. The day after my dad passed, my niece Mallory started a petition to make it Michael Stanley Day, said Sary. We were big in Denver, we were big in Texas and Florida, but we couldnt get into Indianapolis.. How had this fruitful little scam been tumbled? After the band broke up, WJW offered him a position as a feature reporter on its locally produced edition of the syndicated PM Magazine. He'd written an episode of Dr Who, The Roof Of The World, and an episode of a science fiction TV series called Space Island One. To pay the bills while he considered his next career move, he turned to the only other thing he knew how to do: play music. The photo he chose for the cover was snapped by his wife Ilsa Glanzberg during a pre-pandemic visit to The Broad, a contemporary art museum in Los Angeles. In mid-February, Stanley opted to discontinue treatment after the cancer spread to his bones and liver. Rigelsford claimed, among other things, to be paying off Kim's father's debts. I introduced myself and said that I worked for the Kubrick Estate. Another fan replies, "He did an autobiography, Adrian Rigelsford: My Struggle With Lies. All the while the press cuttings were mounting and mounting. I thought there might be a reason for it. This time, she notes. All that remained were the rent arrears. Michael Stanley and the Resonators performed what turned out to be his final concert on March 7, 2020. But Stanley had long ago confirmed her first impression of him as charming and wonderful and smart, funny.. Not only was it not a counteroffer. Stanley describes the experience of playing the last show as downright horrible. He then made the trip from his North Carolina studio to play the finished tracks for Stanley one last time. Just about everyone who knew him was astonished because they had always assumed he was at least 10 years older. Comment. Glanzberg was stunned. The two in turn recruited three other musicians. Then-program director and afternoon drive-time disc jockey Kid Leo Travagliante subsequently hired him to take over the midday shift. Of the three producers one was none other than Rigelsford; he was also co-author of the script with a Kim Lamont. drian Rigelsford? His comments were something like great job, and the mood was very subdued.. The album was produced by Michael Stanley featuring members of The Resonators and mixed by longtime friend and executive producer Bill Szymczyk. And what about that article in The Stage in June 1993, when he wasn't much older, saying he had scripted a 90-minute Dr Who special and describing him as a "former writer at Pinewood Studios' script pool"? Lets keep on working, he sang, shaking his fists. Through it all, he managed to continue working and maintain a positive attitude. He really felt strongly that he did not want to say any formal goodbyes to his loved ones, Sary says. Was this our original Kim or another one? But not as much a schmuck as Rigelsford. 2023 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. He didnt want people blubbering and feeling sorry for him because, Ill tell you, he wasnt feeling sorry for himself, Powers says. I reread the article. Then the Q&A interview itself. Where did that come from? Lots of people do. He was long gone. Never. Go back and listen to the interviews that Bill Louis and Paula Balish did on Saturday, March 6th. Interviews With Michael Belkin, Jennifer Lee, And More. "Michael Stanley is dealing with serious health issues that prevent him from joining you in his 3-7 p.m. time slot," the station's Facebook statement explained. I didnt realize how far his reach was, said Anna Sary, Stanleys daughter. Shooting was scheduled to begin on June 30, 2003. Later, Rigelsford showed him some 30 film scripts that he claimed to have written but Bentine now wonders just how many were in fact his. Im sure he and my mom had to explain it when the girls would want kisses from the crowd, his daughter said with a laugh. Stanleys drummer, Tommy Dobeck, singer Jennifer Lee and guitarist Danny Powers were in Cleveland, with Bob Pelanders keyboards recorded in Las Vegas. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He received a call late that same night ordering him into the co-host seat to help provide live coverage of the event. Were all here. "Little hard to do interviews with the Great Beyond unless, of course, you're AR.". Michael Stanley poses for a photo on June 2, 2000, in Cleveland, Ohio. That I'm a recluse? Over the next few years I would occasionally do a search on the internet looking for Rigelsford and Meffen. Dont forget about us. He said, I dont want to see anybody. I said, Im not anybody, Im me. They hung out for three hours and listened to what they had done. Its a performance thats sure to showcase why Barry Gabel, Live Nations senior vice president of marketing and sponsorship sales, calls Stanley Northeast Ohios poet laureate., Indiana might have a [John] Mellencamp, Detroit might have a Bob Seger, he says. This seemed doubtful, as the sets were always closed and a security guard or two was on sentinel duty at all times. This was the first of 12 farewell concerts. He estimates they do about 25 shows a year from the East Coast to Atlanta to St. Louis, traveling as far as a weekend and profit margins allow. Stanley turned it down, hoping for a better offer. