CLE Rock Authors Night: Wild Backstage Stories

Storytellers: Fran Belkin, David Spero, & John Gorman

Doors open at 5:00pm, with the storytelling beginning promptly at 7:00pm

• Weekly series combining great food with great stories about Cleveland’s past
• FREE ADMISSION – NO COVER CHARGE
• In addition to our regular menu, a Prix Fixe 3-course dinner special is available for just $25
• Tonight’s special
  • House Salad
  • Beef Stroganoff
  • Blueberry Peach Pie

Story topic this week…

CLE Rock Authors Night: Wild Backstage Stories
We’re bringing together some of the icons of Cleveland’s rock scene to share some wild stories! From concert promotion, radio, artist management, to writing and production, Fran Belkin, David Spero, & John Gorman have done it all! Belkin and her husband, Jules, worked alongside each other with Belkin Productions to become one of the largest promoters in the region. Spero has managed artists such as Joe Walsh, Cat Stevens, Michael Stanley and many others! His book A Life in the Wings: My Sixty Year Love Affair with Rock n’ Roll shares many stories from his life in the industry! John Gorman, a local radio favorite, is a member of the Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Belkin, Spero & Gorman will join us to share their “backstage” stories of life in Rock n’ Roll!
 

 
Stay after the event for a book market! Our storytellers will be selling and signing books – a great gift for the music lover in your family as the holidays approach!

Fran Belkin Bio

Fran Belkin grew up in Los Angeles and attended UCLA. She moved to Cleveland for love—and fell in love with Cleveland along the way. In the mid ’60s, her husband Jules was a pioneer in the rock and roll music industry. Fran worked along side him as Belkin Productions grew to become one of the largest regional concert promoters and quietly, one of the most influential in the nation. At the same time, Fran nurtured her passion for art and creative projects. Her 10’ mosaic Fender guitar appeared on the cover of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s first Guitarmania catalog, and she has studied at Anderson Ranch in Colorado.

For over a decade, she’s served on the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Board of Directors, Fran produced Tripped Up, a 2018 feature-length documentary film chronicling Competitours, her son’s 11-day travel competition, (in which she’s participated five times). The film premiered at Cleveland International Film Festival and is currently on the film festival circuit. Rock This Town! is her first book.
 

David Spero Bio

David Spero was destined to be part of rock and roll history!

Starting at age 13, he worked on his father Herman’s Upbeat TV show holding cue cards and later serving as ‘Talent Coordinator’ and then Associate Producer. Upbeat was seen in over 100 cities between 1964 and 1971. He has since produced four Upbeat Live shows on Cleveland television garnering 3 Emmy nominations. A radio career started in 1968 (at the age of 17) at WXEN-FM in Cleveland. Stints at WNCR, WMMS, M105 and WNCX helped establish him as a top disc jockey in, the then new and emerging, field of FM radio. He was inducted into the Ohio Radio and TV Hall of Fame in 2004.

Hanging around with recording stars evolved into a career in artist management. David Spero Management was formed in 1973 steering the career of local icon Michael Stanley and producer Bill Szymczyk (Eagles, Who, Bob Seger etc) as well as Father Guido Sarducci from Saturday Night Live.

David took a thirteen year break from Rock and Roll when he accepted a job as Managing Director/Midwest for Columbia/Tri Star Pictures. He coordinated the regional releases of such pictures as Ghostbusters, The Natural, Tootsie, and Gandhi during his tenure.

But Rock and Roll came calling again in 1990 when Eagle Joe Walsh asked Spero to manage his career. He added other artists such as Harry Nilsson, Vanilla Ice, Eric Carmen and Ian Hunter. Spero produced ‘The Joe Walsh/Glenn Frey Tour’ which was the precursor to ‘The Eagles: Hell Freezes Over Tour’.

The rigors of touring took their toll and in 2000, Spero ‘retired’ and accepted the position of Vice President of Programming and Education at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In this position, Spero produced the successful MTV show Live At The Rock Hall which aired for two seasons and featured the first TV appearances of such artists as Linkin Park, John Meyer, Godsmack, Avril Lavigne and Alicia Keyes.

But again, antsy for that Rock and Roll lifestyle, David Spero Management was back in business in 2003 representing the careers of Billy Bob Thornton, Hall of Famers Dickey Betts and Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Survivor, Nelson, Don Felder, JD Souther and The Funk Brothers. After adding Richie Furay as a client, Spero helped put together the Buffalo Springfield reunion tour. A young, up and coming band The Empty Pockets fill out the current roster along with Albert Hammond, G.E. Smith, Patty Smyth and Scandal, Jesse Colin Young, Petula Clark, Ted Neeley and Bad Company.

David, 68, is a former (and original) member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Board of Directors. David was inducted into the Ohio Radio Hall of Fame in 2010. He lives in South Euclid Ohio with his wife, Ellen, of 42 years. They have a son Adam who is a graduate of John Carroll University.
 

John Gorman Bio

John Gorman began his broadcasting career operating a pirate radio station from the attic of his family’s South Boston home in 1962. In 1973 he moved to Cleveland to join WMMS, a small, free-form FM station which he would help turn into one of the most popular and influential rock stations in the country. Following his 13 years at WMMS and WHK, Gorman started WNCX/Cleveland. He formed a national consultancy for radio stations and program syndicators before joining WMJI/Cleveland and taking them to the top in ratings and revenue. He became Vice President of Programming for their parent company, OmniAmerica’s radio chain. In 2007, Gorman’s book, The Buzzard, a memoir of his years with WMMS was released, which became a regional number one bestselling book. In 2014, Gorman formed WOW Media, with the intent of broadcasting radio on the Internet. The following year, Gorman debuted his first station, oWOW, an adult contemporary rock station (billed as “Timeless Rock” for the 45-plus demographic), which had a six-year run but ceased broadcasting due to advertising losses during the pandemic. Gorman is currently working on Gray Panther Media, a non-profit online broadcast service for seniors.

Gorman’s just-released second book, Buzzard Archives, Vol. 1- The Advertising is a collaboration with artist David Helton, featuring vintage WMMS print ads that appeared in local newspapers, tabloids, and magazines from 1974 to 1988.
 
The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past – from sports, to rock ‘n roll, to Millionaire’s Row, — the series will focus on tidbits from Cleveland’s past that will really thrill the audience. The Music Box is presenting this series in partnership with the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. We think the Cleveland History Center is one of the most important museums in Cleveland. An unknown gem that Clevelanders should know more about, and support. It is the only museum in Cleveland dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Cleveland. The Cleveland History Center includes two mansions, the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum, Chisholm Halle Costume Wing, Research Library, Kidzibits Hands-On Gallery, rotating exhibitions, and the Euclid Beach Park Grand Carousel.

See all Cleveland Stories dates here.