Patrick Stansfield
Updated: 1 day ago
December 19, 1943 - October 28, 2014
The last few articles I've written have focused on topics I believe are important to discuss, and there are many more to come. There really is so much about our industry worth sharing and I'm starting to spend more free time writing.
I also wanted to take the time to write about someone I believe is just as important...
This is my tribute to the one and only Patrick Stansfield.
A Personal Tribute to a Mentor, Pioneer and Friend
There are people who help you enter an industry, and there are people who help shape the direction of your life.
Patrick Stansfield did both for me.
Patrick was one of the true pioneers of the modern concert touring industry. NAMM described him as a legendary stage manager who, alongside Bill Graham and FM Productions, helped create and popularize the modern arena concert business. His career included work with Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Santana, Tina Turner and many others, along with historic events including Live Aid and papal visits in Los Angeles, Central Park and Yankee Stadium. [1][2][5]
He was a co-founder of the Parnelli Awards, an event created to recognize the people behind the scenes who make live entertainment possible. In 2005, Patrick himself received the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award. Neil Diamond, whom Patrick had taken around the world for decades, contributed a video tribute in his honor. [3][4][9]
Those accomplishments explain Patrick’s importance to the live entertainment industry.
What they cannot fully explain is what Patrick meant to me, and what I'm sure he meant to so many of you reading this as well, both directly and indirectly.
Calling Patrick
When I was young and trying to find my place in the business, I called Patrick. This was back when print directories were a thing and we used them much like phonebooks. I found Patrick's information in Performance Magazine's Production Personnel Directory and reached out to him. I can still visualize his advertisement in the directory with his picture. I knew he had been Bill Graham’s first professional stage manager and had worked alongside Bill during the years when so much of the modern touring business & concert industry was still being invented.
Patrick himself had once done something similarly bold, except he did it long before there were production personnel directories, or really much of any concert profession to list in one. He went to San Francisco, knocked on Bill Graham’s door and became part of a small group of people who had to develop solutions for an arena touring business that did not yet have established systems or rules. As Patrick later described that period, “The challenge was, we had to invent it all.” [2]
I told Patrick I was trying to break into the business. Rather than dismissing a young person he didn't know, Patrick listened.
He hired me to work as his New York production assistant whenever tours brought him into the region. That led to opportunities working with him in the tri-state area on The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Neil Diamond and Pope John Paul II’s 1995 visit to Central Park.
Those were not small opportunities for someone trying to learn. They placed me around people working at the highest levels of the industry and gave me the chance to observe how major productions were advanced and executed.
Platinum Road’s history begins, in many ways, with some of the opportunities Patrick gave me. My early work with Patrick, Keith Kevan and others included countless shows, major festivals and numerous other events, ranging from Milton Berle's 90th Birthday Celebration to the Goodwill Games. Those opportunities and the knowledge I started to gain helped establish the foundation of my career. [6]
Patrick, Keith and an Education That Could Not Be Bought
Patrick also changed my life by introducing me to show producer Keith Kevan. Before making the introduction, Patrick spoke directly with Keith and told him to give me a job.
Patrick told me:
“You’ll learn what to do and what not to do working for Keith.”
He was spot on. Working for Keith required thick skin, focus, discipline and a willingness to learn under pressure. Keith taught me an enormous amount about production, advancing, promoter representative work by learning & observing him and how to maintain control of complicated shows, often dealing with complicated people. But it was Patrick who opened that door and knew exactly what the experience would teach me. [7]
Patrick had the ability to recognize what someone needed to learn and then place that person in an environment where the lesson would become impossible to forget.
Another person I came to know through Patrick was Dave Howard, a highly respected former tour accountant who worked with a wide range of artists including Marilyn Manson, Tool, Jay-Z / DMX, Mary J. Blige and Luis Miguel, while also serving as an Assistant Tour Manager for Patrick on numerous tours. Dave taught me how to settle shows, but he also gave me perspective about how fortunate we were.
More than 30 years ago, Dave told me that we were truly lucky to be learning from Patrick. We were being taught directly by the first generation of the modern touring business. We were part of the second generation, and in the future, many people coming into the industry would never be able to say they had learned directly from those who helped build it.
That always stayed with me. We were not simply learning production... We were learning from people who had helped create the systems. While many of you are reading this, you may think Patrick and others who entered the business around the same time as he did were really the second generation, as yes, there were individuals before them who acted as road crew for big bands and other talent performing on the road. This was also in many ways before we really had what most of us would consider an established business for touring production. From doing some research, even the term “roadie” didn't really become established until sometime between 1965 and 1970, with Merriam-Webster citing its first known use in 1969. [11]
When it comes though to what we know today as the modern concert industry, with touring production, sound, lights, video, rigging, staging and the many roles and systems that make touring what it is today, this is where I would put Patrick and others coming into the business during that time as the first generation.
