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Sheldon Kagan is “Mr. Entertainment” to many Montrealers
Weddings,
corporate events, Bar mitzvahs, Sweet Sixteens, bridal shows, and now
Boomer shows, Sheldon Kagan and his family ensure that everyone has a
good time
By
Peter Kerr
| Growing up in the Snowdon/Cote
des Neiges area, Sheldon Kagan knew at a young age that he wanted to
entertain people. “I had a passion to be a DJ and to entertain people”
he says at the beginning of our interview. We were in his comfortable
home office, where the entire family is involved in Sheldon Kagan
International, a thriving entertainment and exposition business. |
Barry, Linda, Marlene and Sheldon Kagan
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A long
way from the early days of playing records at high school dances for
$35 a night.
Leo
and Sarah Kagan had a different passion for their eldest son –
that he follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Dr Harry Rosen and have a
career in dentistry. “I had no interest - and there was a lot of
friction in the household.” Sheldon continues, “I had
already started to get jobs as a DJ for dances. I felt that I had to
break away – so at the age of fourteen I quit school and ran away
from home.”
“My parents were understandably upset, but my mother was
supportive. I had taken a small apartment that was only about six
blocks from home; and my mom would bring me food and clean
clothes.”
“I was the DJ for dances at the Snowden Y, and called myself
Shelly The K”, a take-off on the then legendary New York City
disc jockey, Murray The K. “I must have been good, because people
asked me to come back. Others asked me to come and provide the music
and entertainment for their dances or parties.” Sheldon had his
own equipment, and transported it to his jobs. “I was the first
mobile DJ!” There was more work than one man could handle;
“I brought in 3 or 4 other DJs, and that way we were able to do
several jobs a night”.
| Sheldon also had a passion for Big
Band and jazz music. He did research, and found out which agents booked
the jazz bands. At the same time he contacted Place des Arts management
by telephone. “I made all these contacts by telephone. I worried that
if I went in person, they’d see that I was a kid, and that they
wouldn’t take me seriously.” |
The Kagan Family with “The Champagne Showgirls” |
Having made the initial contacts, Sheldon was about to move from being
a DJ at teen dances to being a full-fledged music promoter – and
still a teenager. “I had saved up some money, and I booked Dizzy
Gillespie and Gene Krupa into Place des Arts for December 11, 1969. I
paid them each $2,500 U.S. with a 50% deposit up front.” At
nineteen, Sheldon was the youngest person to ever book an act into
Montreal’s most prestigious music venue, Salle Wilfred Pelletier
– a ‘record’ that still stands.
It was a success. “I made a little money, and I had already
booked my second show for January 22, 1970 with the Glenn Miller
Orchestra and Jackie Mason. We sold 2,963 tickets from $3.50 to $6.50
and it was a complete sell-out. The young promoter was on a
roll… “At that point I believed I was going to be
rich!”
Sheldon continued to promote shows
and he and his DJs continued to play music and entertain at all kinds
of social events.
The shows weren’t always sell-outs, but on balance
they were generating a profit. “My parents always came to my shows. My
mother told me that it hurt her to see red seats” – meaning ‘empty’
seats in the elegant Salle Wilfred Pelletier.
Sheldon was about to be introduced to
the vagaries of being an impresario. “I had booked Buddy Rich and Woody
Herman and their bands in March 1972. The Sunday evening show at Place
des Arts had been sold out for over a month prior to the performance.
On Saturday morning I received a call from Buddy Rich’s agent saying
that the drummer had slipped a disc in his back in rehearsal for the
Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and he would not be coming to Montreal
for the next evening’s performance.” |
Sheldon at 13 |
While this was indeed upsetting news, the young promoter was used to
doing his best in difficult situations. “I sent an employee to
New York, with the mission to go to all the clubs and find someone who
could replace Buddy Rich for the next night. He called from the Village
Vanguard early Saturday evening, saying he had a guy who was relatively
new, and that he would come to Montreal with his three musicians for
$1,500 U.S. He also wanted me to provide equipment.” Warming to
the story and with a conspiratorial grin, Sheldon continues; “I
went on stage on Sunday evening, explained the situation and offered
refunds. Some people took it. Those who stayed had a special treat when
the incredible guitarist and singer George Benson opened the show. He
was just becoming famous, and one year later he was commanding $125,000
for his performances – a far cry from our $1,500.”
Sheldon continued to book top jazz performers, including Duke Ellington
(3 times), Lionel Hampton, Herbie Mann, the irascible Myles Davis, and
even the Amazing Kreskin. Many of the jazz artists were represented by
the Willard Alexander Agency in New York. He was still making all of
his arrangements by telephone – still conscious of his young age.
“Our main agent was Bob Kasha, and he finally insisted that we
meet – as a courtesy to me because of all the bookings we had
done with his agency. Bob sent me a first class ticket, and limo took
me from the airport to the Waldorf Astoria on Fifth Avenue. They were
treating me very, very well.”
The next morning, Bob did a double
take when Sheldon walked into his office. “I’m sure he was ready to
say; ‘Son, I’m sorry that you’re father couldn’t make it.’ He later
told Sheldon that that was indeed his initial thought.
| "I liked to meet the performers
at the airport myself. My car wasn’t much, and my friend Derek Hill was
the General Manager of Hertz here in Montreal. Derek would let me take
out the nicest car available.” This arrangement almost backfired when
Sheldon went to meet Myles Davis. “As I started to introduce myself and
welcome him to Montreal, Myles interrupted me; ‘Hey – you must be
moneybags…where’s my money?’” Sheldon continues: “I explained that our
contract called for a 50% deposit, which he had already received – but
that I’d be happy to settle up with him at intermission instead of the
end of the show if that suited him better.” |
Sheldon in 1980 |
Sheldon
took him straight to the hotel – no tour of the city as we came
in from the airport. “A few minutes before the 8 o’clock
show time, I asked if they were ready. I stepped out on stage and began
to welcome everyone to the show – when from behind the curtain
Myles Davis and his band began to play, leaving me in mid-sentence in
front of the audience. I just threw up my hands and said over the
band’s music, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen – Myles
Davis’. It isn’t one of my fondest memories. However in
retrospect I believe that it was his problem to be so miserable.”
