Don Arden (born Harry Levy, (January 4, 1926 – July 21, 2007) was an English music manager, agent and businessman, best known for overseeing the careers of rock groups The Small Faces, Electric Light Orchestra and Black Sabbath. He is also notorious for his aggressive and unflinching business methods. He is the father of Sharon Osbourne (and therefore father-in-law of Ozzy Osbourne), and David Levy, by his late wife, Hope. January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Music management refers to the business of managing music acts. ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... The Small Faces were a British rock and roll band of the 1960s, led by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane with Kenny Jones and original organist Jimmy Winston. ... “ELO” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, then Arden; born October 9, 1952) is a well-known English music manager and promoter, television personality and presenter. ... Ozzy Osbourne (born John Michael Osbourne, December 3, 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is the lead vocalist of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist, and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. ...

Arden's success story turned sour when his violent 'negotiating' methods and questionable accounting caught up with him, and he became estranged from his own family.

History

Born in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, England (though in an interview with Katie Melua, his daughter Sharon Osbourne said that he was born in Georgia, in Eastern Europe[1]), Arden began his showbusiness career when he was just 13 years old as a singer and stand-up comic. After being demobilised from the British army at the end of World War II, Don returned to carve out his showbiz career from 1946 to 1953. Cheetham Hill is a district of Manchester, England located approximately 2 miles to the north of Manchester city centre. ... Manchester shown within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region North West England Ceremonial county Greater Manchester Admin HQ Manchester City Centre Founded 13th Century City Status 1853 Government  - Type Metropolitan borough, City  - Governing body Manchester City Council Area  - Borough & City 115. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Ketevan Katie Melua (Georgian: , surname pronounced IPA: //; born 16 September 1984) is a British-Georgian singer and musician, who was born in Georgia, but moved to Northern Ireland at the age of eight and then relocated to England at the age of 14. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Arden worked as an entertainer on the British variety circuit. He impersonated famous tenors, like Enrico Caruso, and movie gangsters such as Edward G. Robinson and George Raft. At weekends, Yiddish-speaking Don wowed Jewish audiences with his Al Jolson routine. He gave up performing in 1954 to become a showbiz agent. He cut his teeth by organising Hebrew folk song contests, then started putting together his own shows. Impersonator is someone who tries to seem like someone else. ... Enrico Caruso (February 25, 1873 – August 2, 1921) was an Italian opera singer and one of the most famous tenors in history. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Gang. ... Edward Goldenberg Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg, Yiddish: עמנואל גולדנברג; December 12, 1893 – January 26, 1973) was an American stage and film actor of Romanian origin. ... Raft in They Drive by Night George Raft (September 26, 1895 - November 24, 1980) was an American film actor most closely identified with his portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. ... Yiddish (Yid. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was an acclaimed European singer and actor whose career lasted from 1911 until his death in 1950. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and of the people. ...

Arden signed up American rock'n'roller Gene Vincent in 1960 and launched his career as a manager. After several years of bringing American rock'n'rollers including Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Vincent to tour Britain, Arden became Vincent's manager. To this day, Arden swears Vincent is the best singer he ever worked with, though not even Arden's firm managerial hand could control Vincent's compulsive alcoholism. For a short period of time in the early 1960s he managed up and coming UK singer Elkie Brooks who went on to become a household name some years later. Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971) was an American rockabilly pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. // His parents, Ezekiah Jackson and Mary Louise Craddock, were shop owners in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Bo Diddleys emphasis on rhythm largely influenced popular music, especially that of rock and roll in the 1960s. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born October 18, 1926 in St. ... Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ... Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder, 25 February 1945, in Salford) is a British singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. ...

