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Jann Wenner

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Jann Wenner
A three-quarters view of Wenner, seated and wearing a polo shirt
Wenner in 2022
Born
Jann Simon Wenner

(1946-01-07)January 7, 1946(age 78)
New York City,U.S.
Spouse
Jane Schindelheim
​
​
(m.1967;div.1995)​
PartnerMatt Nye (1995–present)
Children6

Jann Simon Wenner[1](/ˈjɑːnˈwɛnər/YAHNWEN-er;[2]born January 7, 1946)[3]is an American businessman who is a co-founder of thepopular culturemagazineRolling Stone,and former owner ofMen's Journalmagazine. He participated in theFree Speech Movementwhile attending theUniversity of California, Berkeley.Wenner, with his mentorRalph J. Gleason,foundedRolling Stonein 1967.[4]

Later in his career, Wenner co-founded theRock and Roll Hall of Fameand founded other publications. As a publisher and media figure, he has faced controversy regarding Hall of Fame eligibility favoritism, the breakdown of his relationship withgonzo journalistHunter S. Thompson,and criticism that his magazine's reviews were biased.[5]

Early life and education

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Wenner was raised in theSan Francisco Bay Area,the son of Sim and Edward Wenner.[6]He grew up in a secularJewishfamily.[7]

His parents divorced in 1958, and he and his sisters, Kate and Merlyn, were sent to boarding schools. He completed his secondary education at theChadwick Schoolin 1963, and went on to attend theUniversity of California, Berkeley.Before dropping out of Berkeley in 1966, Wenner was active in theFree Speech Movementand produced the column "Something's Happening" in the student-run newspaper,The Daily Californian.[8]

Career

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With the help of his mentor,San Francisco Chroniclejazz criticRalph J. Gleason,Wenner landed a job atRamparts,a high-circulationmuckraker,where Gleason was a contributing editor and Wenner worked on the magazine's spinoff newspaper.[9]

Rolling Stone

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In 1967, Wenner and Gleason foundedRolling Stonemagazine inSan Francisco.[10]To get the magazine started, Wenner borrowed US$7,500 (equivalent to $68,533 in 2023) from family members and from the family of his soon-to-be wife, Jane Schindelheim.[4]

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Wenner played an integral role in popularizing writers such asHunter S. Thompson,Ben Fong-Torres,Paul Nelson,Greil Marcus,Dave Marsh,Grover Lewis,Timothy Crouse,Timothy Ferris,Joe Klein,Cameron Crowe,Joe Eszterhas,andP.J. O'Rourke.He also discovered photographerAnnie Leibovitzwhen she was a 21-year-oldSan Francisco Art Institutestudent. Many of Wenner's proteges, such as Crowe, credit him with giving them their biggest breaks.Tom Wolferecognized Wenner's influence in ensuring that his first novel,The Bonfire of the Vanities,was completed: "I was absolutely frozen with fright about getting it done and I decided to serialize it and the only editor crazy enough to do that was Jann."[11]

In 1977,Rolling Stoneshifted its base of operations fromSan FranciscotoNew York City.[12] The magazine's circulation dipped briefly in the late 1970s and early 1980s asRolling Stoneresponded slowly in covering the emergence ofpunk rockand again in the 1990s, when it lost ground toSpinandBlenderin coverage ofhip hop.Wenner hired formerFHMeditor Ed Needham, who was then replaced by Will Dana, to turn his flagship magazine around, and by 2006,Rolling Stone's circulation was at an all-time high of 1.5 million copies sold every two weeks. In May 2006,Rolling Stonepublished its 1000th edition with a holographic, 3-D cover modeled onThe Beatles'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Bandalbum cover.[13]

Wenner has been involved in the conducting and writing of many of the magazine'sRolling StoneInterviews.His interview subjects have includedBill Clinton,Al Gore,John Kerry,andBarack Obamafor the magazine during their election campaigns and in November 2005 had an interview withU2rock starBono,which focused on music and politics.[14]Wenner's interview with Bono received aNational Magazine Awardnomination.

