Superman or supermensch?

The reason I pursued journalism in university is the same reason I always have a book on the go: I love a good story. 

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, a documentary directed by Mike Myers (or Wayne), is THE go-to documentary for anyone who loves a good story because a) it tells a great story about b) a guy who probably has more stories to tell than anyone else in the world.

Shep Gordon, for those of you who haven't heard of him (like me, three days ago), is a legendary music manager, agent and producer who also happens to be friends with everyone in Hollywood... and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.   

In case you're wondering what a mensch is (like me, three days ago), it's a Yiddish word used to describe "a person of integrity and honour."

I was lucky enough to be turned on to Supermensch by a good friend of mine (previously mentioned here and here) the other night (you guessed it, three days ago). 

I want you to watch the trailer for the film, but more than that, I want you to watch Johnny Depp introducing the trailer for the film (because it includes the trailer and, frankly, Johnny Depp making a fool of himself).

According to the documentary, Gordon was pretty much a "nobody" when he first met Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix one night at a party at a Los Angeles motel. Hendrix asked Gordon what he did for a living and Gordon replied "nothing." Hendrix went on to ask him if he was Jewish. The answer was yes. This is what Hendrix said next: "You should be a manager," to which Gordon replied "who would I manage?" "Alice Cooper," said Hendrix.

So he did. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Gordon didn't much like Alice Cooper's music (even though they became lifelong BFF's) but he definitely knew, instinctively, how to make him famous.

BFF's then

 BFF's now

Live chicken + blood + Alice Cooper = famous.

Other than Alice, Gordon managed a long list of musicians including Pink Floyd (for nine days), Anne Murray, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross and many, many more. In addition to his music management duties (more on these below), Gordon is credited with putting the business affairs of Groucho Marx in order, pro bono, producing Kiss of the Spider Woman, turning the chef into the celebrity chef (he also managed Roger Vergé, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme) and kick-starting the Food Network.

My bae Anthony Bourdain even had something nice to say about him, which was, and I quote "before Gordon, chefs were not allowed to eat in the dining room because they were considered 'the help.'"

As for Gordon's music management duties, this is what he had to say about them: "The three most important things a manager does: get the money, always remember to get the money, never forget to always remember to get the money."

ka-ching!