A Tribute to Spence Berland
1939-2017
Music Industry veteran Spence Berland passed away on New Year's Eve. This page is meant to be a visual representation of just some of his friendships and interactions over the years, but particularly during the 1970s and early 1980s. More photos will be added as we receive them.
Feel free to leave a comment (or a great story/anecdote) about Spence at the bottom of this page.
In lieu of a funeral ceremony, the family is suggesting that donations be made to either of Spence's favorite charities: The Wounded Warriors Project or St. Jude Children's Hospital. Cards or letters can be sent in care of Spence's daughters Abigail and Debby, 17401 Victory Blvd, Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Feel free to leave a comment (or a great story/anecdote) about Spence at the bottom of this page.
In lieu of a funeral ceremony, the family is suggesting that donations be made to either of Spence's favorite charities: The Wounded Warriors Project or St. Jude Children's Hospital. Cards or letters can be sent in care of Spence's daughters Abigail and Debby, 17401 Victory Blvd, Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Personal / Family Photos
Some Comments from his Friends and Colleagues
SAM GRAHAM: I knew Spence for nearly 40 years. I will miss him dearly. Sam Sutherland hired me as an assistant editor at Record World in 1977, my first real job in the music business. Spence ran the West Coast office in those days. He was a master at selling ads for special "Tributes" to artists and record companies and execs, distributors and rack jobbers, you name it. He made himself and the magazine a lot of money that way. But as for the writers, chained to our trusty IBM Selectrics as we churned out the copy to fill space between ads for these monuments to someone’s vanity... well, not so much. I was making something like $180 per week in those days. Spence used to come into my office, wearing his leisure suit du jour, and crow about how much he was making -- not per week, mind you, or per hour, but per minute. Obnoxious? Well, yeah. But also hilarious. That’s the thing about Spence. He was a character, but also a genuinely good guy and a dear friend. We stayed in touch over the years, and I know that for the last several of them he wasn’t in great shape, in any sense. I’ll miss him, but I hope he is now finally at peace. RIP to a good man.
SAM SUTHERLAND: One late summer day while I was wrangling trade coverage of an Elektra/Asylum promotion team convention (use your imagination on what THAT was like circa '76), I got a phone call that was more of a lifeline -- feelers from Record World about whether I'd buck convention and return to the ink-stained realm of music journalists. Money be damned, I said "yes," and soon wound up having a blast at the RW West compound presided over by Spence. Sad news that he passed away on New Year's Eve. Somewhere in the afterworld, Spence is looking over his Howard the Duck comics collection and playing poker with Barry White...
SALLY STEVENS: I was so sorry to hear about this. He was a great guy.
DES FARRELL: This is such sad news. Spence was a great man and will be sorely missed. He taught me a great deal about the music industry and life itself.
GENE SCULATTI: Oh man. Terrible news. Jeez.
JANE AYER: So sorry and so sad to hear this. He was a good man and an inspiration to me.
BOB MERLIS: Spence knew them all-the greats, the near greats and the greatest. I shared an office with him at Record World in 1970 after having recently graduated from college. Spending time with him was a real education. Very sad to hear that the "Spence Allen Show" is off the air.
SHELLY HEBER: So sad. Spence was a good man and a good friend.
JIM McKEON: A top-notch man in every way. Sorry to hear this about Spence.
ROBERT GLASSENBERG: I had many lunches with Spence, both during and after Record World. Did some writing for him, too. Great gambler, great person. I loved being around him. Always fun and up. Love to the family. Deep condolences.
PETER FLETCHER: Goodbye old friend. I'm going to miss you. My first day on the job, Spence walked into the office I shared with Laura Palmer, looked me up and down and said, "What the fuck are you doing here?" He then turned and left, I'm sure with a smile on his face. Sutherland talked me off of the ledge...
TONI PROFERA: I had not seen Spence in many years and then one day I was going through the lobby of the National Bank Building where I had my CORE Entertainment office and I simply bumpted into Spence. It was like a dream. . I mean it was soooo many years. He invited me up to his office (in the same building) to hang and I visited with him a week or so later. He was surrounded by his cool memorabilia and ....well, told me stories about 'everything' ....the same old Spence. I left that building myself over a year ago, but I used to see him now and then in the elevators. He was 'in the building' on DAY ONE of my life in the music business at the Ny Record World 57th St office. I had this picture in my hard drive and some crazy stories stories in my head. RIP buddy.
MARK KIRKEBY: One morning, Bob Austin wandered into Spence's office while Spence was on a personal call. Spence asked Bob to step out. Bob did not respond. Spence asked more forcefully. Bob, exiting, said, "I'll go-- but I want you to know, I've been kicked out of better offices than this one." RIP Spence, and Bob.
PETE SENOFF: I have known and worked with Spence for more than 45 years, even writing for him/RW for a time before I started working at the record labels. He was truly an unforgettable personality. What impressed me the most about him was his relationships with virtually everybody in the music business...everybody. He and I have reconnected over the past year, having lunches together almost every week. As I've put together my 70s Music Industry website, his knowledge of the people and events of that bygone era has been indispensable, as have the photos he loaned me of him with so many industry business people and artists. He will be missed in so many ways, but perhaps most of all for his kindness and friendship.
PAUL FISHKIN: I knew Spence in Record World Days. And then the Robb Report. Fond Memories.