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He was? CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Growing up in Cleveland in the 1980s, Michael Stanley was the biggest rock star on the planet as far as I knew. Michael Stanley worked on his final album, Tough Room, as he battled cancer in 2020. General McChrystal Story by Michael Hastings Inspired 'War Machine "Death is sometimes not a barrier to being interviewed - ask AR." MSB decided to disband on their own terms with a 12-night stand at the now-defunct Front Row Theater in Highland Heights during the 1986-1987 holiday season. Michael Stanley, who parlayed rocker stardom in the '70s and '80s into successful stints in radio and television in his later years, died Friday of lung cancer at his home. This just doesn't read right. He was diagnosed with lung cancer last fall and fought until the very end. A guy with a ponytail and a dog said people come and go all the time on the estate. Michael Stanley represents a connection to a broader audience that is well beyond our fine-arts community, says Alenka Banco, Cleveland Arts Prize executive director. In 1990 he received a call from WNCXs program director. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Three months after that, he was on the Hard Rock Rocksino stage with his nine-piece band the Resonators. His music was played throughout, with a display set up inside the Rock Hall, with artifacts from his career. I hope its a way to process their grief., Michael Stanley, Joe Walsh & Bill Szymczyk (Photo: Lisi Szymczyk; used with permission), There was an urgency. The interview was tape recorded. One can see why. He described him as rather pasty looking and always nervous but with a superb knowledge of film and television. Local rock legend Michael Stanley through the years. Steve Carell played Michael Scott on "The Office." NBC He talked to David Spero, a disc jockey friend at rock station WMMS, about being his manager. Photo: 98.5 WNCX/Facebook. Michael Stanley | Discography | Discogs Retirement will provide Stanley with more time to spend with his wife as well as his two adult daughters and five grandchildren. Styx / Michael Stanley Band Aug 19, 1978 South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, United States Uploaded by Rudy Childs Styx / Michael Stanley Band Aug 19, 1978 South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, United States Uploaded by Rudy Childs Styx / Michael Stanley Band Aug 19, 1978 South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, United States Uploaded by Rudy Childs Nothing ever came of it for 99.9 percent of the people. And Rigelsford. This months Cleveland Arts Prizes Lifetime Achievement Award is fitting for a man who mirrors Clevelands spirit hardworking, humble and determined. Three years later he released his first solo album in over two decades, Coming Up for Air. He was basically two, three years behind, Szymczyk says. It wouldnt have been hard at all to become a hermit, he says. Hes a good writer, Szymczyk said, simply. As Stanley was rebuilding his professional life, his personal one was falling apart. Working With Michael Bay Explained by Stanley Tucci - Collider Seven-thousand signatures on a petition later, the Cleveland city council made it happen. Behind The Recording Of Michael Stanley's Final Album "Tough Room," Out New Book on Radical Music of the Sixties, Whole World in an Uproar, Wayne Shorter, Saxophonist & Composer Who Co-Founded Weather Report, Dies, Back to the Future Musical Coming to Broadway, The Doobie Brothers The Captain and Me: Polishing a Diamond, Lisa Marie Presley Was Lights Out On Her Recording Debut, Eagles Producer on the Making of the Hotel California LP, Tom Petty, in 1996, Runs Down a Dream: I Want To Play the Fillmore, #1 Singles of 1970: A Bridge to a New Decade, Radio Hits in February 1967: B-Sides Rule. Interviews Michael Stanley 98.5 WNCX Latest Interviews With Michael Belkin, Jennifer Lee, And More Stories, experiences, and more from Michael's friends and colleagues. Skinner returned the call, flew in for a visit, and a long-distance romance eventually began. Could these be considered two isolated incidents or were they indicative of an ongoing modus operandi? Me neither, back then. Heres how Plain Dealer rock critic Jane Scott captured the first night in a review that ran on Aug. 27, 1982: A young, bearded man sat on a runway out in the audience and picked up his acoustic guitar. It ends with a short, emotional sentence from Szymczyk. But he gets serious when he talks about dealing with the psychological challenge of living in fear of another attack. