Pete Angelus is an artist manager who has worked in the music business since 1975. During his career, he has worked with Van Halen

Van Halen

Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...

, Jimmy Page

Jimmy Page

James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...

 of Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

, Slash

Slash (musician)

Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...

, Hall & Oates

Hall & Oates

Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...

 and has been the only manager of The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes

The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...

 since they began touring in 1990.

Early Van Halen years

He first made his name in the business when he designed and directed a light show for Van Halen in 1980 for their first world tour as a headline act, which at the time was the most elaborate music light show ever designed and implemented, requiring 7 tractor-trailers for the lights alone. In addition to light and stage design, Angelus forayed into art direction for the band, influencing Van Halen's logo, and early album covers, as well as designing much of the band's merchandise from 1979 to their breakup with Roth in 1985. Angelus became such a creative influence the members of the band, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth, and Michael Anthony referred to him as "the fifth member of Van Halen." Many of David Lee Roth's quips came from the tongue of Angelus (Note the opening of California Girls: "Thank Heaven for Little Girls, Maurice Chevalier, 1958" "And some of the other sizes, too Pete and Dave, 1985".) Roth, with whom Angelus had a falling out after managing his solo career for six years, failed to acknowledge Angelus' work and partnership in his memoir.

As MTV became all the rage, his interest turned to video production, and he went on to direct some of the most well-known and most-played music videos of all-time. Five times, the videos he directed were nominated for MTV "Video of the Year" status. Angelus later stated "If I had a name you couldn't pronounce, I might have won one." Angelus went on to write, direct and even star as David Lee Roth's manager as part of the duo "The Fabulous Picasso Brothers" in David Lee Roth's videos during his solo career: Yankee Rose

Yankee Rose (song)

"Yankee Rose" is a hard rock song recorded by David Lee Roth. It was written by Roth and Steve Vai and was Roth's first single on his 1986 first full-length album Eat 'Em and Smile...

and Goin' Crazy, among others.

Music videos

Angelus is credited with writing and directing the following videos:

Jump / Van Halen (1981)

• VH1 Top 100 Videos Of All Time
• MTV Greatest Music Videos Ever Made

Hot for Teacher / Van Halen (1983)

• VH1 Video Hall of Fame 2002
• VH1 Top 20 Funniest Videos Ever Made
• VH1 Top 100 Videos Of All Time
• Playboy’s Top 15 Sexiest Videos of All Time

Just a Gigolo / David Lee Roth (1985)

• MTV Greatest Music Videos Ever Made
• VH1 Top 20 Funniest Videos Ever Made

California Girls / David Lee Roth (1986)

• VH1 Top 100 Videos Of All Time
• MTV Top 5 "Babe" Videos of All Time

Angelus also directed the following videos for The Black Crowes:

• Jealous Again
• Twice as Hard
• Hard to Handle
• She Talks to Angels
• Thorn in My Pride
• Remedy

As a manager

He has worked with such well-known label presidents as David Geffen, Tommy Mottola, Don Ienner, Rick Rubin, Mo Ostin and Clive Davis.

He was instrumental in creating the “Jimmy Page/ The Black Crowes: Live From The Greek” record which was the biggest-selling Internet album of all time.

Angelus was also responsible for the “Tour of Brotherly Love” with The Black Crowes and Oasis.

Angelus’ business distinction is equally as strong as his creative reputation. Billboard Magazine referred to him as a “visionary.” A feature in The Album Network commented, “Angelus is a magician when it comes to artist development and the media….his creativity and success warrant the status he has earned as a legendary manager.”