The good moments far outweigh to bad. “On the other hand, Duke
Ellington would be working on a new piece and he’d say,
‘Sheldon would you listen to this new one I’m writing and
tell me what you think…’.Another time Clive Davis,
President of Columbia Records called me to see if we could replace John
Hammond in a show we had scheduled with a new act the label had –
Loggins and Messina.
Sheldon turned his DJ experience to
larger events, organizing a series of singles parties in the 70s. “In
all, we produced 40 Singles Bashes at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel and Le
Windsor.” For a New Year’s Eve party in 1972, Sheldon had the foresight
to arrange for television screens because everyone wanted to watch the
Canada-Russia hockey game. “It was a huge success – we even had screens
outside on Peel Street, and people stopped to watch.”
Weddings were an important part of
Sheldon’s DJ business, and he needed to get more brides to hear about
him and his entertaining performances. |
Sheldon in 2003 |
He
organized his first bridal show in 1980 at the Holiday Inn
Pointe-Claire. “I had approximately 30 exhibitors, and about 300
visitors. Now, 27 years later, we had 15,000 visitors (of whom 2,500
were brides-to-be) at our last show with over 160 exhibitors. I’m
very proud of the fact that we have the longest running bridal show in
Quebec.”
However, the bridal business is being overshadowed by the surging Baby
Boomer market. “Stats Canada reports that the baby boomers have
the most disposable income of any generation in Canadian history. I
believed that there was a market niche for our company. This past May
we staged our first Salon des Baby Boomers Plus, and it was a huge
success. We had over 21,000 visitors, and that was during the tail-end
of a transit strike – when people weren’t sure if the metro
was running or not!”
Sheldon enthusiastically continues on his latest project; “We had
230 exhibitors, with a waiting list of 39 companies that we
didn’t have space for. Our Show in 2008 is booked for April 12th
and 13th. We’ve taken more space at the Palais des Congres and
we’re confident that this earlier date will be better for many
exhibitors, especially travel companies. To complement our Salon,
we’re planning a series of Baby Boomer dances and travel events.
In another complementary field, Sheldon Kagan International is working
in tandem with R & R Wealth Streams to produce a Health and Wealth
Gala at the Mount Royal Centre on September 19th. “Bob Proctor,
the accomplished motivational speaker, author of ‘Born
Rich’ and the hugely popular best seller and hit movie ‘The
Secret’ is our keynote speaker.” The event will follow the
same format as the Bridal and Boomer shows, with a trade show open to
all attendees, and followed by the presentations of the speakers.
With all these businesses developing, you might think that Sheldon
Kagan no longer has the time or inclination to participate in his
original DJ business. “After 42 years, I still perform as a DJ.
I’m still passionate about it. I’ve always said to my wife
Linda that if I ever feel like a dinosaur – I’ll
stop.” But that’s not likely to happen any time soon.
“About 5 years ago I brought my son Barry into the business.
He’s 18 now, and together we’re a phenomenal combination.
He has a great knowledge of new music, and with my history we put on a
great show. We make people sing, dance and
laugh!”
Everyone in the family is involved in the business. “I met my
wife Linda at a Royal Bank party where I was performing. She asked for
My Way, and I said I’d play it for her tomorrow if she gave me
her phone number. I called her the next day and asked her out on a
date.” The date turned out to be a Christmas party at Mother
Tucker’s. “She even helped to carry in the equipment! Linda
came to all my parties until about six years ago, when Barry started to
help out.”
Daughter Marlene has been a model in
Salon des Mariées since she was a year old. Now 21, she co-ordinates
the Salon fashion shows, and pitches in to do whatever needs to be done
during the other shows organized by the company.
With a twinkle in his eye; Sheldon
confides that the best part of Sheldon Kagan International for Marlene
is the company’s Jamaican division. |
Sheldon in Jamaica – can I play you a special song? |
“For
the past 10 years, we’ve performed at hotels in Ocho Rios, Negril
and Montego Bay as guest DJs. Barry and I play the music, Linda plays
tennis and Marlene tans on the beach.” Sheldon continues;
“We do about 10 – 15 weddings a year in the Caribbean. We
have a trusted local staff and full sets of equipment already down
there. We do so much in Jamaica that when Butch Stewart, the owner of
Sandals and Beaches Resorts took delivery of a new jet from Bombardier;
we were hired to co-ordinate the party for the delivery of the
jet.”
It’s a very long way from a 14 year old kid with a lot of nerve
and playing records that he cadged from local radio stations. Sheldon
Kagan International now employs nearly 40 people on a full and part
time basis, plus the musicians and sub-contractors that have regular
work with the company. “We’re doing weddings, Bar mitzvahs,
and parties for the kids of people we helped out at their weddings 20
and 30 years ago. We’ve made some wonderful friendships over the
past 47 years. Just like when I was 14 and starting out – I guess
they like us!”
The Montrealer doesn’t normally provide contact information for
our interview subjects – but who knows – maybe
there’s a party in your future. Sheldon Kagan International:
514-631-2160 or www.sheldonkagan.com
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