Biography
He began promoting and booking bands during his college years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has worked as an agent, personal manager, concert promoter, movie producer, independent record label owner, merchandiser, music publisher, and CEO of a record company. He moved to Los Angeles with his first clients, Joe Walsh and Dan Fogelberg. He then joined Geffen Roberts management where he began working with the Eagles. After David Geffen sold Asylum Records to Warner Music, the management company splintered and Azoff left with the Eagles as his own client.
From 1983 to 1989, Azoff headed MCA Records and is credited for saving the company from bankruptcy. Azoff resigned from MCA in 1989 to form his own record label, Giant Records, now defunct (Warner Music Group bought the masters.)
Frederic Dannen's book, Hitmen, includes a chapter titled "The Troika" about Azoff, David Geffen and Walter Yetnikoff, three rival record executives in the 1980s. According to Thomas R. King's book, The Operator, Geffen manipulated Azoff into leaving MCA and going to Warner Music Group where he started Giant Records. King writes that Geffen wanted Azoff out at MCA to clear the way for MCA to buy Geffen Records. So Geffen convinced Mo Ostin at Warner Music to offer Irving Azoff a "dream" label deal. Giant Records operated for much of the 1990s until Azoff decided to return to concentrating on artist management.
Irving co-produced the movies Fast Times at Ridgemont High and "The Inkwell" and has been named "Manager of the Year" by two touring industry's trade publications.
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