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. These were too important merely to box, so I decided to file them in date order in Swedex four-prong binders (always a favourite with Stanley: "Those Swedes sure know how to make a functional, sexy binder!"). A few days later I phoned the TV Times and was put through to the editor, Peter Genower. People have been asking him why he hasnt left this city, he said, They say, You could go to Los Angeles (boos). It was the fucking worst., The resulting tracks for Tough Room have a timeless feel well-written, smart lyrics, strong melodies. Once viewed the clippings would be thrown into one of the all-purpose archive boxes Stanley had custom made. Simply getting paid if and when they worked, he adds, wasnt an option for family men with mortgages. He was described as "promising things and never delivering them", of having a penchant for "exaggeration". MSB songs like Lover, He Cant Love You and My Town were all over the radio. It sounded like some long-forgotten agricultural implement or, perhaps, something to do with West Country folk dancing. The address was part of the Bemerton Estate, a vast high-rise gulag of a development built by Islington council in the late 1960s. Several weeks went by as more pressing work was dealt with. It's the industry's mantrap that you can't avoid. If there is a God, He was awake and paying attention, Glanzberg says. I want to hear it along with them, Sary said. [Denise and I] had 10 wonderful years, he says. Tough Room also lives up to longtime engineer and executive producer Bill Szymczyks description as pretty rocked out, from the soaring opener Hold On through the big-beat funk groove of Mistakes Were Made, the bluesy flavor of The Whole Truth, the biting edge of Chekovs Gun and the Americana twang of When It All Comes Down and Wide Wide Turn.. In 1990, he and Libby divorced. "It's amazing how much it was recognized nationally. In 1982, the band set an attendance record at Blossom Music Center that still stands, drawing 74,000-plus over four late-August nights. But at the same time, what are you losing by doing that?. Shortly thereafter, in 2000, he began seeing Denise Skinner, a former marketing staffer living in LA whom he got to know while MSB was signed to the label EMI. Listen to one of the tracks, Hold On, below. Did Rigelsford and Meffen really think they would get away with it? The album, Stanleys first posthumous record, is out six weeks after the 72-year-olds death on March 5. He remembers amusing himself for hours at a time, often by playing the eclectic mix of records his disc jockey father Stan Gee brought home from then easy-listening station WGAR. Up, positive, he went through chemo, then stopped thatit wasnt until the very end that he went downhill quickly.. And, anyway, when did Pinewood ever have a "script pool"? Rigelsford's co-writer on the project, Kim Lamont? Profile of Stanley McChrystal by Michael Hastings that changed history has been adapted into new movie, 'War Machine,' starring Brad Pitt. An amiable Londoner with a youthful voice that belies his 57 years, he said Rigelsford first turned up at the picture library when he was working on a book by Brian Blessed some 12 years ago. Sounds like a character from a British comedy film of the 1950s played, perhaps, by the surly and camp Harold Lang (you'd recognise him all right). All rights reserved (About Us). Despite Stanley saying he was no longer able to distinguish between a good song and a bad song, Szymczyk drove to Stanleys home to play him the master CD. Then Rigelsford claimed something had happened to the tape. Sary, meanwhile, says its the first time her father, unusually, did not give she or her sister a copy of the album in advance. Jim and Pam went from work friends with secret crushes to a married couple with two kids. His "definitive" book on Dr Who managed to leave out a whole series. He passed away March 5th, 2021 after a battle with lung cancer. Someone asks, "Was Adrian Rigelsford there conducting interviews for his next book?" I wasnt looking for another ride on the love-mobile, he says. The Cleveland musician, who ruled the local airwaves in the late 1970s and early 1980s died Friday after a seven-month battle with lung cancer, his . The article was a two-page spread. Sheppard said that during the trial the court attempted to account for the money. During that time, executives changed Stanleys last name from Gee to his middle name, Stanley, to avoid confusion with another label artist, Arthur Gee. Rigelsford also claimed to be an actor (James Bond again), but Sheppard now doubted that he was ever anything more than a "spear carrier". If