Steven Machat

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Steven Machat (born October 18, 1952) is an American entertainment mogul, lawyer, and the producer of Bird on a Wire, the documentary film of the Leonard Cohen 1972 European tour.[1][2][3]

Biography[]

Machat was born in Manhattan, New York. His father, entertainment lawyer Marty Machat, was known for representing artists such as Phil Spector, Sam Cooke, and The Rolling Stones.[4] He attended University of Miami as an undergraduate, where he studied accounting,[5] and then attended Vanderbilt University Law School.[6]

Machat has been a worldwide entertainment attorney, music publisher, manager of music talent, and record label owner as well as film producer, among other commercial endeavors. His clients have included Electric Light Orchestra, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Ready for the World, Leonard Cohen, Phil Spector, Stacey Jackson, Snoop Dogg, New Edition, Bobby Brown, Manu DiBango, Rita Lee, and new artists from Sweden, Yung Lean and The Sad Boys.

In London, Machat wrote the book Gods, Gangsters and Honour, filled with stories about the celebrities he worked for.[7] Machat wrote the book to share the light he discovered handling the careers of many of the top icons of the music industry. The first edition of the book was published in the UK by Beautiful Books Limited (UK) in August 2009.[8]

Machat lectured across Europe and the United Kingdom at universities, including both Oxford University and Cambridge University, as well as at musical festivals and book fairs.

Steven Machat lost his son Barron, the co-founder of the record label Hippos in Tanks, in a car accident in April 2015.[4]

In 2021 Steven announced his return to the music industry with a new label SSK Music Orbit and the signings of Roxx Revolt and the Velvets and an eclectic album by the legendary Bob Daisley who has previously worked with, among many others including, Gary Moore, Rainbow and Ozzy Osbourne.

Background[]

Machat has a traditional law background; he graduated from Vanderbilt Law School and University of Miami Business School. At Vanderbilt, he got his feet wet in the real legal system as a public defender in Davidson County, Tennessee for 2 years. He started his commercial career in 1978 as a law partner with his father the late Marty Machat at their law firm Machat & Machat in New York, Los Angeles, & London.

Machat has ventured into the creative and business process of theatre, movies, and movie soundtracks. These include "Elvis", West London Production, "Private Lives" with Elizabeth Taylor, Flashdance, Streetfighter, Judge Dredd, Stan Lee Properties, HOPE an album with the Dali Lama dedicated to Peace[clarification needed], and the award-winning musical documentary Bird on a Wire about Leonard Cohen's travels from Dublin, Ireland to Tel Aviv, Israel. Steven’s latest film Saving The Motherland is an epic Russian WW2 drama centered around the Battle of Stalingrad . Next up is the Climate Live documentary in which Steven draws into sharp focus the irretrievable damage mankind has inflicted on the planet.

Steven has written 9 books: Highways of Man – The Odyssey Almanac; Man, Community & Living The American Dream; Gods, Gangsters and Honor: ( this critically acclaimed memoir was re-released in 2019 ) ,dA Rock 'n' Roll Odyssey; Sacred Knowledge, A Rock 'n' Roller's Guide to Higher Consciousness.[citation needed],Spiritual Insomnia , The Colonization of Earth , The Making of Man , The Creation of Ozzy , The History of Viruses and Taking Jesus off The Cross .

In 2016 Steven ran for the US Senate as an independent in Florida . In 2018 he ran for Congress in Florida’s 26th District as a progressive Democrat . His Press Secretary in 2018, who was in charge of his campaign in 2016 in Tampa, was the activist/writer Al R Suarez. Steven is considering running for California Governor in the 2021 Recall Election .

References[]

  1. ^ Rousseau, M. (August 13, 2010). "Bird On A Wire: Steven Machat talks to Saga" Archived August 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Saga.
  2. ^ Murray, R. (August 16, 2010). Steven Machat Interview: Behind the Scenes on Bird On a Wire. Clash Music.
  3. ^ 'Lost' Leonard Cohen film to premiere at Green Man festival, NME.com. July 23, 2010.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Remembering Hippos in Tanks co-founder Barron Machat". Fact. April 9, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  5. ^ Machat, Steven (2013). Gods, Gangsters & Honour: A Rock n Roll Odyssey. New York, NY: Consciousness Manifesto, Inc. p. 2. ISBN 0983905754.
  6. ^ Tracy, Liz (March 12, 2013). "Steven Machat Teaches The Secret And Sacred Knowledge Of Music To South Florida". New Times Broward-Palm Beach. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  7. ^ Croft, Mat. "Gods, Gangsters & Honour by Steven Machat". Record Collector. Diamond Publishing. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Excess all areas: A Life in Rock n Roll, The Independent, July 31, 2009.
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