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They Call Me Supermensch: A Backstage Pass to the Amazing Worlds of Film, Food, and Rock'n'Roll by [Shep Gordon]

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Gordon, Shep

They Call Me Supermensch: A Backstage Pass to the Amazing Worlds of Film, Food, and Rock'n'Roll Kindle Edition

by Shep Gordon (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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An eye-popping peek into entertainment industry from the magnetic force who has worked with an impeccable roster of stars throughout his storied career.

In the course of his legendary career as a manager, agent, and producer, Shep Gordon has worked with, and befriended, some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, from Alice Cooper to Bette Davis, Raquel Welch to Groucho Marx, Blondie to Jimi Hendrix, Sylvester Stallone to Salvador Dali, Luther Vandross to Teddy Pendergrass. He is also credited with inventing the "celebrity chef," and has worked with Nobu Matsuhisa, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Roger Vergé, and many others, including his holiness the Dalai Lama.

In this wonderfully engaging memoir, the charismatic entertainment legend recalls his life, from his humble beginnings as a "shy, no self-esteem, Jewish nebbisher kid with no ambition" in Oceanside, Long Island, to his unexpected rise as one of the most influential and respected personalities in show business, revered for his kindness, charisma—and fondness for a good time.

Gordon shares riotous anecdotes and outrageous accounts of his free-wheeling, globe-trotting experiences with some of the biggest celebrities of the past five decades, including his first meeting with Janice Joplin in 1968, when the raspy singer punched him in the face. Told with incomparable humor and heart, They Call Me Supermensch is a sincere, hilarious behind-the-scenes look at the worlds of music and entertainment from the consummate Hollywood insider.

Print length

300 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Anthony Bourdain/Ecco
Publication date

September 20, 2016
File size

13471 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“At a time when people feel compelled to revel in and share their excesses-and Gordon does share a few of his-it’s refreshing to find a story in which the search for meaning trumps the search for mischief.” -- Publishers Weekly --This text refers to the paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

In the course of his legendary career as a manager, agent, and producer, Shep Gordon has worked with and befriended some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, from Alice Cooper to Bette Davis, Raquel Welch to Groucho Marx, Blondie to Jimi Hendrix, Sylvester Stallone to Salvador Dalí, Luther Vandross to Teddy Pendergrass. He is also credited with inventing the “celebrity chef,” and has worked with Nobu Matsuhisa, Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck, Roger Vergé, and many others.

In this wonderfully engaging memoir, the captivating entertainment legend recalls his life, from his humble beginnings as a shy, unambitious kid growing up on Long Island to his unexpected rise as one of the most influential and respected personalities in show business, revered for his kindness, charisma and fondness for a good time.

Gordon shares riotous anecdotes and outrageous accounts of his freewheeling, globe-trotting experiences with some of the biggest celebrities of the past five decades, including his first meeting with Janis Joplin in 1968, when the raspy singer punched him in the face. Told with incomparable humor and heart, They Call Me Supermensch is a sincere, hilarious, behind-the-scenes look at the worlds of music and entertainment from the consummate Hollywood insider.

--This text refers to the paperback edition.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00MMFN8QY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Anthony Bourdain/Ecco; Reprint edition (September 20, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 20, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 13471 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #586,472 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #751 in Biographies of Actors & Actresses
- #842 in Rock Music (Kindle Store)
- #1,467 in Arts & Photography (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
305 ratings

Customer reviews

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Top reviews from the United States

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Molly Secours

Shep Gordon: The Four "I's"

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

Shep Gordon is the Four I’s: Intelligent, Irreverent, Intuitive and Irresistible.

I don’t know Shep Gordon personally but have been hearing about him for years through mutual friends and they all seem to
share widely divergent stories with the same exact post script: ‘Shep is just such a great guy.’ I say this because while I received a free advanced copy of the book asking for my feedback, I've never met him but strangely, I feel like I should.

After seeing the film, “Supermensch”a few years ago, I added him to the ’top 10 people I’d like to have coffee with list’—which includes the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Vaclav Havel. And after three chapters of this book, Gordon got bumped to the ‘top 5’—and not just because Mandela and Havel are dead but because like all of the above, Gordon has lived life 'full on' with contrast, contradiction and introspection. But that’s not all that surprising for someone who has brushed up against the veil for a few moments and grasped that who we truly are is that which cannot be seen. And that probably why celebrity seems to carry a different meaning for this star cluttered philanthropic mensch.

Without embarrassment or self consciousness, Gordon invites, coaxes and goads us into a front row seat and offers us a cocktail
of excess, celebrity and insanity shaken and stirred with insight and revelation. With humor, precision and compassion--extended to even the remotest of strangers--Gordon seems to find the energy (and the inclination) to reflect back love and humanity to everyone in his path.

