Front Line Management (1974-1980; 1994-present)
Contact Info
Front Line Management is headed by Irving Azoff and Howard Kaufman, although Azoff personally handles the Eagles under Azoff Music Management. The Eagles were the first act handled by Front Line from its inception in 1974. Indeed, the company was built around them.
Prior to founding the company or being a part of Lookout Management, Azoff had worked with Joe Walsh since 1972. In his early twenties himself at the time, Azoff had made friends with Joe and promised he would take him to the top, since Joe was unhappy with how things were going for Barnstorm. Joe said yes. Now a manager instead of just an agent, Azoff was able to sell himself to Lookout Management. It was there that he met the Eagles.
At the time, Lookout's Elliot Roberts wasn't really highly concerned with the Eagles. In 1973, when a mix-up happened at an airport and there were no limos to pick up the band, Roberts asked Azoff to take the call and deal with Glenn Frey complaining about it rather heatedly, to put it mildly. When Azoff fixed the situation and seemed to get along well with the Eagles, Roberts gave him a large amount of responsiblity for them.
Azoff could tell they were unhappy with Roberts' attitude, their treatment, and the direction of their band. He helped in getting them involved with producer Bill Szymczyk who had been working with Joe in order to give them a "rockier" sound than they had been producing with Glyn Johns. Meanwhile, the Eagles decided to try and get a better deal with Lookout, who they felt was cutting outrageously into their profits. Roberts wasn't giving an inch, and in fact moved to unload them (along with several other artists). They got together with Azoff and Front Line Management was born.
Azoff made himself a reputation as having an ends-justifies-the-means attitude in promoting the Eagles, and he was very loyal to the band. They were his unquestioned priority. That kind of dedication was what they wanted most... well, that and lots of money. Azoff was good at bringing that in, too. When he got them out of some trouble in the Bahamas pertaining to some illegal substances on their persons, they decided this was their guy.
Ever since, Azoff had been the manager of the Eagles.
The following are listed on Farewell 1 as part of the team handling the Eagles (in alphabetical order):
Nina Avramides
Edith Azoff
Pam Byers
Laurie Gorman
Shirley Klein
Laurel Levine
Randy Ostin
Shelley Riggs
Larry Solters
In 2008, Azoff became the CEO of Ticketmaster and his management company is now a part of the larger Ticketmaster Entertainment corporation.
Azoff Music Management
1100 Glendon Avenue
Suite 2000
Los Angeles, CA 90024Phone: 310-209-3100