Ann Munday's musing

Monday, August 2, 2021

Apart from working for the NatWest bank in Piccadilly when I was 17 for two months (the Chief Accountant called me Lolita, which was enough and I simply couldn't balance the postage book!), I always found interesting jobs. One of my favourite memories was running a photographic studio (Jim Williams and Vic Savage) in Piccadilly Circus. Completely made a mess of tax deductions! Some modelling and was close to being used for a Guinness ad. Used for front cover of Hamlyn girls annual hugging an Old English Sheepdog. The dog escaped and it took us a while to capture it. Took photographs, however, I have done that since I was young, however, learned how to take better ones. Public Relations and advertising for Lister, a textile company. Worked for JWT as a Statistical Cartographer. Worked for several other small advertising agencies. At 22, Alan Sanford of Charles Hansen Publishing (music books) employed me as a model, an art buyer and compiling music books. My most fun memory was having lunch with Harry Nilsson to try and persuade him to choose another photograph for the cover of his music folio. He was sitting holding a bottle of beer and the company were afraid this would stop sales. Harry was charming and spoke to me about his family and children and his years working in a bank as a computer technician. But he refused to change his mind about the photograph. Hansen was bought by Chappells, what is now Warners. Frank Coachworth tried very hard to persuade me to join the company, but I didn't want to work in a basement. Bob Wise had been trying to persuade me to work for him. And at age 23, I joined Music Sales . Bod was an amazing mentor and innovator and I learned that there was nothing I couldn't do or achieve. Bob promoted me to General Manager. Enjoyed compiling music folios (Milt Okun of Cherry Lane tried to poach me) tremendously - there's a great deal of satisfaction in holding a printed folio in your hands and knowing that you had produced it. We enjoyed a big success with newspaper stand distributed folio of lyrics and bio of David Cassidy with Annie Lieberwitz' famous photographs of him naked. We cropped the photographs to just above the public area. And I had to deal with many calls from young girls wanting the rest of the photograph! Bob had a habit of throwing me into unknown territory. One time he went off to Australia leaving me in charge of negotiating a newspaper stand distribution deal with the then largest publishing company, New Music Library and the largest independent for a David Bowie book of lyrics, bio and photos. He gave me the parameters - you have to overprint copies - that was to at the least minimise loss. I successfully negotiated a deal, whereby whatever amount sold, we made a small profit. When I was 24, John Reid approached me to run Elton John's and Bernie Taupin's publishing companies - Big Pig Music and Rocket Music. Was suddenly thrown into maelstrom of politics and "brown nosing". Sent by John Reid to negotiate participation in the copyright of Kiki Dee's hit "I've Got The Music In Me (written by Tobias Bushell and published by April Music (owned by CBS). Off I went to meet with the then head of CBS Legal Dept, Paul Russel, who showed his surprise at having a meeting with a someone who looked like a young teenage girl (as had been, New English Library!). Anyway, I was successful and achieved what John Reid wanted, however, it was a complicated agreement. We ended up using my draft. Thoroughly enjoyed working for Elton, who personally brought me his demos to listen to and also the first mix of "Philadelphia Freedom", which he asked to safely guard as it was his only copy. When he returned to collect the reel, I handed him some spliced pieces of tape. His face was a picture, however, he had a great sense of humour. Also worked with Kevin Ayers, Brian and Brenda Russell and Dave Stewart. Albums released by Elton during my period with the company, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Caribou and Rock of The Westies. Traveled 1st class to New York, stayed at The Pierre. Was not allowed in the bar in jeans, nor if I was unaccompanied by a man! Elton arranged for a private showing of Blazing Saddles, which halfway through I fell asleep. Saw Elton perform his first no 1, a duet with Kiki Dee, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", when she was the opening act for The Beach Boys at Dodgers Stadium. Met the Beach Boys, and more brown nosers. With Elton's sound engineer, Clive Franks, saw The Who at Madison Square Garden, witnessed my first riot at a concert when the band refused to come back on and do an encore. Was frightened almost to death by the taxi driver who ran every red light on the way back to the