And for a guy who has embraced the moniker ‘Supermensch’, there is humility and grace in his recollections--which are surprising and profound.

After reading the book I sense my friends weren’t exaggerating--and every woman over a certain age (I suspect) will be adding him to their ‘top ten’ list.

So yeah, it appears that Shep Gordon really is a great guy and fortunately, sometimes great guys finish first. At least it seems
like Gordon has.

Molly Secours
[...]

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

TrueBlueBrewCrew

he does have some good points people can learn from (including his coupon theory

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

I'll only give this 3 stars. I read this as I was always a fan of Alice Cooper. Shep obviously had a big part in Alice's success, and has done a lot of impressive things in his life. However, he is somewhat of a elitist. Which is strange coming from someone who basically bought his college degree (from now on I'll throw away any resume from the University of Buffalo based on his discussion of his education, or lack of one, there). He also mentions several times where he felt he wasn't getting the due respect -- albeit having to sit in a restaurant with the "common" people, or not liking what room a hotel gave him. An "ok" book, he does have some good points people can learn from (including his coupon theory, and his guilt by association theory), so anyone going into promotion or artist management should read this, but he labors way too long on his Chef Association, and somehow, I think he's glossed over many of his other ventures, as I truly doubt if they all jumped off the ground as successfully as he states. He basically gone from someone I would have liked to meet, to someone I could care less about meeting.

17 people found this helpful

Helpful

doorcountydi

A Good Read

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

I liked it. I found Gordon to be on one hand, a sensitive and compassionate man with a lot of inventive ideas, and on the other hand a real screw-up when it came to women--letting just anyone give him oral sex, sleeping around indiscriminately, messing up marriages. But then, I was in the music industry for over a decade, and that's kind of the MO for a lot of people involved in it. But I enjoyed the way he wrote and hearing some of the stories about people who's lives I'd also touched (although not so thoroughly).

3 people found this helpful

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Raven Shaddock

The Dream Maker

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2016

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Amazing story of a guy who started his career as a lie. Alice Cooper said "we both started off in a lie. I told him I was a singer and he told me he was a manager." Shep started out w/ Alice Cooper just as a front to cover his other dealings and fortunately Shep found his calling as a manager of bands and then expanded into managing Chefs. It's an interesting story on how Chefs in the beginning were treated like 2nd class. Shep also tells of tales of never getting angry but get determined to succeed. It's good book for people starting out in business. I wish this book came out 25 years ago it would of changed my life. Interesting stories and some life lessons you will take w/ you.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Coastal Books

Fun and heartfelt book that will keep readers entertained ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2016

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Supermensch is an insightful, fun, and heartfelt book that will keep readers entertained for hours on end. I could not put it down.
As promised, Shep takes us into the worlds of film, rock ‘n’ roll, and cuisine, demonstrating how his humble beginnings in New York helped him to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. His tolerance for solitude, stemming from Skippy the biting dog who kept him trapped in his room as a kid, eventually channeled his fondness for alone time, which helped him to relax, envision, and create history time and again. Coupled with his outgoing social nature and his ability to befriend many people of different backgrounds, Shep was somewhat of a “fly by the seat of your pants” manager. Especially with his antics managing the original Alice Cooper Band. (I won’t spoil the incredible antics by citing them here).

Most fascinating is that even at the height of success and fortune, Shep was still slighted on occasion. And throughout his dealings with those he felt insulted him or his clients, he kept the mantra: Don’t get mad . . . Use that energy to accomplish your goal.

Shep’s philosophy seeks equality for all. And this trait helped him in the world of cuisine, where he fought for world famous chefs to be rewarded financially. It also helped him with clients like Teddy Pendergrass and other African-American entertainers who were exploited by the music industry well into the 1980s.

Not only do we get a glimpse of countless management principles, we get glimpses of beautiful Maui, and of a person both powerful and vulnerable, seeking mentors, peace, spirituality and the meaning of life. A fantastic book.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Grammac89

Excellent read! Highly recommended!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

Excellent read! Highly recommended! Im a fan of Shep's anyways so im biased. It has a lot of stories that are featured in the documentary but it's still a brilliant read.

One person found this helpful

Richard Taylor

Fun + Inspiration

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

What a wonderful read. Amazing stories that are the backbone of popular culture as we know it. But more importantly with a phenomenal message of what you can achieve by being a mensch. Wow.

Dennis Bumstead

A great read or listening

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great read or listen. The man has lead a full life that's for sure!

m f

Interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2017

Verified Purchase

Obviously Shep can tell a good story and starts out great..tends to lose interest as it goes on.
His love of cooking does not have the same appeal to rock and roll but book still worth a read.

Kindle Customer

I loved this book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 8, 2017

Verified Purchase

I loved this book. Apart from covering artists that I know and love, it provided a wonderful insight into a unique and caring man. Highly recommended.