BOBBI SACKS, MARCUS DeSOUZA: So sorry to hear this.
JACK FORSYTHE: This is news that brings back ALL kinds of memories of Spence's colorful eccentricities. After Mike Sigman hired me, I stayed with Spence and his family when first moving to LA...I see all of us in many of the posted pics then think about his other friends and many chatacters like Charlie Blue . What fun we had. I lost touch with Spence for many years then one day got a call to say hello and realized he was still the same sarcastic Spence we grew to love. Sad news. May Spence RIP as Sam Graham said to a good guy!
MICHAEL DION: He was a great guy, a distant friend and he always had a story.
JIM SWINDEL: Sad. One of a kind, in all of the good ways.
MEL PHILLIPS: So sorry to hear this. Spence was special.
FROM SPENCE'S DAUGHTER DEBORAH:
I just want to thank everyone for all of the great stories about my Dad.
So many of your names have come up over the years, and I remember a couple of you personally from my childhood.
It's nice to know that people thought he was as great as he thought you all were.
He was my superhero.
SAM SUTHERLAND: One late summer day while I was wrangling trade coverage of an Elektra/Asylum promotion team convention (use your imagination on what THAT was like circa '76), I got a phone call that was more of a lifeline -- feelers from Record World about whether I'd buck convention and return to the ink-stained realm of music journalists. Money be damned, I said "yes," and soon wound up having a blast at the RW West compound presided over by Spence. Sad news that he passed away on New Year's Eve. Somewhere in the afterworld, Spence is looking over his Howard the Duck comics collection and playing poker with Barry White...
SALLY STEVENS: I was so sorry to hear about this. He was a great guy.
DES FARRELL: This is such sad news. Spence was a great man and will be sorely missed. He taught me a great deal about the music industry and life itself.
GENE SCULATTI: Oh man. Terrible news. Jeez.
JANE AYER: So sorry and so sad to hear this. He was a good man and an inspiration to me.
BOB MERLIS: Spence knew them all-the greats, the near greats and the greatest. I shared an office with him at Record World in 1970 after having recently graduated from college. Spending time with him was a real education. Very sad to hear that the "Spence Allen Show" is off the air.
SHELLY HEBER: So sad. Spence was a good man and a good friend.
JIM McKEON: A top-notch man in every way. Sorry to hear this about Spence.
ROBERT GLASSENBERG: I had many lunches with Spence, both during and after Record World. Did some writing for him, too. Great gambler, great person. I loved being around him. Always fun and up. Love to the family. Deep condolences.
PETER FLETCHER: Goodbye old friend. I'm going to miss you. My first day on the job, Spence walked into the office I shared with Laura Palmer, looked me up and down and said, "What the fuck are you doing here?" He then turned and left, I'm sure with a smile on his face. Sutherland talked me off of the ledge...
TONI PROFERA: I had not seen Spence in many years and then one day I was going through the lobby of the National Bank Building where I had my CORE Entertainment office and I simply bumpted into Spence. It was like a dream. . I mean it was soooo many years. He invited me up to his office (in the same building) to hang and I visited with him a week or so later. He was surrounded by his cool memorabilia and ....well, told me stories about 'everything' ....the same old Spence. I left that building myself over a year ago, but I used to see him now and then in the elevators. He was 'in the building' on DAY ONE of my life in the music business at the Ny Record World 57th St office. I had this picture in my hard drive and some crazy stories stories in my head. RIP buddy.
MARK KIRKEBY: One morning, Bob Austin wandered into Spence's office while Spence was on a personal call. Spence asked Bob to step out. Bob did not respond. Spence asked more forcefully. Bob, exiting, said, "I'll go-- but I want you to know, I've been kicked out of better offices than this one." RIP Spence, and Bob.
PETE SENOFF: I have known and worked with Spence for more than 45 years, even writing for him/RW for a time before I started working at the record labels. He was truly an unforgettable personality. What impressed me the most about him was his relationships with virtually everybody in the music business...everybody. He and I have reconnected over the past year, having lunches together almost every week. As I've put together my 70s Music Industry website, his knowledge of the people and events of that bygone era has been indispensable, as have the photos he loaned me of him with so many industry business people and artists. He will be missed in so many ways, but perhaps most of all for his kindness and friendship.
PAUL FISHKIN: I knew Spence in Record World Days. And then the Robb Report. Fond Memories.
BOBBI SACKS, MARCUS DeSOUZA: So sorry to hear this.
JACK FORSYTHE: This is news that brings back ALL kinds of memories of Spence's colorful eccentricities. After Mike Sigman hired me, I stayed with Spence and his family when first moving to LA...I see all of us in many of the posted pics then think about his other friends and many chatacters like Charlie Blue . What fun we had. I lost touch with Spence for many years then one day got a call to say hello and realized he was still the same sarcastic Spence we grew to love. Sad news. May Spence RIP as Sam Graham said to a good guy!
MICHAEL DION: He was a great guy, a distant friend and he always had a story.
JIM SWINDEL: Sad. One of a kind, in all of the good ways.
MEL PHILLIPS: So sorry to hear this. Spence was special.
FROM SPENCE'S DAUGHTER DEBORAH:
I just want to thank everyone for all of the great stories about my Dad.
So many of your names have come up over the years, and I remember a couple of you personally from my childhood.
It's nice to know that people thought he was as great as he thought you all were.
He was my superhero.