hotel. Met Marv Goodman for the first time (he worked for Chrysalis New York), who to this day remains a great friend. Also met Ralph Murphy, who became a close friend and mentor. Lois Gartler took me to tea with her uncle, the legendary Howard Richmond, who founded The Richmond Organisation and the TRO ESSEX MUSIC GROUP. It was a fascinating event. At age 26 was I interviewed by Chris Wright and Terry Connolly and argued with both of them. Didn't think I would be offered the job. Terry agreed later that I had given a bad interview. JOINED CHRYSALIS MUSIC LTD as Professional Manager and worked in the same building as Sir George Martin (who I had met when I played him Elton's Caribou album before its release, intent on getting cover recordings), as well as Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway (Roger Greenaway recorded two of Elton's songs with an act in Japan). Was offered the job of head of A & R Development, however, a friend of mine, Chris Briggs, did that and I wasn't taking his job. Did, however, accompany Brian Protheroe with his hit single "Pinball" to West Berlin, as no one else in the company knew how to get on with him. We enjoyed ourselves. Found Racing Cars with the great voice of Mal Pope, however, Chrysalis Records could not sell the album. When the General Manager left, the company brought Tim Whitsett (Head of East Memphis Music - which was for sale, but Chrysalis made a mistake and did not buy it) over from Memphis as General Manager of Chrysalis Music. Tim subsequently joined up with Chick Churchill (ex keyboard player of Ten Years After) and they formed their own company. At which point, I was offered the job of General Manager, reporting to Terry Connolly. Signed JD Nicholas and produced his first demos at Milner Sound in Fulham. Had to argue with the engineer to the point where I stated "either you turn the sound down, or I end the session. I won. JD remains a friend and always includes love to me on his albums. Heatwave and now The Commodores. Worked with the legendary and very likeable Rod Temperton. We bought David Bowie's Mainman catalogue. AT AGE 28, I was promoted to General Manager of Rare Blue Music (ASCAP) and Red Admiral (BMI) and various other Chrysalis managed or owned publishing companies and moved to Los Angeles. My company car was a brand new bronze BMW 320i shift. No-one could understand why I did not want an automatic, however, I have always loved driving. My office overlooked the patio above Sunset Boulevard, with small trees, bushes and hummingbirds. I met Carlen Carter's representatives at MIDEM - Ed Tichner, I, think. John Ciambotti became her manager and we got on well. Funny story - he forgot to put the hand brake on of her Mercedes antique sports car. It gently rolled down the hill and fortunately was stopped by the curb at a corner. For a few months I lived at the Sunset Suites, until I moved in to a lovely art deco house with Carlene Carter on Queens Road, adjacent to the Continental Hyatt Hotel. I spent an evening with Keith Moon at the Hyatt or the Riot Hotel, as it was sometimes called, where he made me laugh hysterically. He invited me to join him at a Led Zeppelin concert, but I never went anywhere with anyone unless I was sure of a way home. Actively participated in many areas of Chrysalis Records, in particular A & R, Marketing, and Promotion At 30, was promoted to Vice President and renamed company The Chrysalis Music Group USA Founder member of NMPA following year became Chairman and invited Bob Pittman of the newly formed MTV to speak at NMPA meeting, joined by representatives of BMI and ASCAP and major publishers Ann P Munday Senior Vice President and General Manager of Rare Blue Music signed Jack Lee to a publishing contract and later sent three songs to British singer Paul Young in 1983, all of which Paul Young recorded and released on the album No Parlez, which sold more than three million copies worldwide. 32 Promoted to Senior Vice President, and participated in all areas of Chrysalis Records Inc Managed to keep the publishing group in the black, while Sal Licata drove the record company into the red. He was making some some shady deals - moving records to places other than where we had radio play 33 Nominated for ASCAP Board of Directors, first woman, youngest and I think, 1st European. At 35, in 1985 I left company due to constant personal harassment by President, Jack Craigo; and inability of Corporate Board to control his actions towards all staff, nor that of Paul Hutchinson. Signings include Frank Wildhorn, helped him develop pop song writing. Had at least two number ones and went on to become a famous promoter and writer of several hit musicals. Frank is still successful. Signings include Carlene Carter, Jack Lee - he wrote Hanging