Scott Ross with photo of Darci Ross and Whitey Ford, Sedona 2023 – Courtesy of Scott Ross. Used with permission.
One of the most satisfying outcomes of writing this column for the past fifteen years has been the opportunity I have had to profile local, national and international performing artists and celebrities as well as those who present and manage them. Sharing their journeys has enriched me both personally and professionally throughout my career.
Sometimes my interview subjects are brought to my attention by way of friends and colleagues. Such was the case of an introduction that was made recently by a friend who recommended that I befriend Scott Ross, a music manager who is an Indiana native and now a resident of Sedona, Arizona. Ross was interested in meeting conductor Janna Hymes, former artistic director of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra. Hymes is now the Artistic Director at Sedona Symphony. Always happy to connect friends and colleagues with mutual interests, it gave me great pleasure to introduce Ross to Hymes. Previously I profiled Hymes in this column and regularly reviewed CSO concerts she conducted and can attest to her major artistic contributions to CSO. As far as Ross, I am always eager to shine a spotlight on subjects with Hoosier ties, especially those with credentials such as his.
Ross began his music management career while attending Indiana University in Bloomington. He started off working with and managing members of John Mellencamp ‘s band including their drummer Kenny Aronoff (Smashing Pumpkins, John Fogerty, Chickenfoot) and their violinist Lisa Germano. Since then, Scott has maintained and cultivated personal and business relationships with industry icons from both past and present, all of whom are responsible for the success and evolution of the music industry to date. Currently, Ross is partnered with Lippman Entertainment
Last month I had the pleasure of chatting with the warm and engaging Ross in a Zoom call from his memorabilia-filled home office, later we exchanged emails regarding his fascinating saga. Below is our communication with one another.
Scott Ross in his Sedona office – Courtesy of Scott Ross. Used with permission.
Tell me about your Indiana background?
I was born and raised in a fortunate (but very much minority) Jewish family in Munster, Indiana. By the time I was eight years old, I was raised to become a doctor or a lawyer. My childhood consisted of ballet, elocution lessons, equestrian lessons, and cotillion classes.
I had nine doctors in my immediate and extended family, yet I knew I was different thanks to my father buying me a guitar at nine-years-old, and putting me in piano and guitar lessons, which I always looked forward to. I was the doted on “Golden Boy,” being the youngest of three, but I was determined to do anything but follow in the footsteps of my family and peers. Multiple memberships in high school rock n’ roll bands later (one in which we competed against THE Jackson Five), I was off to Arizona State University to start my freshman year.
Who were your influences?
The first person I really looked up to was my high school band teacher, Richard Holmberg. He had more confidence in my future and abilities in entertainment than I ever did. And of course, my mother, who helped facilitate all my dreams. She always believed in me.
Left – Bill Graham, unknown couple & Scott Ross – Courtesy of Scott Ross. Used with permission.
How did you discover music?
I remember seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show when I was about 10 years old, and watching all the girls go wild. I did not know how to articulate what was going through my mind and body at the time; however, I knew that – whatever it was, definable or not – it was something I desperately wanted to be a part of.
Who were your music influences?
The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Moody Blues, and The Temptations. I used to sing “Just My Imagination” to my first real girlfriend on the school bus.
Tell me about your IU and Bloomington years?
Fast forward to my sophomore year in college, I missed Indy and my friends back home, so I transferred out of ASU and headed back to Bloomington. This turned out to be the best career move of my life. I worked my way into setting up jam sessions and meeting all the happening musicians in town. We were all hippies living in fear of being drafted to the Vietnam War. We were “Rebels ‘With’ a Cause,” but not extreme revolutionaries. There was not much structure at the time, either; we were just coming together and jamming out to have some fun during an incredibly dark time. Through those associations and artists that came in, we realized it was serendipitous —we were in the middle of one of the top two or three music schools in the nation: Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music —not to mention, word got out on campus, and our jam sessions and parties became infamous and notorious.
L-R Scott Ross. Sam Kinneson & Kenny Aronoff – Courtesy of Scott Ross. Used with permission.
How did you fall into the music business?
Our names got out there, which inevitably started attracting IU’s best musical talents – they wanted to hang out and play music with us. (The likes of Everett Bradley, Kenny Aronoff, Shawn Pelton, Crystal Taliefero, Jeff Jacobs, Georgia Jones, and Billy Young – who was an M.D. and musician.) Through these folks, we ended up getting to know the guys in Johnny Cougar’s (not yet John Cougar Mellencamp) band. This included a very memorable meeting that I had with John at his apartment in Bloomington off North Dunn Street, before anyone inside (or outside – aside from London) of Bloomington knew who the guy even was. It was these associations that made me realize that — although not good enough to become a rock star myself —I was smart enough to capitalize on it.
Tell me about your post Bloomington years.