the interview was tape recorded, Rigelsford and Meffen presumably took the most "interesting" parts. Stanley, who died March 5 of lung cancer, dedicated his final album, "Tough Room" to Belkin, his longtime. Simon Callow, Joss Acland and Brian Blessed were scheduled to appear in it. The Durrants cover sheet to which it was attached stated: TV Times - 4 September 1999. That period of time was probably my midlife crisis period on a number of fronts, he says. It was the annual hang, and the hang was more important than making music, to be honest, Szymczyk said. Powers the lead guitarist in the Michael Stanley Band and The Resonators got a call out of the blue from Stanley, who announced he was coming over to Powers Sagamore Hills home. Rigelsford could have written better lines for me than this. Ever heard of him? All of the funds raised and donated will go to a variety of Northeast Ohio organizations in need. Odd, thought Anthony Frewin, the director's long-time friend: this didn't sound like Kubrick. Business Hall of Fame and Community Leader of the Year Awards, These Women-Owned Venues Lead Cleveland's Arts Scene, Celebrating the Sacred Art of the Cleveland Fish Fry, Ohio City Couple Overhauls Their Historic Home, 27 Cleveland Restaurants with Otherworldly Decor, 27 Cleveland Restaurants with Otherwordly Decor. If there is a certain grandeur to Clifford Irving's scam in faking a biography of Howard Hughes, Rigelsford's venture smacks more of a venal seediness. [C]lustered around the stage were some heavy metal types in plaid shirts, headbands and Harley Davidson hats. Hough Bakeries Will Rise Again. Both as a solo artist and with the Michael Stanley Band (MSB), his brand of heartland rock was popular in Cleveland, Ohio, and around the American Midwest in the 1970s and 1980s. This was, indeed, the elusive Kim Meffen. Was it a fake? Bill Szymczyk and Michael Stanley (Photo: Lisi Szymczyk; used with permission), I said, You havent heard it mastered. Michael Stanley - Wikipedia Well, that was what he told the court. He ended up coming over the desk at me, Stanley recalls. I could only suggest it was. We talk three times a day, we text each other goodnight every night, and we try to see each other every six to eight weeks, Glanzberg reports. After bursting out of Cleveland with hits like He Cant Love You and My Town with the Michael Stanley Band, he had a career as a WNCX-FM Cleveland DJ and TV personality, set local records for concert attendance and so much more. The label responded by promptly dropping the group. Were they big names? Had Stanley really been interviewed on set? Learn how your comment data is processed. Bittersweet is the best way to describe it.. Even with the help of Rachel, my assistant, we soon had a massive backlog of clippings waiting to be unfolded, read, punched and bound. But the fact that the city is honoring him in this way on this big dayCleveland is truly his city. Had Rigelsford gained confidence from similar earlier ventures? Interviews Stanley Tucci Explains Why Working With Michael Bay Is Like "Making an Independent Film with a Lot of Money" Stanley Tucci Explains Why Working With Michael Bay Is Like "Making. Did Rigelsford collect Kims? And The Iron Range was written in the wake of protests following George Floyds death in Minneapolis last summer. Brian Cook, the film's assistant director and co-producer, who never left Stanley's side throughout the shooting, shook his head, "Not on my watch." The only way to resolve this was to get a copy of Adrian Warwick (sic) Rigelsford's birth certificate. We came up in pretty straight-ahead suburban households with that kind of expectation: You grow up, you go to college, youre able to get a job, you get married, you have kids, he explains. By the late 1970s, MSB had evolved into a six-piece outfit. That was the goal, she said. Interview with Michael Stanley 21 June 1991 11,049 views Jun 12, 2011 138 Dislike Share Save VidMag Media 740 subscribers I've known Michael Stanley now for somewhere around 30 years and was. He subsequently retrieved some 21,000 pictures. This quarter-page ad appeared in The Plain Dealer on Nov. 27, 1986. Belkin died in 2019. I cant get up every day and have that fear hanging over my head, he says. My first impressions were great, she says. Read Full Biography Overview Biography Discography Songs Credits Related Song Highlights Highlights All Songs AllMusic Quiz She asked for a do-over while preparing a Sunday breakfast in his kitchen. Ever heard of him? I want to get this done, he says, though due to the pandemic the mixing was done in North Carolina, where the Szymczyk resides, rather than in Cleveland, where Szymczyk has mixed the other albums. ", "We've published pieces by Adrian Rigelsford before. As an adult, I wish Id been older and appreciated it moreour nights at Blossom [Music Center] were just some of