On The Telephone and Will Anything Happen - on Blondie's triple platinum Parallel Lines . Had three songs on Paul Young's triple million album. Two were number one singles. Neil Giraldo, a fine guitarist, who joined a Pat Benatar Aged 33 I moved Chrysalis Music Group USA headquarters to New York. Terry Ellis wanted me to stay on the west coast. As Steve Moir commented, if I was there - the company would retain a presence. But he wasn't prepared to give me the title nor increase my salary. A Senior UK Executive and Board member asked to marry him and if I agreed, he would move to New York and manage Chrysalis Records. I gracefully declined the proposal. Three of Chrysalis Corporate Board voted to promote me to President of The Chrysalis Music Group USA. While Terry Elllis promised to do so, he did not, nor as he promised, move publishing group to separate office in Galleria Building, where the company had a suite of offices. At 35, in 1985 I left company due to constant personal harassment by President, Jack Craigo; and inability of Corporate Board to control his actions towards all staff, nor that of Paul Hutchinson. I resigned when Chris Wright bought out Terry Ellis (who had moved back to the UK some years earlier and we'd had to endure the bad presidency of Sal Licata, however, I kept the publishing companies in the black, while he took the record company into the red. I was asked to stay on by Terry Connolly, Group MD for a few months as it would not look good for the company if two senior people and me in particular, their one high profile US and UK Senior woman executive left at the same time. I acquiesced and much to Craigo's chagrin, continued to do my job. WHAT I WAS NOT TOLD, was that they were taking the company public; and the ERA for women passed in 1976 and they frequently trotted me out when ever they needed to show they were an equal opportunity employer. My foot! I was paid $35,000 pa as a SVP. Anyway, needless to say, I did not end up with any shares in the public company! 1985 I managed Carlene Carter, who I had managed on and off during the years after I signed her to Chrysalis, whenever she didn't have one. Got to know Nick Lowe really well. 1991 I returned to the corporate world as Vice President of Imago, again with full participation in all record company matters. Aimee Mann, Henry Rollins and Black Flag. Dreadful company, however, I was very honored, and it is a good memory from a bad time; that at my leaving lunch with the majority of the company's admin staff, they all asked me to start a music company and they would all come with me. My father died in 1992, and basically I had a nervous breakdown. In 1997 I returned to Los Angeles to help my brother and in 1998 repped Boosey & Hawkes to Film and TV Music Supervisors. A hard sell, even though it is an amazing classical catalog. Was ousted when the London office appointed a new MD, who I did not respect at all. Did succeed in getting Karl Jenkins his first score for a TV movie and under serious consideration by Director, Michael Mann, who I got Karl's music directly to. Kathy Nelson actually had to phone me! Another story for my autobiography. Anyway, I got to know many film and TV music supervisors, who I remain in touch with even now. 2000 I helped organize the biggest foot race at that time, the San Francisco Bay 2 Breakers, and must have walked far more than the actual walk itself! Moved back to LA and worked for LA AIDS Walk, however, my mental disabilities were increasing to the point where my post traumatic stress disorder in particular could not deal with the bully woman SVP of MZA Events, who started the first ever AIDs Walk. I remain friends with Craig Miller its founder. I last worked in 2002 when I again managed Carlene Carter and in 2003 helped her through the year of Howie Epstein's death (also a personal friend of mine, and someone I cared about deeply), her mother's death and her step father's and her sister's. I was privileged to be considered a friend by Johnny and June, who welcomed me to their home in Hendersonville and Jamaica. Again another story for my autobiography. But when Carlene, who I had got into rehab (she was late in paying me commission and I couldn't calculate how much she would owe me from the various deals I negotiated for her) Now I paint watercolours. Have sold out one limited edition giclees, including to the fantastic Billy Bass, famous for all the wonderful iconic images designed when he was Senior VP of marketing for Chrysalis Records in LA. Carlene remains one of my close friends And I do voice overs. Have volunteered and recorded books for The Reading for The Blind and Dyslexic. Am looking forward to Richard Bateman (who I dated when I worked for Elton) moving to the UK at the end of September.