I figured I would go to NYC, open a little office, and use my Indy/family connections to start a business. Before I knew it, I was booking Kenny Aronoff multiple gigs, and even secured him his first #1 single with Belinda Carlisle on Heaven Is a Place on Earth. From there, I booked him on “The Jefferson Airplane Reunion Tour.” I also got Kenny to join Paul Shaffer’s band on Late Night with David Letterman. I picked up another band from Indiana called Voyage and signed them to an LP deal with Motown Records. (Side note: the band’s lead singer, Donna Taylor, has been playing with legendary composer/songwriter L0RBurt Bacharach for the past thirty-five years.) Then, I took Lisa Germano out of Johnny Cougar (now) Mellencamp’s band and put her on the “Simple Minds” Breakfast Club Tour. I managed all the artists I mentioned in my previous answer, too, along with numerous others. If you want me to elaborate, I am happy to, but I do not want to go overboard unless requested!
Tell me about your late wife.
As they say, I raised my profile and station in life by marrying my beloved late wife, Darci Dillard Ross. She was the President of CMG Worldwide, an international sports and entertainment licensing powerhouse based in Indianapolis. I met her at my lawyer’s office in Bloomington. That is a story for another time but let us just say that it was “love at first sight.”
L-R Unkown, Bryan Adams, Kenny Aranoff, Bill Young & Scott Ross. Courtesy, Scott Ross & . Used with permission.
Describe your career?
My career has been a whirlwind of fun and excitement, and there is nothing else I could have done that would have kept me so focused and challenged. As I recently said to a client: I am fortunate enough to be considered an “elder statesman” in the industry now. I’m honored to have worked alongside some of the absolute best in the business, and to currently be partnered with Michael and Nick Lippman at Lippman Entertainment (David Bowie, Bernie Taupin, George Michael, Rob Thomas/”Matchbox Twenty,” “Beauty School Dropout,” and our newest client, Dr. Elvis Francois, a spine surgeon with a beyond-remarkable voice and talent.
Do you maintain friendships with musicians you have represented?
Absolutely. Some of my best friends are people that I have had the pleasure of working with professionally over the years. I am extremely close with all my former clients.
Whom are you currently representing?
Dr. Elvis Francois, who I mentioned previously. I also still work with Kenny Aronoff (independently) and am a consultant to Crystal Taliefero (Billy Joel). And I am working on reviving the Sedona Musical/Cultural Park to its former glory (Nora Jones, B.B. King, Jackson Brown, Willie Nelson, etc. all performed there during its heyday). I have scaled down, but I am proud to say that I have maintained my relationships and still have complete access to the right people when I need it!
Tell me about Sedona and why you reside there?
Let’s face it, I have lived in places I only ever dreamed of as a child (Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Manhattan, Woodstock, The Hamptons, Chicago, Palm Beach, Scottsdale, Marin County, and, of course, Bloomington). Sedona’s another one I am happy to add to the list. It is an incredible place to detox and decompress (especially from the LA traffic), and I would rather be hiking in the red rocks than magnifying my already debilitating, music industry-induced tinnitus in the cities (and studios) of NYC, LA, Chicago, etc. I still do some work out of the band Chicago’s studio here in Sedona, though, and I am also honored and privileged to be introduced as “THE Scott Ross from Los Angeles on harmonica tonight!” at some of the local bars. If they only knew.
L-R Nick Lipmann, Dr, Elvis Francois & Scott Ross – Courtesy of Scott Ross. Used with permission.
What are your contributions to the music business?
I have put bands together for Celine Dion, I have secured seven major record deals for various recording artists – along with seven publishing deals in my career. Our company, Maven Management/Maven National Artists, was responsible for securing US managements for The Cure, and we discovered singer/songwriter Poe, whose first album Hello at Modern Atlantic went platinum. I also managed Guitar Gods Paul Pesco (Madonna), Rick Derringer, and Randy Jackson (Zebra). I would be remiss not to mention my first-ever client, Freddy Bastone, one of the main trailblazers of house music. He and I worked with Queen, The Backstreet Boys, The Temptations (shoutout to my first real girlfriend), etc. I put numerous producers/songwriters/guitarists together on different projects as well, including Eric Clapton’s, Patty Smyth’s, and more. I was known for facilitating major collaborations between managers, producers, and songwriters. We also represented Kenny Wayne Shepherd, until we lost him to Irving Azoff and an opening slot on the Eagles tour. (Unfortunately, we had to win in court.)
How you wish to be remembered?
Being the ninja behind the scenes. I am not looking for name recognition or glory —nothing of the sort, actually; but having the deep satisfaction knowing that I was an integral piece to an extraordinary, musical puzzle that will no doubt live on long after my last chapter is written. I am happy to say that things have seemed to come full circle, as I am now close friends and partners with the people I used to look up to as a small-town, Indiana hippie. with not-so-small dreams.