Patrick and Bill Graham were part of that generation which helped transform concert production into the modern arena touring business. Patrick worked in an era when many of the systems people rely upon today did not exist. He and his peers, including Keith, developed systems through experience, instinct, discipline and, at times, sheer force of personality. [1][2]
Dave Howard became a lifelong friend. Keith became one of my most influential teachers. Patrick brought both of them into my life among others. He loved making introductions. That was another one of Patrick’s gifts. He didn't just mentor people himself. He connected them with others from whom he knew they would learn.
A Mentor Who Always Took My Calls
Patrick remained a mentor to me throughout his life.
He always took my calls. He offered advice, made time to get together and remained someone I could speak with openly.
When I lived in Southern California, Patrick’s townhouse in Sherman Oaks was only minutes away from me. Four lights with a couple turns, speed bumps and stop signs to be exact... Many times, we would get together at his place and talk. I loved listening to his stories while admiring some of the supersized posters on his walls that I knew each had a story.
Patrick had an extraordinary memory and loved to tell stories. He remembered artists, hotels, cities, restaurants, train schedules, venues and details from tours that had happened decades earlier. Brian Croft once described Patrick as someone who could remember Broadway lyrics, Bob Dylan songs and European train schedules while also possessing the diplomacy to calm British aristocrats, union leaders and demanding pop stars. [2]
I especially enjoyed Patrick’s stories about trains overseas. He did not simply remember where the train went. He remembered what time it left, what was served, who was sitting at the table, what could be seen from the window and what happened along the way. He made you visualize what he was describing in the story.
One of the stories shared during his 2011 Tour Link tribute recalled Patrick and his longtime friend Doug Pope, whom we also recently lost, taking a train from Amsterdam to Munich. They waited to have lunch until the train reached the Rhine, then ate as the river and castles passed outside the window. It was exactly the kind of story Patrick loved to tell because it was never only about transportation. It was about the experience, the people and the memory created along the way.
Patrick also had a sense of humor about himself.
When I was dealing with relationship problems way back when, he told me more than once that he probably was not the greatest person to ask for dating advice, but he would be glad to tell me his opinions... And he did!
I talked with Patrick about things I couldn't talk so easily about with many other people. Living on the West Coast with limited family nearby, Patrick became family to me.
Lessons That Stayed with Me
When I was newer to being a promoter representative, Patrick gave me advice that helped me immensely with advancing shows.
Those conversations stayed with me as my own career grew and I eventually became responsible for advancing and managing increasingly larger and more complex shows.
More than 30 years later, I still recognize Patrick’s influence in the way I approach advancing. The technology has changed from fax machines, binders and phone calls to shared drives, spreadsheets, Master Tour and Zoom meetings, but the fundamentals Patrick and Keith taught remain the same: ask questions, anticipate problems, verify details and never assume something is being handled simply because it appears on a piece of paper. [8]
Patrick understood that production management was not only about equipment, schedules and logistics. It was about judgment, diplomacy and knowing which problems required confrontation or closer scrutiny and which ones didn't.
Patrick also cared deeply for those who worked for him. I recall when one crew member fell 'off the wagon' and was unreachable for the majority of a show day. Patrick, along with others, was very concerned. The moment we heard from him, Patrick understood the importance of assembling a group of individuals to intervene.
At the end of his 2011 Tour Link Platinum Award tribute video, Patrick shared several of what he called his “rules of the road.” I believe his words deserve to be preserved almost in their entirety:
“Rules of the road. Hard won lessons distilled into words, or hard won knowledge distilled into simple, single sentences. The performance is continuous, 24 hours a day. At specified intervals, we let in the audience. That’s about touring. And it means that somewhere, 24 hours a day when you're on tour, a wheel is rolling, a roadie is working, somebody's in a hotel room writing a song. Something is going on contributing to the eventual performance that occurs in those very rare moments, in terms of the whole time fabric of the tour, in which the audience is actually there and the lights are on.
Number two is that the artist spends an enormous amount of his life looking for the person that appears when the lights go on on-stage and disappears when the lights go off. Some artists spend their whole life trying to find that person who, in fact, only exists when the audience, the lights, the sound and the conditions are absolutely perfect in show conditions.
The other thing is, in terms of advice: pick your battles. There's a lot of battles that you are not going to win even though you probably could, and picking the ones that are worthwhile fighting is the difference between being successful and being not successful, often.”
Those words are Patrick, and I definitely wish I had taken his advice more often over the years when it came to picking my battles. They are practical, thoughtful and based on decades of experience. They recognize that a tour never truly stops, that the conditions surrounding an artist matter and that being right doesn't automatically mean a battle is worth the fight.