I had a wonderful and comfortable flat in historic Brondesbury, where I entertained my Aunts and Uncles and friends. I was happy. Although still suffering from depression, and it was tough to find a job. On August 14th, 1997, David called in the middle of the night and asked if I knew that Princess Diana had died He asked me if I would consider returning to Los Angeles to help him as Jody had decided to divorce him and was determined to have full custody of their two daughters, Samantha and Vanessa. I sold my home as soon as I could, and was fortunate as the parents of the neighbours to the left (also psychiatrists) were looking for a home for their parents. The downstair occupant, Hebert Daybell wished to sell and I was asked if I would sell. I agreed. I was rather sad, as my home had been used by Darren, my brother for his quiet stag night, before his wedding to the beautiful Becky. I stayed with my very close friend, Allan Rinde, who was one of my closest friends. David and Sami would visit, but Vanessa was not allowed to. One day I realised from what David was reporting to me (Jody loudly shouting don't touch me and throwing herself on the floor (she bruised easily) that she was trying to set David up for abusing her. His not very good lawyer agreed that he should move out. Allan kindly let David and Sami live with us at North Flores Street, just off Melrose Avenue. At Christmas, Vanessa was allowed to visit for a few hours. Tom Bolan (my Copyright and Legal affairs at Chrysalis) was now living in Los Angeles. As soon as I received notice that my furniture was arriving, David and I found a three bedroomed house on 6th Street, managed by Park La Brea. Nothing like my very comfortable Brondesbury flat. Brought over most of my furniture, which we used including an antique table that eventually disintegrated. Think I remember sending my fridge to Danielle as Park La Brea supplied one. Tom and I quickly realised that David's lawyer was not that efficient and Tom found one of the top law firms in family law. Really good people. Jody's parents, Gwen and Larry arrived from Pennsylvania and stayed at a hotel in Beverly Hills. There were acrimoneous scenes. After the first court appearance it was agreed that there should be a custody evaluation. The Custody Evaluator visited Jody, Sami and Vanessa at their house on South Ogden Drive. Sami would only go if I agreed to stay outside this house. The next visit was with David, Vanessa, Sami and me at Park La Brea. The Custody evaluation concluded that the only home where the two sisters could be together was with David and me. Jody had visitation rights with Vanessa, I would drive Vanessa over to Jody's new apartment not that far away from Park La Brea. Vanessa quite often got sick with throat problems and she loved to lay in my big bed. She never understood how I could be polite to Jody, didn't I know her mother hated me. Otime I had to go to Vanessa's school and look through through the bins for her oral guard. David (working for PacBell) had a very early start. I used to drive Vanessa to her school first, then return for Sami and we'd go and pick up Desiree and her brother (and I think Brittini although perhaps I just took her home from school) would drive them to their University High School, near the Mormon o their second collge near the Morman Temple. David would pick Vanessa up and take her home.I would return to collect Sami, Brittini, Desiree, and her brother. Sometimes Jody would show up to try and pick up Samantha. Loud arguments would ensue and embarrass Sami in front of her friends. Julian's (a good friend of Sami) mother, Sally would try and get her to stop - but to no avail. I got a job working as Personal Assistant to Craig Miller (founder of the AIDS Walks), however, had a hard time with the Office Manager She was a bully. She left and went to manage the organisation that delivers food to homes of people with AIDS. Craig was also asked to organise at that time the largest foot walk in the world in San Francisco, Bay To Breakers. David used to drive me to the airport early on Monday morning and pick me up late on a Friday night. We shared a flat - Craig, Antonio and me - overlooking the beautiful harbour and the office was in an area called The Bowery. Was sitting at my desk one Saturday and it was St Patrick's Day and there was a noisy, however, fun parade on St Patrick's day. I also got to listen to Neil Young and his band rehearse in an adjacent theatre. Craig had a very bad habit of cutting it really tight to catch planes, and we missed quite a few. I stopped working for Craig, although later I used run errands (paid) for him. He had a delightful mother, and his brother had formed a company to help farm animals. I wasn't able to get another job in the music job for a while and ended up as a PA to a Lutheran Minister at a church i could easily walk to. Paster Bullock lied and told the committee that I no longer wanted to work there. His son became his PA. He definitely wasn't a Christian. There were then some difficult years. And I went and live with Tom (my Business Affairs Manager at Chrysalis). Vanessa got into trouble several times and ended up in jail twice. I had to get her out of jail, frequently with Tom's help. Or she would call me (late at night), drunk and cry and gasping out that her Dad didn't love her. It was an extremely difficult time for me, as David obviously favoured Vanessa. I tried to treat them equally, but David would get angry if I bought them each the same thing, for instance net coverings for their beds. Both came down. An ex-employee, Susan Franks came for a visit and together (separate cars)we bdrove thge coastal route to San Francisco. Susan had stayed atb my home in Los Angeles when I learned that the man she lived with was abusing her. She invited me to travel to Colorado with Anita, my German Shepherd. I drove all that way and the first time Anita saw one of her cats she chased after it and Susan demanded that I left. The journey wrecked the Prelude's transmission, but it was an easy sale. David demanded that I left. I went and stayed with Tom and Anita came too. I left for a vacation with Becky, Darren,Ben and Luke in Tuscany. It was a wonderful time Sadly, Tom died of meningitis while I was away in the UK and although I knew that he had included me in his will, three of his disreputable friends lied and said that he hed not left me anything. I was able to scupper their plot by calling the Probate Office, who investigated. The three of them didn't receive anything and it went to his cousin Mary. I cannot remember how many years itb has been, but David blocked me his life. Vanessa had alreadt done so. Sami and Ross kept begging me to come and live with them in Corpus Christi, Texas, as they wanted to have a baby. Sami had become someone totally different. She was over-weight and never stopped shouting at me. She accused me of being after her husband. And gave me four days to leave or she would call he police. It did not help that Ross told me that she shouted at him too. I got stuck in a hotel for about ten days as the Manager of British Airways at Dallas, Fort Worth decided that I coukld not fly without the permission of a Doctor. No doctor I asked would do so and in the end, my lovely Physchiatrist, Dr Zinner emailed what this woman needed. My brother, Darren picked me up from Heathrow and my lovely stepmother, June let me stay at her home in Beaconsfield. Through the help of The PRS, I was acceppted (Darren comleted the application form). Now, I live in a lovely village, Bere Regis in Dorset. Richard Bateman, who I first met whe we both worked for Elton came to live with me last October and we're doing great.

