Neil Bogart

Neil E. Bogart (born Neil Scott Bogatz,^[1] February 3, 1943 – May 8, 1982) was an American record executive. He was the founder of Casablanca Records, which later became Casablanca Record and Filmworks.^[2][3]

Neil Bogart
Born	Neil Scott Bogatz (1943-02-03)February 3, 1943 New York City, New York, United States
Died	May 8, 1982(1982-05-08) (aged 39) Los Angeles, California, United States
Occupation	Music executive
Spouse	Joyce Bogart
Children	4

Life and career

Born Neil Scott Bogatz in the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, central Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Ruth (Markoff) and Al M. Bogatz. His family was Jewish.^[4][5] He grew up in the Glenwood Houses, a housing project in the Flatlands section of Brooklyn. He was a singer in the 1960s, using the name Neil Scott, prior to running the Michigan offices of Cameo-Parkway Records.^[6] After Cameo-Parkway was shut down by the government for stock fraud in 1968,^[7] Bogart became an executive at Buddah Records. He is credited with being a key player in the rise of bubblegum pop music during his time working at Cameo-Parkway and Buddah.

He started Casablanca in 1973 when he first signed Kiss and later became identified with the rise of disco by promoting the careers of acts such as Donna Summer and the Village People. The Casablanca roster also contained rock acts such as The Godz, T. Rex, Fanny, and The Hudson Brothers, but the label became best known for its disco product. The label was also known for tapping into the funk market with the signing of George Clinton's Parliament in 1974.

Shortly before his death, he founded Boardwalk Records and jumped on the new wave bandwagon, as disco was in decline. Joan Jett and Harry Chapin were among his last signings.^[8][9]

Death

Bogart died of cancer and lymphoma at age 39. He was interred at Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy

Bogart's widow, Joyce Bogart-Trabulus, teamed with songwriter Carole Bayer Sager to found the Neil Bogart Memorial Fund (now the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program) in 1984.^[10] That same year, the fund established its laboratories at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.^[11] The fund was a division of The T.J. Martell Foundation until the mid 2000s.^[12]

In art, entertainment, and media

Music

• The Kiss album Creatures of the Night is dedicated to Bogart's memory (the dedication is found on the back cover^[13] of the original vinyl release of the album, near the bottom [Casablanca Records NBLP-7270]. The dedication is also found on the CD release on the inside of the insert, where the credits are located [Casablanca Records/Mercury 314-532-391-2]. The dedication simply states: "Neil Bogart 1943-1982").
• Donna Summer's self-titled album from 1982 is also dedicated to Bogart's memory, and the liner notes contain one of his favorite sayings, "Why head for the mountaintop when you're reaching for the sky?"^{[citation needed]}
• Village People's 1982 album Fox on the Box was also dedicated to Bogart's memory.

Films

• In the 1980 film Can't Stop the Music, actor Paul Sand plays a record executive loosely based on Bogart.^[14]
• In 2013, Justin Timberlake signed to star in the feature film Spinning Gold, a biopic of Bogart written by his son, Tim Bogart.^[15] On June 20, 2019, it was reported that Jeremy Jordan had taken over the role.^[16]

Literature

• Going Platinum, a book about Bogart, was published in 2014. It was written by his nephew Brett Ermilio and Josh Levine and published by Globe Pequot Press.

References

1. . Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
2. Dannen, Fredric (2011-09-14). Hit Men: Power Brokers and Fast Money Inside the Music Business. Random House Digital, Inc. pp. 231–. ISBN 9780307802088. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
3. Griffin, Nancy; Masters, Kim (1997-06-17). Hit and Run. Simon and Schuster. pp. 87–. ISBN 9780684832661. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
4. "Bobby by Neil Scott". September 18, 2018.
5. Who was who in America. Marquis-Who's Who. February 4, 1985. ISBN 9780837902142 – via Google Books.
6. Sheff, David. "Post-Kiss, the Village People and Donna Summer, Neil & Joyce Bogart Redo Their Own Lives". People Magazine.
7. Norman, Philip (2005-02-15). Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation. Simon and Schuster. p. 406. ISBN 9780743235655. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
8. Damon, Sharon. "Joan Jett & The Blackhearts: Female pioneer in the world of rock". AXS.
9. "Harry Chapin dies at 38 in car crash". UPI.
10. Ermilio, Brett; Levine, Josh (2014-11-04). Going Platinum: KISS, Donna Summer, and How Neil Bogart Built Casablanca Records. Lyons Press. p. 191. ISBN 9780762791330. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
11. . Archived from the original on 2015-06-08. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
12. "Ultra-Lounge Act". Billboard. 1996-06-08. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
13. "Creatures of the Night". Casablanca Records.
14. "Can't Stop The Music (1980)". Nostalgia Central.
15. Battan, Carrie. "Justin Timberlake to Star as Casablanca Records' Neil Bogart in Biopic". Pitchfork.
16. Clement, Olivia (23 June 2019). "Jeremy Jordan to Play Casablanca Records Founder Neil Bogart in Spinning Gold". Playbill. Retrieved 2019-06-23.

External links

 

Wikiquote has quotations related to Neil Bogart.

• Neil Bogart at Find a Grave
• Justin Timberlake To Portray Neil Bogart In Feature Biopic Of Late Record Executive