Gloria Stavers
Encyclopedia
Gloria Stavers was the editor in chief of 16 Magazine
. Her personality gave this teen celebrity magazine its stamp for many years.
Stavers is credited with being one of the first women rock and roll journalist
s, but male editors
, detractors and those who scoffed at teen or celebrity
magazines sometimes called her "Mother Superior
of the Inferior". http://www.rockcritics.com/features/paulgorman.html
. She was born Gloria Gurganus in Wilmington, North Carolina
. She had married and divorced young, and moved to New York to pursue a modeling career. For a time she was involved socially with the "jet set
" and was rumored to be involved romantically with baseball player Mickey Mantle
. Health issues forced Stavers to give up modeling.
Stavers got her start at 16 Magazine in 1957 as a subscriptions clerk. She was initially paid 50 cents an hour. Stavers developed many of her ideas about how the magazine should be run by reading the fan letters from preteen
aged girls writing to various celebrities in care of the magazine. As she read those letters, she remembered how she felt as a preteenager and what she most cared about at that age.
Stavers had no prior experience in journalism
, nor did she possess a university degree, but she rose quickly through the ranks. She was promoted to the position of editor in chief, wherein she had unprecedented access to many of the top recording acts of the day. Although 16 Magazine had a staff of reporters on both coasts, Stavers wrote most of the magazine's feature articles herself. She also served as the magazine's chief photographer and shot numerous photographs of stars such as Paul Revere and the Raiders, Peter Noone
of Herman's Hermits
, Jim Morrison
, lead singer of The Doors
and The Rascals
with stories by Billy (Amato) Smith of the lead singer of The Rascals
Eddie Brigati
and later Felix, Dino and Gene in 1966. Smith was a good friend of Gloria Stavers.
As an editor, she eschewed serious or controversial subject matter for 16 Magazine interviews. Rather than asking a celebrity about social issues, she preferred to discuss more personal and lightly intimate topics such a celebrity's favorite color or meal or to ask him who his idea of whom a "dream date" would be. Her style of interviewing was referred to as the "Forty Intimate Questions." Her first interview using that format was with the Canadian pop singer Paul Anka
.
Stavers, in her writings, attempted to make the celebrity appear approachable and "attainable" for her young readers. In short, the celebrity was a "surrogate boyfriend" for the reader. If the artist was married, in a long term relationship or was not heterosexual in orientation, that fact was never mentioned in the magazine.
In her editorial content, Stavers seldom if ever wrote critical or unflattering prose regarding any celebrity. She preferred to focus on the positive qualities of the "faves." She ignored those celebrities and musical acts whom she felt would not capture her readers interest, or those who failed to capture her personal interest. If the "fave" appeared to have fallen out of favor, then Stavers merely stopped covering that celebrity in the magazine, and then would find someone else to feature.
Despite frequently using a teenzine shorthand for some words such as "fave" for favorite, and "cuz" for the word because, Stavers was a stickler for correct spelling and grammar.
Tony Barrow
, the Press Officer to The Beatles
, credits Stavers with providing "significant help" towards the task of fast-tracking the band to the top of the US charts. In the months before their first visit to the US, a substantial volume of the editorial space in 16 was given over to The Beatles. Paul McCartney
remembered Gloria as being "very dignified, very professional and totally business-like. She inspired respect from us all".
In the 1980 movie, The Idolmaker
, there is an unflattering portrayal of a mercurial "prima donna" teen magazine editor, based loosely on Stavers. The role of Ellen Fields was played by Maureen McCormick
of The Brady Bunch
. According to some of Stavers's contemporaries, she tended to run roughshod over underlings, and she was known for her use of strong profanities and issuing ultimatums.
However, Stavers was also known to threaten some of the "faves" if she didn't get what she wanted from them. In one instance, Stavers allegedly threatened to print the full real name of Paul Revere if he didn't agree to make an appearance at a hospital to visit a dying girl. Revere's full name was Paul Revere Dick.