Rolling Stoneand Wenner are chronicled in three books,Gone Crazy and Back Againby Robert Sam Anson,Rolling Stone: The Uncensored Historyby Robert Draper, andSticky Fingers:The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazineby Joe Hagan. Robin Green's memoirThe Only Girlcovers the time she worked atRolling Stone.[15]

Wenner founded the magazineOutsidein 1977; whereWilliam Randolph Hearst IIIandJack Fordboth worked before Wenner sold it a year later. He also briefly managed the magazineLookand, in 1993, started the magazineFamily Life.In 1985, he bought a share inUs Weekly,followed by a joint purchase of the magazine withThe Walt Disney Companythe following year. The magazine made the transition from a monthly to a weekly in 2000.[16]In August 2006, Wenner bought out Disney's share to consolidate 100% ownership.[17]

From 2004 to 2006, Wenner contributed approximately US$63,000 (equivalent to $95,218 in 2023) toDemocraticcandidates and liberal organizations.[18]

In September 2016,Advertising Agereported that Wenner was in the process of selling a 49% stake inRolling Stoneto Singaporean companyBandLab Technologies.The new investor would have no direct involvement in the editorial content of the magazine.[19]In October 2016, Wenner started publishingGlixel,avideo games-based website.[20]

In September 2017, Wenner Media announced that the remaining 51% ofRolling Stonewas up for sale.[21]That share was bought byPenske Media Corporation,who later acquired the remaining stake from BandLab.[22]

In 2022,Little, Brown and Companypublished Wenner's memoir,Like a Rolling Stone.[23]

Controversies

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Hunter S. Thompson

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Hunter S. Thompsonwas to provideRolling Stonecoverage for the1976 presidential campaignthat would appear in a book published by the magazine. Reportedly, as Thompson was waiting for a $75,000 advance check to arrive, he learned that Wenner had canceled the assignment without telling him.

Wenner then asked Thompson to travel toVietnamto report on what turned out to be the final moments of theVietnam War.Thompson accepted and arrived with the country in chaos, just as the United States was preparing to evacuate and other journalists were scrambling to find transportation out of the region. Thompson's story about the fall ofSaigonwould not be published inRolling Stoneuntil ten years later. Thompson contributed far less frequently to the publication in later years.[24]

Hootie and the Blowfish review

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In 1996, Wenner fired rock criticJim DeRogatisafter DeRogatis delivered a negative review for an album by the then-popular bandHootie and the Blowfish.Wenner pulled DeRogatis' review from the magazine. Asked by theNew York Observerif Wenner was a fan of Hootie and the Blowfish, DeRogatis responded that Wenner "is a fan of any band that sells eight million records." Wenner fired DeRogatis the next day.[25]

Sticky Fingers

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In June 2017, Wenner cut ties with Joe Hagan, the biographer he commissioned to write his biography,Sticky Fingers,calling the book Hagan produced "deeply flawed and tawdry, rather than substantial".[1][26]Hagan had been working closely with Wenner on the book since 2013, andSticky Fingerswas released in October 2017.[27][28][29][30]

New York Timesinterview

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In September 2023, Wenner was interviewed byDavid Marcheseof theNew York Times'about his bookThe Masters: Conversations with Dylan, Lennon, Jagger, Townshend, Garcia, Bono, and Springsteenand its basis of "seven white guys." Wenner was asked about the book's introduction in which he claimed that black and female artists were "not in his zeitgeist." In response, Wenner said of female artists that 'none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level, "to be included in his list of masterful musicians. Of black artistsMarvin GayeandCurtis Mayfield,he said "they just didn’t articulate at that level".[31]In response, he was removed from the board of theRock & Roll Hall of FameFoundation the day after the interview was published.[32]His comments were widely criticized.[33]He issued an apology statement through his publisher, Little, Brown and Company, on September 18, 2023.[34]

Personal life

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In the summer of 1967, afterRolling Stonewas founded, Wenner and Jane Schindelheim were married in a smallJewishceremony.[35]Wenner and his wife separated in 1995, though Jane Wenner still remains a vice president of Wenner Media. She and Wenner have three sons. One of them, Edward Augustus (Gus), was made head of Wenner Media's digital operations in 2014.[36]

Since 1995, Wenner's domestic partner has been Matt Nye, a fashion designer. Wenner and Nye have three children born viasurrogate mothers.[37][38]

Awards and honors

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  • 2010:Norman Mailer Prize,Lifetime Achievement in Magazine Publishing
  • 2014: Lennon-Ono Grant for Peace

