Morty Wiggins launched his career in the music business over 30 years ago promoting concerts in Sonoma County, California. In 1983 Morty went to work for the world -renowned concert promoter and artist manager Bill Graham. During his 15 successful years at Bill Graham Presents Morty rose to the rank of Vice President / Partner and signed for management representation the "multi- platinum" recording artists Sheryl Crow; Gin Blossoms; Aaron Neville; and "gold" recording artists Monster Magnet and the Neville Brothers, among others.
In 1996, Morty was recruited by A&M Records to become their General Manager. He oversaw the marketing, sales, promotion, publicity, and creative services departments, created and executed quarterly budgets of $7M and scheduled the release of 40 to 50 new album releases and over 100 promotional singles.
In November 2000, Morty conceived, developed and executive-produced the music television series, "Live at the Fillmore", which he syndicated monthly in select cable markets. Episodes featured such up-and-coming acts that went on to break including Coldplay, Pete Yorn, Linkin Park, and others.
In January 2001 Morty launched and was named President of 33rd Street Records, the independent record company of Tower Records, where he developed a novel approach to licensing finished masters from established touring artists. Morty then took on Tower Record's independent distribution business, Bayside Entertainment Distribution, and ran Bayside profitably ($25M annual sales) until the sale of the company.
In October 2005 Morty accepted the position of President at the digital media company Outhink. He successfully negotiated some of the first exclusive production contracts for videobloggers and advertising revenue share agreements with publishing sites including Yahoo and Blip.TV. Morty also launched the Outhink podcasting site Towerpod.com which was one of the first websites featuring DRM-free, full length songs in the MP3 format.
2007 Morty accepted the position of executive director for the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation. Morty has also been a two term board member of NARAS. He is happily married with three children.
In 1996, Morty was recruited by A&M Records to become their General Manager. He oversaw the marketing, sales, promotion, publicity, and creative services departments, created and executed quarterly budgets of $7M and scheduled the release of 40 to 50 new album releases and over 100 promotional singles.
In November 2000, Morty conceived, developed and executive-produced the music television series, "Live at the Fillmore", which he syndicated monthly in select cable markets. Episodes featured such up-and-coming acts that went on to break including Coldplay, Pete Yorn, Linkin Park, and others.
In January 2001 Morty launched and was named President of 33rd Street Records, the independent record company of Tower Records, where he developed a novel approach to licensing finished masters from established touring artists. Morty then took on Tower Record's independent distribution business, Bayside Entertainment Distribution, and ran Bayside profitably ($25M annual sales) until the sale of the company.
In October 2005 Morty accepted the position of President at the digital media company Outhink. He successfully negotiated some of the first exclusive production contracts for videobloggers and advertising revenue share agreements with publishing sites including Yahoo and Blip.TV. Morty also launched the Outhink podcasting site Towerpod.com which was one of the first websites featuring DRM-free, full length songs in the MP3 format.
2007 Morty accepted the position of executive director for the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation. Morty has also been a two term board member of NARAS. He is happily married with three children.
Charlie Ellicott started out in the music business in 1966 playing guitar and acting as manager/booker in a college band in Philadelphia. Originally from Long Island, he left college in 1967 and moved to New York City where he joined a blues band named BFD (not hard to figure out) who's biggest moment was opening for Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Ponys at the Bitter End on Bleeker Street. In 1968 while managing a head shop on St. Mark's Place, Charlie heard that Bill Graham was hiring a new crew around the corner on Second Avenue at the soon to be opened Fillmore East. He started as an usher and moved on to stage hand/production assistant. In July of 1968 Charlie moved to San Francisco and took up residence with The Flamin' Groovies at the " Eleventh Avenue Circus" (thank you Barry Melton!). He went back to work for Bill Graham as stage manager at Fillmore West and Winterland until 1970.
In 1971 he took a break from the music business and moved to Mendocino County, California. After spending eight years living in Mendocino County raising his daughters he returned to the Bay Area in the summer of 1979. That fall Charlie went on the road with Maria Muldaur as roadie/monitor mixer and after one tour was promoted to Tour Manager. In 1982 he retired from the road and established his first booking agency, Marin Artists. Clients included Maria Muldaur, David Crosby, Doug Sahm, Dan Hicks and Merle Saunders.
In 1988 he dissolved Marin Artists and went to work for DeLeon Artists in Oakland, CA. There he booked Etta James, Tony Bennett, Art Farmer, Shirley Horn, Mongo Santamaria, Dave Valentin, Eddie Gomez, Joyce, Dori Caymmi and many others. In October 1989 Charlie relocated to NYC and was an agent at Bennett Morgan & Associates where he represented Terence Blanchard, George Shearing, Nancy Wilson, Stan Getz, Ramsey Lewis, Dizzy Gillespie, Paquito D'Rivera, Jerry Gonzalez, The Bronx Horns and others.
In January of 1991 Charlie left BM & Assoc.and established Ellicott Talent Group. A partial list of artists represented by ETG through 2009 includes Elvin Jones, Jimmy Smith, Ramsey Lewis, Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson, Branford Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Charlie Byrd, Oscar Castro-Neves, Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Kevin Mahogany, Jimmy McGriff, Hank Crawford, and others. Charlie is now head agent at Second Octave Talent.
In 1971 he took a break from the music business and moved to Mendocino County, California. After spending eight years living in Mendocino County raising his daughters he returned to the Bay Area in the summer of 1979. That fall Charlie went on the road with Maria Muldaur as roadie/monitor mixer and after one tour was promoted to Tour Manager. In 1982 he retired from the road and established his first booking agency, Marin Artists. Clients included Maria Muldaur, David Crosby, Doug Sahm, Dan Hicks and Merle Saunders.