In 1965, Don met aspiring rock band The Small Faces in his office in Carnaby Street. Half an hour later he had signed them up. Don Arden was immediately struck by the potential of Small Faces: 'I thought at that time, on the first hearing, I thought it was the best band in the world.' Kenney Jones, Small Faces' drummer, recalls: 'He was kind of a Jewish teddy bear I suppose. You liked him immediately because he was enthusiastic and he talked about what he could do and what he couldn't do and whenever he said - "I'll do this, I'll do that" - he did and it came true.' The Small Faces were a British rock and roll band of the 1960s, led by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane with Kenny Jones and original organist Jimmy Winston. ... Londons Carnaby Street is in the district of Soho and just to the east of Regent Street. ... Kenneth Thomas Kenney (or Kenny) Jones (born September 16, 1948 in Stepney, London) is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in the Small Faces, the Faces, and The Who. ...

The Robert Stigwood incident

In 1966, Don and a squad of 'minders' turned up at impresario Robert Stigwood's office to 'teach him a lesson' for daring to discuss a change of management with Small Faces. This became one of the most notorious incidents from the 1960s British pop business. Don threatened to throw Stigwood out of the window if he ever interfered with Don's business again. Robert Stigwood (born April 16, 1934 in Adelaide, Australia) is an Australian-born entertainment entrepreneur. ...

In 1967 Don sold the Small Faces' contract to Andrew Oldham, the former manager of The Rolling Stones. Oldham paid Arden £25,000 in cash, and delivered it at Don's request in a brown paper bag. Andrew Loog Oldham (born 1944) is a British rock and roll producer, impresario and author. ... “Rolling Stones” redirects here. ...

The band was never entirely convinced that Don had paid them everything he owed them. Kenney Jones has mixed memories of the band's stormy relationship with Don: 'Without Don, The Small Faces may not have existed, without his sort of vision at that time, be it short-lived or what. The fact is we became known and we got a break through Don. So if you think of it like that and I think all of us are prepared to swallow what went on, leave it, fine, it's history. We all learned from each other, he gave us our first break, fine, fair enough, you know, leave it. I've got good and bad memories but mainly I think of Don with affection, surprisingly enough.'

Arden tried to rekindle his former glories as a family entertainer by releasing a single of his own in 1967: "Sunrise Sunset", from the musical Fiddler On The Roof. It failed to chart, but at least bears out his sister Eileen's assertion that "he had a lovely voice". For the film, see Fiddler on the Roof (film) Fiddler on the Roof is a well-known musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. ...

Don returned to management in 1968 when he signed The Move. Don struck gold in 1972 and 1973 when two groups formed by ex-Move members, ELO and Wizzard, started having international hits. Wizzard scored back-to-back number ones with "See My Baby Jive" and "Angel Fingers" in 1973, while ELO's "10538 Overture" (1972) and "Roll Over Beethoven" (1973) were merely the start of a string of international hits that would stretch into the Eighties. The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England. ... “ELO” redirects here. ... This article refers to the 1970s rock and roll band. ... 10538 Overture, released in 1972 (see 1972 in music), was the first song to be recorded by Electric Light Orchestra. ... Roll Over Beethoven is a 1956 hit single by Chuck Berry // The song is notable as one of the earliest definitive rock and roll recordings. ...

Don took over management of petite singer-songwriter Lynsey De Paul in 1973. By 1976, Arden was embroiled in a lawsuit with the distraught singer over what she claimed was late payment of money owed to her. She eventually reached a settlement with Arden in 1978. The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... Lynsey Rubin (born June 11, 1950 in London) is a songwriter and singer. ...