Notes

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  • Working with a small group of record company heads and music industry professionals, Wenner co-founded theRock and Roll Hall of FameFoundation in 1983.
  • Wenner producedBoz Scaggs'sself-titled major-label debut albumin 1969.[39]
  • Wenner made a guest "appearance" in the Marvel ComicDaredevilissue 100 in 1973, in which he interviewsthe superhero,who is thereby motivated to remember his origins (which he shares with the readers of the comic, but not with Wenner.)
  • In 1985, he produced and appeared as himself in the moviePerfectwithJamie Lee CurtisandJohn Travolta.He also had cameo roles inCameron Crowe's filmsJerry MaguireandAlmost Famous.
  • In 1985, Wenner had aRolling Stonecover photograph ofDon Johnsondigitally edited to remove the handgun and holster from theMiami Vicestar because of Wenner's opposition to handguns.[40]
  • TheAmerican Society of Magazine Editorsinducted Wenner into their Hall of Fame in 1997, making him the youngest editor ever inducted.[41]
  • Amy Raylambasted Wenner as "Rolling Stone's most fearless leader "in her song" Lucystoners "from her 2001 solo debut,Stag,accusing him of discriminating against women artists in favor of a "boys' club of rock."[42]
  • In 2004, Wenner was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Famein the Lifetime Achievement category.[41]
  • In the fall of 2007, Wenner published an oral biography ofHunter S. ThompsontitledGonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson.Co-written with Corey Seymour, this work traces the life of Thompson as told through the stories of those closest to him.[43]
  • In March 2014, it was announced that the publisherKnopfhad acquiredSticky Fingers:The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazineby journalist Joe Hagan for a seven-figure price.[44]It was published in 2017 to mark the 50th anniversary ofRolling Stone.