In 1988 he dissolved Marin Artists and went to work for DeLeon Artists in Oakland, CA. There he booked Etta James, Tony Bennett, Art Farmer, Shirley Horn, Mongo Santamaria, Dave Valentin, Eddie Gomez, Joyce, Dori Caymmi and many others. In October 1989 Charlie relocated to NYC and was an agent at Bennett Morgan & Associates where he represented Terence Blanchard, George Shearing, Nancy Wilson, Stan Getz, Ramsey Lewis, Dizzy Gillespie, Paquito D'Rivera, Jerry Gonzalez, The Bronx Horns and others.
In January of 1991 Charlie left BM & Assoc.and established Ellicott Talent Group. A partial list of artists represented by ETG through 2009 includes Elvin Jones, Jimmy Smith, Ramsey Lewis, Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson, Branford Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Charlie Byrd, Oscar Castro-Neves, Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Kevin Mahogany, Jimmy McGriff, Hank Crawford, and others. Charlie is now head agent at Second Octave Talent.
Jeff Trager started in the record business in 1967, representing such labels as London Records, ABC, Impulse, Liberty UA, A&M, and Blue Thumb. In 1968, Jeff broke Ike& Tina Turner's first hit "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and in 1969, the Moody Blues classic single "Nights in White Satin", both singles that were departures for AM Radio programming at that time. In 1969, Jeff joined famed producers Bob Krasnow and Tommy LiPuma at Blue Thumb Records as National Promotions Director, helping break records for such artists as Dave Mason, Leon Russell, The Pointer Sisters, and The Crusaders
In 1971, Jeff left Los Angeles to return home to San Francisco to become the regional director of promotion for Elektra Records, where he broke Mickey Newbury's "American Trilogy" and in 1974, Joni Mitchell's "Help Me', which transformed a "folk singer" into a successful pop artist. Her CD "Court and Spark" went on to sell more than 6 million units. At Elektra and the merging Ayslum Records, Jeff worked with such artists as Linda Rondstadt, The Eagles, Jackson Browne, and Tom Waits, Carly Simon. Jeff also broke the Doors "Riders on the Storm", the last recording of Jim Morrison
In 1975, Jeff joined Polydor Records as head of West Coast promotions and broke the "Koln Concert" by Keith Jarrett, a classical record which wound up selling over 2 million 2 record sets and in 1981, broke the single from the "Chariots of Fire" soundtrack, which sold over 10 millions units. While at Polydor for 10 years, Jeff also broke several Gap Band singles, Peaches and Herb "Reunited" and hand picked many of the singles from the one of the biggest albums of all time, "Saturday Night Fever"
In 1990, Jeff formed a marketing company, Break Thru Productions that was responsible for creating many genre specific retail programs for Tower Records, such as retails first Latin Rock section for their stores, as well as programs for World, Jazz, Dance, and Americana music. Break Thru designed the most successful DVD viewing station in the country for Tower that also was adopted by Indie retails chains across the country.
After the closing of Tower Records, Jeff consulted Unity Music and joined Dig Music in 2007 as Director of A&R, signing new acts and also laison to Dig Music's distributor ADA/WB
In 1971, Jeff left Los Angeles to return home to San Francisco to become the regional director of promotion for Elektra Records, where he broke Mickey Newbury's "American Trilogy" and in 1974, Joni Mitchell's "Help Me', which transformed a "folk singer" into a successful pop artist. Her CD "Court and Spark" went on to sell more than 6 million units. At Elektra and the merging Ayslum Records, Jeff worked with such artists as Linda Rondstadt, The Eagles, Jackson Browne, and Tom Waits, Carly Simon. Jeff also broke the Doors "Riders on the Storm", the last recording of Jim Morrison
In 1975, Jeff joined Polydor Records as head of West Coast promotions and broke the "Koln Concert" by Keith Jarrett, a classical record which wound up selling over 2 million 2 record sets and in 1981, broke the single from the "Chariots of Fire" soundtrack, which sold over 10 millions units. While at Polydor for 10 years, Jeff also broke several Gap Band singles, Peaches and Herb "Reunited" and hand picked many of the singles from the one of the biggest albums of all time, "Saturday Night Fever"
In 1990, Jeff formed a marketing company, Break Thru Productions that was responsible for creating many genre specific retail programs for Tower Records, such as retails first Latin Rock section for their stores, as well as programs for World, Jazz, Dance, and Americana music. Break Thru designed the most successful DVD viewing station in the country for Tower that also was adopted by Indie retails chains across the country.
After the closing of Tower Records, Jeff consulted Unity Music and joined Dig Music in 2007 as Director of A&R, signing new acts and also laison to Dig Music's distributor ADA/WB
Morty Wiggins
Jeff Trager
Charlie Ellicott
Dan Johnson
Dan Johnson has always had an intense passion for music ever since he started playing guitar in 1998. He quickly became influenced by such artists as Dave Mathews, Jack Johnson, and the rock band Incubus. While attending high school in his home town of Novato, California, he discovered the art of writing and performing his own songs.In August of 2006, Dan Johnson officially began his music career while attending business school at the University of Reno in Nevada. In 2009 he graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing. While completing his degree, he joined the local band Days no Different as lead guitarist. Along with performing and writing for the band, he also acted as their primary booking agent, tour manager, and PR representative for the three years they were actively touring the west coast.
While with Days no Different, Dan booked shows at such venues as The House of Blues in Las Vegas, The Cat Club in Los Angeles, Elbo Room in San Francisco, the Lawlor Events Center in Reno, and also the Grand Theater at the Grand Sierra in Reno. In addition, he regularly booked shows in Sacramento, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Boise, Seattle, and many more.
Second Octave Talent Agency, LLC 720 South Point Blvd. Suite A200 Petaluma, CA 94954 t. 707-773-3170 f. 707-773-2944