Estrangement from Sharon Osbourne

In 1979, one of Arden's successes Black Sabbath sacked their vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. Arden's daughter Sharon began to date Ozzy, and took over his management from her father. Don Arden was livid. Reportedly, the next time Sharon visited Don, his vicious pet dogs savaged her. She was pregnant, and lost the child. Sharon eventually married Ozzy and had no contact with her father for 20 years. In 2001 she told The Guardian newspaper "The best lesson I ever had was watching him f*** his business up. He taught me everything not to do. My father's never even seen any of my three kids and, as far as I'm concerned, he never will." However, the following year, under Ozzy's insistence, Sharon and the now-widowed Don finally reconciled, shown on the successful reality TV show The Osbournes. He also met his grandchildren Jack, Kelly, and likely the camera-shy Aimee. Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, then Arden; born October 9, 1952) is a well-known English music manager and promoter, television personality and presenter. ... For other uses, see Black Sabbath (disambiguation). ... Ozzy Osbourne (born John Michael Osbourne, December 3, 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is the lead vocalist of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist, and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Reality television is a genre of television programming in which the fortunes of real life people (as opposed to fictional characters played by actors) are followed. ... The Osbournes was an Emmy Award-winning American reality television program broadcast by MTV in the U.S., by CTV in Canada, Channel 4 in the UK and MTV UK and Ireland in Ireland and the UK, RTÉ Two in Ireland, Network Ten, MTV Australia in Australia and TV2 in... Jack at his autobiography signing in London, 2006. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Aimee Rachel Osbourne (born September 2, 1983 in London, England), is a singer, actress and columnist. ...

Also in 1979, burly investigative reporter Roger Cook used the dispute with De Paul to probe into Arden's controversial management style on BBC Radio 4's Checkpoint programme. This proved to be a colourful encounter. 'When you fight the champion you go 15 rounds, you've got to be prepared to go the whole way,' Arden tells Cook. 'I'll take you with one hand strapped up my arse. You're not a man, you're a creep.' BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ...

From the late '70s into the early '80s, Arden enjoyed the high-rolling lifestyle of a top music mogul. He started his own record label, Jet. He brought his son David and daughter Sharon Osbourne into the business, planning to build an Arden showbiz dynasty. With albums like Out of the Blue and Discovery, ELO became one of the world's biggest acts. Arden bought Howard Hughes' former house in Beverly Hills. This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, then Arden; born October 9, 1952) is a well-known English music manager and promoter, television personality and presenter. ... Out of the Blue is a frequently-used title, and may refer to: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Discovery is a 1979 album by Electric Light Orchestra. ... For the Welsh murderer, see Howard Hughes (murderer). ... For other uses, see: Beverly Hills (disambiguation). ...

Don's son, known legally as David Levy, appeared at the Old Bailey in 1986 for his role in an alleged assault on an accountant working for Jet records. Convicted, David spent several months in jail. Don, tried separately on related charges, was acquitted. The Old Bailey. ...

The drawn-out legal problems meant Don was unable to attend to business, and legal bills proved a fatal strain on Jet Records, which collapsed. Don had already fallen out with his daughter Sharon, who embarked on her own successful management career with her husband and major client, Ozzy Osbourne. The court case and David's prison sentence put paid to Don's dreams of a family empire. Jet Records was a small record label set up by Don Arden with artists like Electric Light Orchestra, Roy Wood, Ozzy Osbourne, Riot and Magnum. ... Ozzy Osbourne (born John Michael Osbourne, December 3, 1948 in Aston, Birmingham, England) is the lead vocalist of the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, a popular solo artist, and the star of the reality show, The Osbournes. ...

A longtime widower, from 1986 to the mid-90s, Arden retreated from the hurly-burly of showbusiness, shuttling between his homes in Beverly Hills and Surrey, England. Currently Don is reported to be in poor health (on an October 26, 2006 broadcast of the Opie and Anthony radio show, Sharon stated he has Alzheimer's Disease), but, nevertheless, in August 2004, he published a "tell all" autobiography entitled Mr. Big. For other uses, see: Beverly Hills (disambiguation). ... This is about Surrey, England. ... Opie (Gregg Hughes, b. ... August 2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December See also: August 2004 in sports Deaths in August 2004 • 30 Fred Whipple • 26 Laura Branigan • 24 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross • 18 Elmer Bernstein • 15 Amarsinh Chaudhary • 14 CzesÅ‚aw MiÅ‚osz • 13 Julia Child • 8... Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ...

Don Arden died in Los Angeles, July 21, 2007.

Further reading

• Mr. Big: Ozzy, Sharon and my life as the godfather of rock - Don Arden & Mick Wall, 2004, ISBN 1-86105-607-9

External links

• Don Arden's official site ^{[dead link – history]}
• The Osbourne's FAQ