Sunday, August 2, 2020

Joe Lustig

Joe Lustig
Joe was always great to me and turned a party after a Jethro Tull concert into a celebration of my promotion.
It WAS possible to know Jo Lustig for 30 years without being aware of more than a fraction of his unusually well-populated life. The names of Nat King Cole, Jack Kerouac, John Cassavetes, Gloria Swanson, Miles Davis, Lenny Bruce, Frank Sinatra, Herman Leonard, Billie Holiday, Mel Brooks, Nico, the Chieftains, Steeleye Span, Louis Armstrong, Donovan and Anita Ekberg would be no more than a tiny representation of those with whom he came into significant contact during a long career as a New York press agent, a London-based manager of folk and pop singers, and an international television and film producer.
He was an extraordinary man - tough, sentimental, calculating, warm, irascible, persuasive, enthusiastic, pugnacious, thoughtful, with a talent for friendship that was more than the equal of his readiness for the sort of row that would melt a telephone. Born in Brooklyn and educated on Broadway, and bearing the traces of both to his dying day, he spent the last years of his life in a Georgian terraced house in Cambridge, revelling in the history and texture of the place.
Long ago he told me a story about how his Jewish parents had met and married in the United States after emigrating separately from the same village on the Polish-Russian border, where they had not known each other. Jo was the youngest of their five children, and after war service as a medical orderly in the South Pacific he found his way to Broadway, where he became apprenticed to a press agent, learning how to drum up business for theatres, night-clubs and restaurants.
One day his sceptical Yiddish mother asked him what it was, exactly, that he did for a living. Well, mom, he said, people pay me to get their names and addresses into the newspapers and on to the radio. "You get people's names and addresses into the newspapers and on to the radio?" Yes, mom. "And you get paid for it?" That's right, mom. "Who pays you? The newspapers and radio?" No, mom, the people pay me. "And their names go in the newspapers and radio, because you ask?" Yes, mom. "So what are you, such a big shot?"
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Those were the days of the great Broadway press agents - men like George Evans, who organised the "spontaneous" Times Square bobby-soxer riots that made Frank Sinatra a star, and David Lipsky, Lustig's mentor. Among Lustig's early clients were Nat King Cole, the Birdland jazz club and the Weavers folk group. He knew his way round the Brill Building, where all the music publishers had their office, he toured with Louis Armstrong, he publicised George Wein's Newport Jazz Festival, and he became good friends with a struggling young stand-up comic named Mel Brooks, who always remembered the way Jo, the only one of their circle with a steady job, would often pay for their meJo Lustig's life changed at the end of the 1950s, as the result of a traffic accident. He was promoting Vespa scooters at the time, and was riding one of them around Manhattan in the course of duty when he was knocked over by a car at an intersection. He was thrown up in the air, and landed on the pavement outside a Catholic church. As he regained consciousness, a priest was standing over him. "Are you a Catholic?" the priest inquired. "No," Lustig replied, "but go ahead anyway."
The last rites proved unnecessary, but surgery on a shattered leg was followed by an infection that put him in hospital for more than six months. By the time he came out, his business had fallen apart. But Nat King Cole, an old friend, invited him along to do publicity on a European tour which was scheduled to end with the 1960 Royal Variety Performance in London. Afterwards Cole and his entourage flew home but Lustig, intrigued by England, chose to stay on and have a look around. And when he started to get calls from potential clients, he decided to relocate.