Despite her many detractors, Stavers had an admirer and defender in American Bandstand
host, Dick Clark. He said of Stavers, "She had her finger on the pulse of what kids were thinking, which impressed me. We both, as adults, could "think young" and see what was interesting and ascertain what the future would bring in the next few months. Gloria helped American Bandstand, and the show helped 16. It was a two-way street."
There were many in the entertainment and publishing industries who believed that between Stavers and Clark, they had the power to "make or break" a teen idol.
At times, Stavers appeared to push people to the forefront who seemed to be unlikely candidates for teen idol status, such as comedian
Lenny Bruce
, Dark Shadows
actor Jonathan Frid
, Star Trek
actor Leonard Nimoy
, and shock rock
pioneer Alice Cooper
. Stavers also began to experiment with new publishing and photography trends which she incorporated into the magazine.
However, not everyone agreed with Ms. Stavers on the right direction for the magazine. According to an autobiography written by former teen idol Donny Osmond
, Stavers and his mother, Olive Osmond, had a continual disagreement regarding the use of increasingly sexualized pin up pictures featuring her sons and other teen idols. Stavers was rumored to have become romantically or sexually involved with several of the celebrities she interviewed. Stavers had dated 1950s teen idol Dion DiMucci
, and during the 1960s she was also one of Jim Morrison's long-term lovers.
John Prine
, an American country/folk singer-songwriter, dedicated Great Days, an anthology of his work released in 1993, to Gloria Stavers.
. She also had competition from other journalists now focusing their attentions on the rock music
scene such as Patricia Kennealy and Jann Wenner
of Rolling Stone
magazine.
In 1975, Stavers left 16 Magazine after a publishing dispute. After her departure from the magazine, Stavers worked as a freelance writer and photographer, and she gathered information and outlined a biography about Jim Morrison. She also spent time learning about spirituality, particularly Buddhism
.
In 1983, Stavers, a long term smoker, died of lung cancer
at Presybterian Hospital in New York. She was 56 years old at the time of her death.
16 magazine
16 Magazine was a fan magazine based out of New York City. It was the first magazine marketed to adolescents that focused exclusively on celebrities...
. Her personality gave this teen celebrity magazine its stamp for many years.
Stavers is credited with being one of the first women rock and roll journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s, but male editors
Editors
Editors are a British indie rock band based in Birmingham, who formed in 2002. Previously known as Pilot, The Pride and Snowfield, the band consists of Tom Smith , Chris Urbanowicz , Russell Leetch and Ed Lay .Editors have so far released two platinum studio...
, detractors and those who scoffed at teen or celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
magazines sometimes called her "Mother Superior
Mother Superior
A mother superior is an abbess or other nun in charge of a Christian religious order or congregation, a convent or house of women under vows.Mother superior may also refer to:*Mother Superior , a rock band who became ¾ of Rollins Band circa 2000...
of the Inferior". http://www.rockcritics.com/features/paulgorman.html
Early years
Very little is known of Stavers' childhood and adolescenceAdolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
. She was born Gloria Gurganus in Wilmington, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. She had married and divorced young, and moved to New York to pursue a modeling career. For a time she was involved socially with the "jet set
Jet set
"Jet set" is a journalistic term that was used to describe an international social group of wealthy people, organizing and participating all around the world in social activities that are unreachable to ordinary people...
" and was rumored to be involved romantically with baseball player Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
. Health issues forced Stavers to give up modeling.
Stavers got her start at 16 Magazine in 1957 as a subscriptions clerk. She was initially paid 50 cents an hour. Stavers developed many of her ideas about how the magazine should be run by reading the fan letters from preteen
Preteen
Preadolescence is a stage of human development following early childhood and prior to adolescence. It may be defined as ending with the beginning of puberty or with the beginning of the teenage stage, the time frames in which adolescence is considered to begin. In terms of age in years,...
aged girls writing to various celebrities in care of the magazine. As she read those letters, she remembered how she felt as a preteenager and what she most cared about at that age.
