Sandy Pearlman, the manager, songwriter, label executive and poet best known for his association with Blue Öyster Cult, has died aged 72.
The news was broken by his friend Robert Duncan on Facebook:
“Sandy Pearlman, poet, writer, songwriter, producer, manager, professor, polymath, visionary, passed peacefully, surrounded by love, at 12:30 am, July 26, 2016, in Marin County, California. A celebration of his exceptional life will be announced later.”
Pearlman’s work with Blue Öyster Cult was wide-ranging. He managed them and produced nine albums as well as their 1976 hit, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper“. He was immortalised in the Saturday Night Live sketch, “More cowbell”, where Christopher Walken played a fictionalized version of the producer.
He also produced The Dictators’ Go Girl Crazy!, The Clash’s album, Give ‘Em Enough Rope and Dream Syndicate‘s The Medicine Show.
Pearlman also managed several bands including Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath, from 1979 – 1983. He was president of 415 Records and vice president of pioneering 1990s online music service e-music.
Pearlman was born on August 8, 1943. He also worked at early music magazine Crawdaddy, where he is often credited with coining the phrase ‘heavy metal’.
Uncut: the spiritual home of great rock music.