He took all kinds of work, including publicising the opening of the Carlton Tower Hotel and the Playboy Club. But eventually he developed an interest in the local folk music scene, and started to manage the expatriate American singer Julie Felix, whom he promoted successfully on television and records as a performer in the mould of Joan Baez. Another early client was Nico, the blonde model and actress whose career was then poised between her screen debut in Fellini's La Dolce Vita and her subsequent membership of Andy Warhol's troupe of "superstars". Lustig shepherded Nico towards Andrew Oldham's Immediate label, for which she recorded a single, a folk- rock treatment of "I'm Not Sayin' ", a Gordon Lightfoot song which she performed on Ready Steady Go.
In 1967 Lustig married Dee Daniels, a record company press assistant, and together they took on the management of Pentangle, a folk-rock group featuring the guitarists Bert Jansch and John Renbourn and the singer Jacqui McShee. The Lustigs took Pentangle from pounds 10 gigs at Les Cousins and put them on at the Royal Festival Hall, which they sold out.
Harbingers of the folk-rock phenomenon of the late Sixties, they were followed on to the Lustig client list by Ralph McTell, Steeleye Span, Richard Digance, Richard and Linda Thompson, and the Chieftains, who were known in Ireland but nowhere else when Lustig put them on at the Albert Hall on St Patrick's Night in 1975, again filling every seat. He arranged for the group to provide the incidental music to Barry Lyndon, Stanley Kubrick's romantic epic, and persuaded Island Records to distribute their albums. The result was an international phenomenon, and it was followed by the success of Mary O'Hara, a former nun who sang sweetly to the accompaniment of her own harp and found overnight success after appearing on the late Russell Harty's television chat show.
When Nico reappeared in London in 1974, she invited Lustig to negotiate the contract with Island Records which led to an album called The End, produced by John Cale. Lustig also supervised a comeback tour by Donovan, one of the original folk-rockers from the 1960s.
By the early 1980s, however, he was disillusioned with the music scene and had begun to switch his attention to films and television. In his early years in London he had been involved in the British publicity for three of John Cassavetes's most important films - Shadows (1961), Faces (1969) and Husbands (1970). Now he became the European representative of Mel Brooks's company, and worked on I Thought I Was Taller, a Brooks show made by the BBC and directed by Alan Yentob. Lustig's entry into production came with three Channel 4 documentaries recording the annual Time Out street entertainers' festival, directed by Alan Lewens, with whom he formed an enduring partnership.
In 1986 he co-produced a feature film, 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft, who won a Bafta award for her performance. His arts documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4 included widely praised studies of Cassavetes, Cole, Maria Callas, Kenneth Anger, Philip Larkin, Spike Milligan, Sidney Bechet, Jewish klezmer music, the pop impresario Larry Parnes, and (at his wife's suggestion) the famous Cambridge feud between F.R. Leavis and Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. He and Lewens put together Sinatra: voice of the century, shown by the BBC the night after the singer's death. Earlier this year, when pancreatic cancer was diagnosed, Lustig was working on a three-part BBC Arena series on blonde bombshells: Diana Dors, Jayne Mansfield and Anita Ekberg.
Jo Lustig loved the world of show business, its people and its buzz, and he had a rare instinct for promoting a certain kind of artist beyond the niche to which they might otherwise have been confined. He was proud of being associated with work of high quality, and there is no dross in his track record. If he was sometimes as temperamental as the artists he represented, that made him the more cherishable - at least by those at a safe distance from his spectacular rages. Not everybody loved him, but many did, because he made things happen, the way he had been taught on the Great White Way.
Joseph George Lustig, press agent, manager and producer: born New York 21 October 1925; married 1967 Dee Daniels; died Cambridge 29 May 1999.