The Other Side of Patrick
Patrick could be diplomatic, polished, humorous, filled with tons of knowledge and extraordinarily composed. He could also be... how else do I put it... Patrick.
I remember working with him on a Neil Diamond show at the Meadowlands in '96 when he became furious with someone on the phone. Patrick literally ripped the phone out of the wall and threw it across the room in a rage, followed by a fan and a few other items. I truly didn’t know how to react, though I knew the best thing for me was not to say anything and to just remain being a fly on the wall. Whatever was mentioned on that call was none of my business.
A short time later, we walked around backstage and inside the arena bowl, where he was as calm as could be while we talked. That contrast was part of Patrick. He could release his frustration in one moment and then immediately return his attention to the work. Knowing his history with Bill Graham, I understood it. The show still had to happen, the details still needed to be handled and the people around him still needed someone in control.
The tribute video created for his Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award described the range of challenges he had faced throughout his career. He had worked with legendary artists, dealt with political leaders, managed enormous personalities and produced an event worthy of a Pope.
Chip Monck’s assessment in that tribute said everything:
“One, if not the greatest production manager in the history of the industry.”
Patrick combined organizational ability, political instinct, memory, humor and an understanding of people. He knew how to protect an artist, support his crew and create an environment in which a tour could continue successfully for years.
Neil Diamond said during Patrick’s 2011 tribute:
“You made it a lot easier and a lot more fun.”
That may be one of the finest compliments anyone in touring can receive.
The Parnelli Awards
Patrick believed that the people behind the scenes deserved to be recognized. Together with PLSN and FOH publisher Terry Lowe, he helped establish the Parnelli Awards. Patrick named the awards in memory of his friend Rick “Parnelli” O’Brien and remained deeply involved in their development and execution. [3][4]
I remember when Patrick asked me to be an award presenter during one of the earlier years of the Parnelli Awards. It meant a great deal to me that he asked and I was looking forward to being part of this special moment. Sadly, I had to cover a show at the last minute and had no choice but to cancel presenting. When I explained the circumstances, Patrick was a bit upset as I know they started putting together content including my presenter card for video, though he understood.
I also remember Patrick calling to tell me that he was going to receive the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award and that he wanted me there. That was a moment I would never miss.
I was proud and grateful to be there as the industry honored him. I later learned that Patrick initially resisted receiving the award because, as a co-founder and chairman of the Parnelli Board of Advisors, he worried that accepting it might appear improper. He eventually agreed, and the tribute included a heartfelt video from Neil Diamond. [3]
Patrick received another major honor in 2011 when Tour Link (now LPS) presented him with its Platinum Award for Lifetime Achievement. The video from that evening captures not only the respect people had for Patrick, but also the affection. Friends and colleagues shared stories of his loyalty, resourcefulness, knowledge, humor and ability to solve nearly any problem placed in front of him.
Patrick’s legacy remains part of the Parnelli Awards today, where two of the industry's highest individual honors in touring carry his name: the Patrick Stansfield Production Manager of the Year Award and the Patrick Stansfield Tour Manager of the Year Award. It's appropriate in many ways while ensuring that future generations of professionals will continue to hear the name Patrick Stansfield. [4]
Our Final Conversation
The last time I spoke with Patrick, he was in the hospital suffering from kidney failure.
We both knew he didn't have much time left.
Patrick told me that he loved me, and I told him that I loved him. I will always be grateful that I had the opportunity to tell him how much he had influenced me and how important a role he had played in my life. Not everyone gets that opportunity.
I was able to tell Patrick directly that the young person who once called him looking for a way into the business had built a life and career in part because he answered the phone, listened and decided to help.
He did not have to hire me when he did.
He did not have to introduce me to Keith and tell Keith to give me a job.
He did not have to continue taking my calls, meeting with me, inviting me over to chat.
He did not have to share stories with me while reflecting or offer me advice.
But he did... For that... I'll forever be grateful that Patrick was part of my life.
Remembering Patrick
After Patrick passed, two tributes were held in his memory.
The first was in Las Vegas at the Rio hotel. It was a special gathering. I was able to share stories about the role Patrick had played in my life while joining old friends in remembering him, laughing together and grieving together. A larger tribute followed at Production Resource Group (PRG) in the San Fernando Valley.
A Tribute to Patrick Stansfield
Compiled by Art Cisneros
The video above was put together by my friend Art Cisneros, another student of Patrick's, who recently wrote an amazing book about his life entitled Rock Star Adjacent: Stories From The Road. The video is a touching remembrance of Patrick and the extraordinary life he lived. It was shared during his tribute at PRG in Los Angeles. Something else that made the tribute so powerful was walking thru the warehouse and seeing it filled with memorabilia representing moments throughout Patrick's life.