the best memories when it came to his careerrunning around the pavilion during soundcheck, falling asleep backstage after the show. Now that hes no longer here, the fans want it even more. And I did. With the COVID-19 pandemic raging across the country, Szymczyk mixed the album from his North Carolina studio as opposed to Stanleys basement to protect Stanleys compromised immune system. There were others: "Use a ouija board or ask AR." Faking an interview with Stanley Kubrick and ripping off a picture library. He tended to throw these envelopes, unopened, into an R-Kive box and then once a month or so give the box to me with the instructions that I should go through them and show him anything noteworthy. In his favour, he said Rigelsford had a tremendous working knowledge of film and television, and frequently identified people in photographs who had defeated everyone else. He was to have entered a plea to the charges but it was said he had had a stroke shortly after his arrest and thus the hearing was put back (someone posted a note on the net saying they had seen him in London, business as usual, certainly not looking like a stroke victim). Four songs in, Stanley asked for the album to be turned off. Stanley subscribed to Durrants cutting service, and every day he would receive a thick envelope or two full of clips. To me, thats one of the best songs hes ever written, says Szymczyk. Sounds like a character from a British comedy film of the 1950s played, perhaps, by the surly and camp Harold Lang (you'd recognise him all right). And as for Meffen, what was this? But theyve given me a lot of freedom to continue to do this.. You're bound to attract this stuff, he would comment, ignore it if you can. Theyre paying me to do this!. Six months after MSB broke up, he had begun playing live with a group of musicians billed as Michael Stanley and Friends. On the set of Eyes Wide Shut? Metallica's James Hetfield joins Peter Dinklage and Juliette Lewis in new dark thriller, This week's new music on Audacy All New: Nicki Minaj, Macklemore, Morgan Wallen, and more. He wrote songs and played dances with a band during his days at Rocky River High School. Beneath this, the text stated that Channel 4 would be profiling Stanley on the eve of the release of Eyes Wide Shut, that David Quinlan, the film editor of TV Times, was examining the man and his films and "Adrian Rigelsford and Kim Meffen, who visited Kubrick on set, uncover the truth in what turned out to be the last interview he ever gave". I need you to help me finish this record.. Bentine said he was an observer on the pre-production development of the film Cabbages And Queens. The two had gotten to know each other during Stanley and Skinners courtship and marriage. For the last three decades, Clevelanders were also lucky enough to have had Michael take us through afternoon drive time, playing classic rock songs on 98.5 WNCX. No, impossible. Or you could go to Youngstown (boos). But it was the bands 1984 performance in the stadiums parking lot that set the record for the largest free outdoor concert in the citys history. Despite the album being written in the twilight of Stanleys life, the album stays away from the theme of mortality, instead boasting the typical mix of rockers like Im Pissed, an aging mans humorous indictment of lifes aggravations and ballads such as the touching Youre the One. Stanley wrote the songs and recorded his vocal, guitar and bass parts prior to his diagnosis. 'the Office' Characters on First and Last Episode + Photos - Insider In the Dec. 18 issue of The Plain Dealer, Jane Scott wrote the first of those shows was a little bittersweet, but it wasnt sentimental. There were dozens and dozens of them on the industrial shelving that lined his offices and store rooms. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. It arrived with a note. This is Aquino's own web site xeper.org. Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz & Kathleen Beastie Boy Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz and "Rebel Girl" rocker Kathleen It was completed just before his death on March 5 and will be released in April of 2021. The launch of our first fund-related merchandise was a huge success! I wanted someone to speak for Rigelsford. I glanced at the opening of the interview: Q: There are some rather strange legends circulating about you A: You mean the eccentricity? Stanley was presented the Cleveland Arts Prizes Lifetime Achievement Award that night. Michael Stanley was a loner as a child the last kid anyone expected to become an entertainer. Tough Room, then, comes as his final musical statement, capping a recording career that began back in 1969 with the band Silk and included solo releases as well as works with the Michael Stanley Band, the Ghost Poets and the Resonators -- to the tune of nearly three dozen titles over that time.