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Vanessa and Sami

I was living in a really comfortable two bedroom flat in historic Brondesbury Park. Here I entertained friends and family. We had some enjoyable dinner parties with my aunts and uncles and my step mother. Unfortunately, I was also going through depression and PTSD, although I did see my friends, Fabiana Bocchi and her husband, Charlie Mallozzi.

They had had a son, Giacomo and Fabi would frequently phone me because of concern about his health and I would drive over to their home. in Maida Vale. Sometimes, he would have to go to hospital.

Neville Farmer introduced me to Sarah Staunton and tried to get her a deal. Got her loads of gigs and many A&R people to see her. Chris Briggs liked her, however, was concerned that her songs were not strong enough.

Neville also became my room-mate. Neville's an outspoken political journalist and was an enjoyable companion.

At some point, Alia Dann who had been my PA also came to live there. She was neurotic about cleanliness and needed to place all her lotions, shampoos, etc in a particular order -

I needed support from the Government to pay my mortgage, as my mental state increased exponentially to impossible.

I rarely saw anyone.

I was looking for s

At approximately 3:30 am on the morning of 31st August, my borther David phoned me, waking me up. He asked me if I knew that Princess Diana had died. I was fully awake. He asked me if I would consider returning to Los Angeles to help him as Jody had decided to divorce him and was determined to have full custody of their two daughters, Samantha and Vanessa.

I sold my home as soon as I could.

And was fortunate as the parents of the neighbours to the left (both psychiatrists) were looking for a home for their parents. The downstair occupant, Hebert Daybell wished to sell and I was asked if I would sell. I agreed.

I was rather sad, as my home had been used by Darren, my brother for his quiet stag night, before his wedding to the beautiful Becky.

I stayed with my very close friend, Allan Rinde, who I loved dearly (wish I had married him). And David and Sami would visit. Vanessa was not allowed to.

One day I realised from what David was reporting to me (Jody loudly shouting don't touch me and throwing herself on the floor (she bruised easily) that she was trying to set David up for abusing her.

His not very good lawyer agreed that he should move out.

Allan kindly let David and Sami live with us at North Flores Street, just off Melrose Avenue

At Christmas, Vanessa was allowed to visit for a few hours

Tom Bolan (my Copyright and legal affairs at Chrysalis) was now living in Los Angeles.

As soon as I received notice that my furniture was arriving, David and I found a three or four bedroomed house (?) on 6th Street, managed by Park La Brea.

Nothing like my very comfortable Brondesbury flat.

Brought over most of my furniture, which we used. An antique table that eventually disintegrated.

Think I remember sending my fridge to Danielle as Park La Brea supplied one.

Tom and I quickly realised that David's lawyer was not that efficient and Tom found one of the top law firms in family law. Really good people.

Jody's parents, Gwen and Larry arrived from Pennsylvania and stayed at a hotel in Beverly Hills. After the first court appearance it was agreed that there should be a custody evaluation.

The Custody Evaluator visited Jody, Sami and Vanessa at their house on South Ogden Drive. Sami would only go if I agreed to stay outside this house.

The next visit was with David, Vanessa, Sami and me. The Custody evaluation concluded that the only home where the two sisters could be together was with David and me.

Jody had visitation rights with Vanessa, I would drive Vanessa over to Jody's new apartment not that far away from Park La Brea.

Vanessa quite often got sick with throat problems and she loved to lay in my big bed. She never understood how I could be polite to Jody, didn't I know her mother hated me.

One time I had to go to Vanessa's school and look through through the bins for her oral guard.

