Artwork Fein, a Los Angeles music-scene renaissance man who labored as a journalist, publicist, supervisor and tv host over a six-decade profession, has died. He was 79.
Fein died of coronary heart failure on July 30 whereas recovering from surgical procedure for a damaged hip, in keeping with Cliff Burnstein, co-founder of Q Prime Administration and a longtime pal.
Arthur David Fein was born June 17, 1946. Rising up in Chicago, he was transfixed by a Chuck Berry live performance at age 10 and devoted his life to discovering, championing and preserving rock music. After shifting to Los Angeles in 1971 to pursue a profession in music journalism, he bought a job in Capitol Information’ then-nascent school promotion division. There, he befriended John Lennon and Yoko Ono, whereas coordinating interviews with school radio stations for Ono’s newest album, “Roughly Infinite Universe.”
After leaving Capitol, he wrote music critiques for the Los Angeles Occasions, Herald-Examiner, Billboard and others earlier than being employed as music editor at Selection. “By the point I bought this job, I used to be sick of the brand new, aggravating career of rock criticism,” he recalled in his 2022 memoir “Rock’s in My Head.” “It was about writers, not the music. I wasn’t curious about being terribly crucial. I used to be an advocate. I needed to assist the music alongside; rock critics needed to assist their sense of superiority.”
He returned to the label world with stints at Elektra/Asylum and Casblanca however pivoted to administration, incubating a proto-punk scene that might yield influential L.A. acts just like the Cramps, the Blasters and the Heaters. A compilation he assembled, 1983’s “(Artwork Fein Presents) The Better of L.A. Rockabilly,” turned a bible for bands impressed by X and Social Distortion, which drew from classic rockabilly however amped it up for the punk age.
His public entry cable TV present, “Lil Artwork’s Poker Occasion,” featured interviews and performances along with his favourite musicians and ran in SoCal for twenty-four years. Rhino Information co-founder Richard Foos recalled that “for years we had a weekly poker recreation both at his home or mine. I used to be there the night time [music critic] Lester Bangs was taking part in. We began the primary hand, began speaking music, and by no means performed one other hand.”
In 1990, Fein printed “The L.A. Musical Historical past Tour: A Information to the Rock and Roll Landmarks of Los Angeles,” a compendium of places guiding readers to grave websites of stars equivalent to Roy Orbison and Ritchie Valens, and websites the place Sam Cooke, Janis Joplin, Marvin Gaye, Tim Hardin, Dennis Wilson and Darby Crash died.
Fein additionally developed an advanced relationship with producer Phil Spector, to whom Lennon had launched Fein as the person who “is aware of all about music.” Fein turned a part of Spector’s internal circle, even into his deeply troubled years when he was convicted of murdering Home of Blues hostess Lana Clarkson. Fein maintained contact with Spector even after he was sentenced to life in jail.
The Blasters’ lead guitarist Dave Alvin wrote on Fb that “Again within the early days of The Blasters, when few outdoors of Rollin’ Rock Information knew or cared who we have been, Artwork cared deeply. In early 1980, I used to be a wannabe poet working as a fry prepare dinner in Lengthy Seashore … Artwork Fein performed ‘Marie Marie’ to a Welsh rock ‘n’ roll singer named Shakin’ Stevens, who rapidly recorded my track and made it into an enormous worldwide hit. … Because of Artwork Fein, I used to be quickly in a position to stop my job as a prepare dinner and pursue music. I can by no means, ever thanks sufficient for all you probably did for me, Artwork.”
Singer-songwriter-guitarist Rosie Flores added that “again in ‘94 after I was touring with Butch Hancock in Europe, I took a nasty fall, on the finish of our month-long tour. I slipped within the rain on a cobblestone avenue in London and severely broke my wrist. Three months later I used to be invited to sing on the Elvis [annual birthday] bash at The Home of Blues … It was regular protocol to donate all the cash from the proceeds of the present and provides it to a corporation or a charity. This 12 months, Artwork shocked me and handed me a stack of cash to the tune of $1,500 for my medical payments. I didn’t anticipate that in any respect [and] it introduced tears to my eyes.”
Within the closing strains of his memoir, Fein wrote that “I can’t say something terribly pithy or canny in regards to the state of document gross sales, or streaming, or new supply methods. Or how YouTube or TikTok are shaping up to date music.”
“It seems I didn’t wish to be within the music enterprise; I needed to be within the music,” he wrote. “There I stay.”
Fein is survived by daughter Jessie and spouse Jennifer.