Stavers had no prior experience in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, nor did she possess a university degree, but she rose quickly through the ranks. She was promoted to the position of editor in chief, wherein she had unprecedented access to many of the top recording acts of the day. Although 16 Magazine had a staff of reporters on both coasts, Stavers wrote most of the magazine's feature articles herself. She also served as the magazine's chief photographer and shot numerous photographs of stars such as Paul Revere and the Raiders, Peter Noone
Peter Noone
Peter Noone is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor, best known as "Herman" of the successful 1960s rock group Herman's Hermits.-Early life:...
of Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
, Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
, lead singer of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
and The Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
with stories by Billy (Amato) Smith of the lead singer of The Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
Eddie Brigati
Eddie Brigati
Eddie Brigati is an American singer and songwriter.Most memorably, Brigati shared vocals, and played tambourine, in the pop group The Young Rascals from 1965 to 1970...
and later Felix, Dino and Gene in 1966. Smith was a good friend of Gloria Stavers.
Editorial style
Stavers was known for being singleminded regarding the image of "her" magazine. Her main priority was giving her teenage female reader base what it wanted, and what they wanted, according to Stavers, was the feeling of being "close" to their favorite stars. Stavers would receive more than 300 letters per day addressed to her from teenagers. She read every letter and took their words to heart, and then tried to use the magazine to address the concerns that were often written off as "silly" by adults.As an editor, she eschewed serious or controversial subject matter for 16 Magazine interviews. Rather than asking a celebrity about social issues, she preferred to discuss more personal and lightly intimate topics such a celebrity's favorite color or meal or to ask him who his idea of whom a "dream date" would be. Her style of interviewing was referred to as the "Forty Intimate Questions." Her first interview using that format was with the Canadian pop singer Paul Anka
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and actor.Anka first became famous as a teen idol in the late 1950s and 1960s with hit songs like "Diana'", "Lonely Boy", and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder"...
.
Stavers, in her writings, attempted to make the celebrity appear approachable and "attainable" for her young readers. In short, the celebrity was a "surrogate boyfriend" for the reader. If the artist was married, in a long term relationship or was not heterosexual in orientation, that fact was never mentioned in the magazine.
In her editorial content, Stavers seldom if ever wrote critical or unflattering prose regarding any celebrity. She preferred to focus on the positive qualities of the "faves." She ignored those celebrities and musical acts whom she felt would not capture her readers interest, or those who failed to capture her personal interest. If the "fave" appeared to have fallen out of favor, then Stavers merely stopped covering that celebrity in the magazine, and then would find someone else to feature.
Despite frequently using a teenzine shorthand for some words such as "fave" for favorite, and "cuz" for the word because, Stavers was a stickler for correct spelling and grammar.
Influence
According to a 1967 Saturday Evening Post feature article, record companies frequently consulted Stavers as to how to best promote an artist, and would not make a decision until she weighed in with her opinion. At that time, few women in any field wielded such power.Tony Barrow
Tony Barrow
Tony Barrow is an English press officer who worked with The Beatles between 1962 and 1968. He coined the phrase "The Fab Four", first using it in an early press release.-Life:...
, the Press Officer to 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...
, credits Stavers with providing "significant help" towards the task of fast-tracking the band to the top of the US charts. In the months before their first visit to the US, a substantial volume of the editorial space in 16 was given over to The Beatles. Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
remembered Gloria as being "very dignified, very professional and totally business-like. She inspired respect from us all".
In the 1980 movie, The Idolmaker
The Idolmaker
The Idolmaker is a 1980 American musical drama starring Ray Sharkey, Peter Gallagher, Paul Land, Tovah Feldshuh and Joe Pantoliano.The film is based on the life of rock promoter and manager Bob Marcucci, who discovered and promoted several rock 'n' roll stars including Frankie Avalon and Fabian....