David (working for PacBell) had a very early start. I used to drive Vanessa to her school first, then return for Sami and we'd got and pick up Desiree and her brother (and I think Brittini although perhaps I just took her home from school) would drive them to their University High School, near the Mormon Temple

David would pick Vanessa up and take her home.

I would return to collect Sami, Brittini, Desiree, and her brother

Sometimes Jody would show up to try and pick up Samantha. Loud arguments would ensue and embarrass Sami in front of her friends. Julian's (a good friend of Sami) mother, Sally would try and get her to stop - but to no avail. Sadly Sally died, however, I am in contact with her husband Gerry Vidal, through Facebook.

I got a job working as Personal Assistant to Craig Miller (founder of the AIDS Walks), however, had a hard time with the Office Manager. She was a bully. She left and went to manage the organisation that delivers food to homes of people with AIDS.

Craig was also asked to organise at that time the largest foot walk in the world in San Francisco, Bay To Breakers.

David used to drive me to the airport early on Monday morning and pick me up late on a Friday night. We shared a flat - Craig, Antonio and me - overlooking the beautiful harbour and the office was in an area called The Bowery.

Was sitting at my desk one Saturday and it was St Patrick's Day and there was a noisy, however, fun parade.

Craig had a very bad habit of cutting it really tight to catch planes, and we missed quite a few.

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Draft Biography

My parent's wedding was a small affair and Grandma Fehin did not attend as she disapproved. Grandpa Fehin was there to give his daughter away.

My mother

Both my Irish grandparents were religious and kind gentle people. Grandpa loved to tell scary stories at bedtime.

My mother became pregnant very quickly and up until this time, Dad and she lived in one room, in the home that belonged to my Uncle Syd's mother.

Dad told me of the mouse who kept scampering around the room until one day it made the mistake of running across his face. He caught it, however, let it go in the garden.

We also had a kitten (cannot remember her name), but sadly she was killed by a car

It was March 24th, 1955 and I was just five years old, when the Nuns from the Convent infant school sent me home alone. I clearly remember that I had to take two buses and was worried that I would get lost.

Normally, a neighbour's daughter would bring me home, however, she had a dentist's appointment and the Nuns just decided to send me home unaccompanied.

It is very clear in my mind. I was a small five year old child, having to take two buses to get to my home.

5 Arethusa Road, Rochester (Kent) which my parents had not long bought.

I remember moving-in day well as I pushed my old pram around the long grass that my dad and I think Bill were

cutting.

They had to nail my iron crib down some way, otherwise I rocked it around the room. I have had sleep problems all of my life.

I could not get into my house and the next door neighbour managed to open the door, but held me back.

No matter, I have always known that my mother put her head in the gas over and cut her throat.

My poor father who totally adored and loved my mother was questioned by the police as a suspect in her murder.

Very fortunately, a neighbour had seen my mother hanging out washing.

I remember my brother David and I holding hands in the dark garden as police and other adults went about their business.

My father was investigated for his murder, however, fortunately a neighbourhad seen my mother hanging laundry on the washing line.

Sometime later, my father took David and me to his parent's house in Aubrey Walk and apparently told his parents to look after us and he was going to go and join Deborah (also known as Doreen) in death.

Somehow his parents persuaded him otherwise.

Dad had two sisters, Patricia and Jacqueline and there was a third Dorothy who was from my grandmother's first marriage.

Nan Munday was not married when Dad was born as her husband refused to divorce her and would not let her see her daughter Dorothy.

Dorothy finally showed up one day with her husband, Sad and son, Stewart.

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Ann Munday

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----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Ann Munday <mundaythrusundaymusic@yahoo.com>

To: Ann Munday <mundaythrusundaymusic@yahoo.com>

Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2020, 06:43:06 PM GMT+1

Subject: Re: Links to Articles

On Sunday, April 12, 2020, 5:20:20 PM GMT+1, Ann Munday <mundaythrusundaymusic@yahoo.com> wrote:

Must start working on autobiography

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Ann Munday <mundaythrusundaymusic@yahoo.com>

To: Ann Munday <mundaythrusundaymusic@yahoo.com>

Sent: Friday, April 3, 2020, 12:08:15 PM GMT+1