Al Aronowitz
Encyclopedia
Alfred Gilbert Aronowitz (May 20, 1928 – August 1, 2005) was an American rock journalist best known for introducing Bob Dylan
and The Beatles
in 1964.
Aronowitz was born in Bordentown, New Jersey
. A 1950 graduate of Rutgers University
, Aronowitz became a journalist in the 1950s and his work in that decade included a 12-part series on the Beat Generation
for the New York Post
.
Aronowitz was the original manager of The Velvet Underground
, getting the band their first gig at a high school auditorium. The Velvet Underground stole Aronowitz's tape recorder and dumped him weeks later when they met Andy Warhol
.
Aronowitz introduced Bob Dylan to the Beatles in a New York City hotel room on August 28, 1964; According to his own journal entries, at this meeting he brought a marijuana joint which would be the first pot smoked by the Beatles.
Aronowitz also claimed that Dylan wrote the song “Mr. Tambourine Man
” while staying in Aronowitz’s Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
home.
He died of cancer in Elizabeth, New Jersey
on August 1, 2005, at the age of 77. Aronowitz's son Myles is a photographer, often credited as the still photographer on feature film productions.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in 1964.
Aronowitz was born in Bordentown, New Jersey
Bordentown, New Jersey
Bordentown City is in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,924. Bordentown is located at the confluence of the Delaware River, Blacks Creek and Crosswicks Creek...
. A 1950 graduate of Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, Aronowitz became a journalist in the 1950s and his work in that decade included a 12-part series on the Beat Generation
Beat generation
The Beat Generation refers to a group of American post-WWII writers who came to prominence in the 1950s, as well as the cultural phenomena that they both documented and inspired...
for the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
.
Aronowitz was the original manager of The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, getting the band their first gig at a high school auditorium. The Velvet Underground stole Aronowitz's tape recorder and dumped him weeks later when they met Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
.
Aronowitz introduced Bob Dylan to the Beatles in a New York City hotel room on August 28, 1964; According to his own journal entries, at this meeting he brought a marijuana joint which would be the first pot smoked by the Beatles.
Aronowitz also claimed that Dylan wrote the song “Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
” while staying in Aronowitz’s Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Berkeley Heights is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,183....
home.
He died of cancer in Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
on August 1, 2005, at the age of 77. Aronowitz's son Myles is a photographer, often credited as the still photographer on feature film productions.
External links
- The Blacklisted Journalist
- CNN obituary
- "The Go-Between" by Mike Miliard, The Boston Phoenix, December 3, 2004
- "The Rock Journalist At a High Point In Music History" by David Segal, Washington Post, August 3, 2005
- Al Aronowitz on the Poets' Corner.
- "The Man Who Invented The Sixties" by Gary Pig GoldGary Pig GoldGary Pig Gold is a singer-songwriter, record producer, filmmaker and author. His fanzine was Canada’s first independently-published music magazine, and among the recording artists he has worked with are Pat Boone, Dave Rave, Endless Summer, Simply Saucer and Shane Faubert.-History:He formed his...
, Cosmik Debris, October, 2004