, there is an unflattering portrayal of a mercurial "prima donna" teen magazine editor, based loosely on Stavers. The role of Ellen Fields was played by Maureen McCormick
Maureen McCormick
Maureen Denise McCormick is an American actress, celebrity and recording artist. She is most widely known as a child actress who played Marcia Brady in the television series The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974.- Early life and career :...
of The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
. According to some of Stavers's contemporaries, she tended to run roughshod over underlings, and she was known for her use of strong profanities and issuing ultimatums.
However, Stavers was also known to threaten some of the "faves" if she didn't get what she wanted from them. In one instance, Stavers allegedly threatened to print the full real name of Paul Revere if he didn't agree to make an appearance at a hospital to visit a dying girl. Revere's full name was Paul Revere Dick.
Despite her many detractors, Stavers had an admirer and defender in American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
host, Dick Clark. He said of Stavers, "She had her finger on the pulse of what kids were thinking, which impressed me. We both, as adults, could "think young" and see what was interesting and ascertain what the future would bring in the next few months. Gloria helped American Bandstand, and the show helped 16. It was a two-way street."
There were many in the entertainment and publishing industries who believed that between Stavers and Clark, they had the power to "make or break" a teen idol.
At times, Stavers appeared to push people to the forefront who seemed to be unlikely candidates for teen idol status, such as comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
, Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
actor Jonathan Frid
Jonathan Frid
John Herbert Frid is a theater, television, and film actor, best known for playing the role of vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic television soap opera Dark Shadows.-Early Life:...
, Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
actor Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy is an American actor, film director, poet, musician and photographer. Nimoy's most famous role is that of Spock in the original Star Trek series , multiple films, television and video game sequels....
, and shock rock
Shock rock
Shock rock is an umbrella term for artists who combine rock music with elements of theatrical shock value in live performances.-History:Screamin' Jay Hawkins was arguably the first shock rocker...
pioneer Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
. Stavers also began to experiment with new publishing and photography trends which she incorporated into the magazine.
However, not everyone agreed with Ms. Stavers on the right direction for the magazine. According to an autobiography written by former teen idol Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
, Stavers and his mother, Olive Osmond, had a continual disagreement regarding the use of increasingly sexualized pin up pictures featuring her sons and other teen idols. Stavers was rumored to have become romantically or sexually involved with several of the celebrities she interviewed. Stavers had dated 1950s teen idol Dion DiMucci
Dion DiMucci
Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
, and during the 1960s she was also one of Jim Morrison's long-term lovers.
John Prine
John Prine
John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
, an American country/folk singer-songwriter, dedicated Great Days, an anthology of his work released in 1993, to Gloria Stavers.
The later years
By the mid-1960s and throughout the early 1970s, Stavers was encountering fierce competition from other teen magazines such as Tiger BeatTiger Beat
Tiger Beat is an American fan magazine marketed primarily to adolescent girls. It is currently published by Laufer Media, Inc. of Los Angeles, California, which also produces its sister publication, Bop....
. She also had competition from other journalists now focusing their attentions on the rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
scene such as Patricia Kennealy and Jann Wenner
Jann Wenner
Jann Simon Wenner is the co-founder and publisher of the music and politics biweekly Rolling Stone, as well as the owner of Men's Journal and Us Weekly magazines.-Childhood:...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine.
In 1975, Stavers left 16 Magazine after a publishing dispute. After her departure from the magazine, Stavers worked as a freelance writer and photographer, and she gathered information and outlined a biography about Jim Morrison. She also spent time learning about spirituality, particularly Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.
In 1983, Stavers, a long term smoker, died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
at Presybterian Hospital in New York. She was 56 years old at the time of her death.
External links
- The Singer, Not The Song. An article about Gloria Stavers and the rise of 16 Magazine
- Gloria Stavers and 16 Magazine
- Rockcritics.com article about what Gloria Staver's peers thought of her and her influence on rock journalism
- Rolling Stone Magazine Article circa 1972 with several quotes from Gloria Stavers and her ideas on the mission of her magazine
- Dedicated blog memorial for Gloria Stavers