SelectRolling Stone Interviewbibliography

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See also

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References

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  1. ^abShafer, Jack (November 27, 2017)."The Licentious Life and Times of Jann Wenner".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 24,2019.
  2. ^Hagan, Joe (October 20, 2017)."The Long, Bizarre Relationship Between Jann Wenner and Mick Jagger".Vulture.
  3. ^"UPI Almanac for Monday, Jan, 7, 2019".United Press International.January 7, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on September 21, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 21,2019.
  4. ^abWeir, David (April 20, 1999)."Wenner's world".Salon.Archived fromthe originalon April 25, 2011.RetrievedSeptember 5,2013.
  5. ^Sisario, Ben (September 25, 2019)."Jann Wenner Steps Down From the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedMay 4,2022.
  6. ^Hagan, Joe (October 24, 2017).Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine.Knopf Canada.ISBN9780345815071.
  7. ^"Celebrity Jews".Jweekly. March 26, 2004.RetrievedSeptember 5,2013.
  8. ^"News".The Daily Californian. August 20, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon November 6, 2007.RetrievedOctober 22,2007.See also Peter Richardson,"Roots Music: The Beginnings of Rolling Stone"(2017).
  9. ^Shafer, Jack (November 27, 2017)."The Licentious Life and Times of Jann Wenner".The New York Times.
  10. ^Marchese, David (September 15, 2023)."Jann Wenner Defends His Legacy, and His Generation's".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Archived fromthe originalon June 15, 2024.RetrievedJune 25,2024.
  11. ^O'Brien, Timothy (December 25, 2005)."Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Read Me".The New York Times.RetrievedOctober 31,2007.
  12. ^Carlson, Peter (May 6, 2006)."News".The Washington Post.RetrievedDecember 13,2007.
  13. ^Carlson, Peter (May 4, 2006)."How Does it Feel?".The Washington Post.RetrievedNovember 5,2007.
  14. ^Wenner, Jann (November 3, 2005)."Bono: The Rolling Stone Interview".Archived fromthe originalon December 11, 2006.RetrievedOctober 31,2007.
  15. ^"Robin Green on being Rolling Stone's only female writer in the 1970s".Independent.co.uk.August 17, 2018.
  16. ^Wenner, Jann."The Huffington Post".RetrievedOctober 31,2007.
  17. ^Seelye, Katharine Q. (August 10, 2006)."Disney to sell its half stake in Us Weekly back to Wenner".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 5,2007.
  18. ^Dedman, Bill (July 15, 2007)."The list: Journalists who wrote political checks".NBC News.RetrievedOctober 24,2010.
  19. ^"Jann Wenner Sells 49% of Rolling Stone to Singapore's BandLab".Advertising Age.Bloomberg News. September 25, 2016.Archivedfrom the original on September 26, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 26,2016.
  20. ^Ember, Sydney (May 23, 2016)."Wenner Media to Launch Glixel Website as Lifeline for Gamers".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedMay 4,2022.
  21. ^Alanna Petroff and Tom Kludt (September 18, 2017)."Rolling Stone magazine up for sale".CNNMoney.RetrievedSeptember 24,2017.
  22. ^Pompeo, Joe (January 31, 2019)."JAY PENSKE GOBBLES UP THE REMAINING 49 PERCENT OF ROLLING STONE".Vanity Fair.RetrievedApril 5,2019.
  23. ^Jann S. Wenner (January 3, 2022).Like a Rolling Stone: A Memoir.Hachette Book Group.ISBN9780316415194.RetrievedSeptember 25,2022.
  24. ^"Hunter Thompson Meets Fear and Loathing Face to Face".New Times.December 10, 1976.RetrievedOctober 18,2011.
  25. ^"How To Be A Rock Critic".Furious. Archived fromthe originalon May 22, 2013.RetrievedAugust 1,2013.
  26. ^Coscarelli, Joe and Sydney Ember.Jann Wenner and His Biographer Have a Falling Out.New York Times. October 18, 2017.
  27. ^Flanagan, Andrew.Jann Wenner, 'Rolling Stone,' And The Decline Of Rock 'N' Roll.NPR. November 2, 2017.
  28. ^Seymour, Corey. Yeah, Working for Rolling Stone Was Like That—But It Was Also Like This.Vogue. October 26, 2017.
  29. ^Petrusich, Amanda. Looking For Jann Wenner.The New Yorker. November 1, 2017.
  30. ^Green, Elon. Q&A: Joe Hagan on his explosive biography of Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner.Columbia Journalism Review. October 19, 2017.
  31. ^Marchese, David (September 15, 2023)."Jann Wenner Defends His Legacy, and His Generation's".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedSeptember 15,2023.
  32. ^Sisario, Ben (September 16, 2023)."Jann Wenner Removed From Rock Hall Board After Times Interview".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedSeptember 17,2023.
  33. ^Rosenbloom, Alli (September 17, 2023)."Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner removed from Rock Hall leadership after controversial comments".cnn.CNN.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
  34. ^Al-Sardar, Ali."Why Jann Wenner Was Removed from Rock Hall of Fame Board".Rock Informer.RetrievedSeptember 18,2023.
  35. ^Draper, Robert (1990).Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored History.Doubleday.ISBN0-385-26060-1.
  36. ^"Gus Wenner promoted to head of digital across Wenner Media".Billboard.June 25, 2014.RetrievedDecember 23,2014.
  37. ^"Side Dish: Brangelina expecting?".Daily News.New York. January 27, 2008.
  38. ^"Rolling Stone Founder Jann Wenner Apologizes For" Badly Chosen Words "About Black & Female Musicians".Deadline. September 17, 2023.
  39. ^"Boz Scaggs: Jann Wenner and Recording Debut Solo Album".Archived fromthe originalon April 23, 2019.RetrievedMay 14,2019.
  40. ^"Photojournalism An Ethical Approach, Chapter 6".Commfaculty.fullerton.edu. Archived fromthe originalon September 20, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 5,2013.
  41. ^ab"Jann S. Wenner".Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
  42. ^Ray, Amy."background: lucystoners".Archived fromthe originalon July 20, 2011.RetrievedJune 10,2011.
  43. ^Wenner, Jann; Seymour, Corey (October 31, 2007).Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson.New York, NY: Little, Brown.ISBN978-0-316-00527-2.
  44. ^Bosman, Julie (March 24, 2014)."Journalist Receives Big Advance for Jann Wenner Biography".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon March 6, 2019.
  45. ^Wenner, Jann (May 3, 2007). "Interview with Bob Dylan for RS 40th Anniversary Issue".Rolling Stone.No. 1025/1026.
  46. ^Wenner, Jann (November 3, 2005)."Bono".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon August 24, 2007.RetrievedNovember 6,2007.
  47. ^Wenner, Jann (November 11, 2004)."John Kerry".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon March 16, 2006.RetrievedNovember 6,2007.
  48. ^Wenner, Jann (November 9, 2000). "Al Gore".Rolling Stone.No. 836.
  49. ^Wenner, Jann (December 14, 1995)."Jagger Remembers".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon October 2, 2007.RetrievedNovember 6,2007.
  50. ^Wenner, Jann (December 9, 1993). "President Bill Clinton".Rolling Stone.No. 671.
  51. ^Wenner, Jann (January 20, 1972). "Jerry Garcia".Rolling Stone.No. 100.
  52. ^Wenner, Jann (January 21, 1971)."John Lennon".Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon September 10, 2007.RetrievedNovember 6,2007.
  53. ^Wenner, Jann (November 29, 1969). "Bob Dylan".Rolling Stone.No. 47.
  54. ^Townshend, Pete (September 1968)."Pete Townshend: The Rolling Stone Interview".Rolling Stone(Interview). Interviewed by Jann Wenner. Archived fromthe originalon July 1, 2007.RetrievedNovember 14,2007.
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