It says something about Irving Azoff's sense of humor, not to mention his legendary sense of self, that when the veteran music industry executive founded his own label in 1990, he called it Giant Records. Azoff, who stands approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall, is best known as a diligent talent manager; Among the many artists he has guided to rock and pop stardom are Jimmy Buffett, Stevie Nicks, Steely Dan, Bon Jovi and Christina Aguilera. When the Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Don Henley said of Azoff: “He may be Satan, but he is our Satan.” (Azoff himself joined the salon in 2020).
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However, the dealmaker nicknamed Swirv has done much more in live and recorded music in the half-century since arriving in California from his native Illinois, including running a major label, MCA; serving as CEO of Ticketmaster and President of Live Nation; restore Inglewood's Forum and help open Palm Springs' Acrisure Arena and the much-hyped Sphere in Las Vegas; and founding Iconic Artists Group, which oversees (and seeks to monetize) the historical legacies of artists such as the Beach Boys, Dean Martin and Nat “King” Cole. He has also lobbied lawmakers on behalf of musicians fighting tech companies that “refuse to pay for music until you beat them up,” as he once told the Times.
At 76, Azoff is still in it, co-managing his latest client, U2, with his 38-year-old son, Jeffrey, who was at CAA before leaving the agency to form Full Stop Management with his father. The firm's other clients include newly signed rapper Cardi B and Harry Styles, a huge concert draw who sold out 15 nights at the Forum in 2022 and won the prestigious Grammy for album of the year for “Harry's House” in 2023. (Styles reportedly officiated at Young Azoff's wedding in 2021.)
Together, Irving and Jeffrey arranged for U2 to christen Sphere last fall with an immersive, video-intensive residency widely described as having set a new benchmark for live performance. Azoff's father even got into the restaurant business, taking over a pair of historic Los Angeles-area restaurants, Apple Pan and Nate 'n Al's, with his wife, Shelli. Look for Irving, Jeffrey and Shelli at the latter's booth, where they were photographed not long ago alongside Henley, John Mayer (yet another client), Bono and The Edge.
