Author Bio
Dan Beck
Dan Beck is a writer, a producer, a marketer, a manager, a mentor, and an investor in a long line of trusted relationships.
He dedicated 20 years in building and supporting the images for dozens upon dozens of artists on the roster at Epic Records, as head of publicity, as a product manager and SVP of Marketing and Sales. He founded V2 Records in 1997, as President of North America, for Virgin entrepreneur and self-made brand Richard Branson. In 2002, he launched his own boutique entertainment marketing company, Big Honcho Media, LLC, a pioneer in social media marketing and promotion.
Dan started the first major label publicity department in country music. in 1974. He was creatively at the forefront of music video production in the ‘80s, and his licensing strategy in the ‘90s launched Moby, forever changing the industry’s strategic model.
Over those Epic years, he spearheaded marketing strategies for The Clash, Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, Sade, Luther Vandross, Pearl Jam, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Charlie Daniels Band, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Rich, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, Living Colour, and Boston, among many others.
He’s written songs with Hall of Famers Dion DiMucci and Felix Cavaliere.
His hearing conservation film “Listen Smart” won the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award and was featured exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for over two years.
Beck Executive Produced Broke* (Reprised), a documentary on the sustainability issues facing independent artists in today’s environment. The film was originally released in early 2011, winning the Gibson Best Vision in a Music Film at the Nashville Film Festival.. www.brokedoc.com.
He became sole Trustee of the Recording Industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund in 2013. The organization provides grants to pay professional musicians to perform free for the public good in schools, hospitals, senior centers, parks, and public venues. The MPTF currently funds over 4,000 admission-free live music performances annually, with all musicians receiving union scale wages. www.musicpf.org.
Dan has been featured in numerous books and in many major media outlets. Recent book features include: Randal Doane’s Stealing All Transmissions: A Secret History of The Clash; Michael Jackson Opus; Michael Straussguth’s Outlaws: Waylon, Willie, Kris, and the Renegades of Nashville; and Dan Ouellette’s Bruce Lundvall: Play By Ear.
Most importantly, Dan is a husband and father. Dan and Clare Kidder married in 1984, and have three grown children; Matthew, Rachel, and Michaela. They have six grandchildren.