2005 Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award
The next video, shown above, was created when Patrick received the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. It gives a great history of Patrick from childhood all the way thru to 2005.
I remember us celebrating Patrick when he received the award. The video captures the scale of his career and the enormous respect he had earned from some of the most accomplished people in the live entertainment industry.
2011 Tour Link Platinum Award for Lifetime Achievement
The final video shown above is the tribute video that was played before Patrick accepted the Platinum Award for Lifetime Achievement at the 2011 Tour Link Awards. It includes stories and congratulations from friends and colleagues, including Neil Diamond, David Bernstein, Edie Siteman, Jerry Murphy, Kevin Johnstone (NAMM) and Doug Pope, followed by Patrick sharing his own rules of the road, which I included earlier in the article.
While getting ready to publish this article, I was on the phone with Dave Howard reminiscing about Patrick and where we were more than 30 years ago.
Dave said a number of things that I believe many of us who knew Patrick would relate to. Patrick touched hundreds of people, and many of us looked at him as a mentor. Some of us became closer to him than others, but he took the time with all of us. That was the human he was. He took the time to listen, even in the midst of everything he had going on.
Dave and I also talked about coming from the school of first in, last out. You had to be the person who was always there 15 minutes early, because there would already be a bunch of people there 10 minutes early. Personally, I still show up 60 minutes early...
Thank You Patrick
It has been nearly 12 years since Patrick passed, yet he still comes to mind often. I am always glad when his name comes up in conversations with friends. It usually leads to another story, another laugh or another reminder of just how many people Patrick influenced along the way.
It also occurred to me while finishing this article that many of you reading this never had the opportunity to know Patrick, and I can only say that I hope each and every one of you has received that gift of having someone like Patrick Stansfield in your life.
Patrick’s influence is present in so much of what I have done.
It is present in the way I advance shows, the questions I ask, the standards I maintain and the way I think about touring, the live entertainment business as a whole and the responsibility we take on to make a difference in the work we do.
It is present in the opportunities he gave me, the people he introduced me to and the lessons he offered when I needed them.
It is present in my friendship with Dave Howard and others, in everything Keith Kevan taught me, and in the understanding that I, along with so many others, was fortunate to learn directly from Patrick and others of that pioneering generation who helped shape and build the touring business we know today.
Patrick was a mentor, a teacher, a storyteller, a role model and a friend.
I feel extraordinarily fortunate to have known him, to have worked with him and to have learned from him.
There really is so much I know I would talk with Paddy about today if he was still with us. A few quick words that come to mind:
Patrick, I tip my hat to you.
Thank you for answering my call. Thank you for opening doors.
Thank you for the work, the lessons, the advice, the stories, the laughter and the friendship.
Many others were much closer to you thru the years; however, the impact you had on me played a strong role in molding my professional life.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for guiding me through some great and not so great times in life.
Thank you for everything.
As I write this, I can hear his unmistakable laugh and voice. Those who knew him well will understand exactly what I mean.
Thank you, Patrick
Sources and Further Reading:
1. NAMM Oral History: Patrick Stansfield NAMM’s overview of Patrick’s career and his role in the development of modern arena concert production.
2. In Memoriam: Patrick Stansfield, 70 — FRONT of HOUSE Magazine An extensive remembrance containing career history and reflections from Patrick’s friends and colleagues.
3. The Parnelli Awards: A 20-Year Retrospective — PLSN A history of the awards Patrick co-founded and the circumstances surrounding his own Lifetime Achievement honor.
4. Remembering and Honoring Parnelli Awards Co-Founder Patrick Stansfield — PLSN A history of Patrick’s career, his work with Bill Graham and his continuing Parnelli Awards legacy.
5. Patrick Stansfield Dies — Pollstar Pollstar’s report on Patrick’s passing, his death from kidney failure and his contributions to concert production.
6. About Platinum Road Platinum Road’s history and the early shows and events Dave worked on through the opportunities provided by Patrick Stansfield and Keith Kevan.
7. Keith Kevan — Platinum Road Dave’s remembrance of Keith and the introduction Patrick made that helped shape Dave’s early career.
8. Show Advancing: How Successful Comedy Tours and Shows Are Built Before Load-In Dave’s discussion of the advancing principles and foundation he learned from Patrick and Keith.
9. Patrick Stansfield: 2005 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner — PLSN PLSN’s video page honoring Patrick as the 2005 Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
10. Photos in this article were provided by Art Cisneros and Dave Howard.
11. Merriam-Webster. "Roadie." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary - Definition of Roadie and showing first known use.
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