NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) Roger Vorce, Chairman Emeritus of Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) and one of the founders who launched the talent agency in 1962 along with former MCA executives David Baumgarten and Harvey Litwin, has died at the age of 88.
A native of Medford, Massachusetts, Vorce graduated from the University of Notre Dame and had been a life-long fan of the Fighting Irish. After graduation he enlisted in the Navy and became an ensign first class on the Admiral’s ship, The U.S.S. Agamemnon.
Shortly after his honorable discharge, Vorce began his entertainment career at MCA in New York, where he trained under the watchful eye of the legendary Lew Wasserman, whose famous motto was purely pragmatic, “Don’t judge ‘em, book ‘em.” In 1957, he was made an agent at MCA.
Five years later, he would launch APA with David Baumgarten and Harvey Litwin. Headquartered in New York, he would go on to represent some of the biggest names in entertainment including Liberace, Johnny Cash, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Harry Belafonte, Michael Feinstein, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, George Hamilton, Diahann Carroll, Peggy Lee, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers, Victor Borge and Peter Allen, among others.
In 1993, following the death of then agency President, Marty Klein, Vorce relocated to the Los Angeles office where he assumed the role of President of APA. He continued to serve in that capacity until 1997 when he was named CEO.
“Nobody loved working with talent more than Roger,” said James Gosnell, President and CEO of APA. “Through his devotion to our company, he allows us to stand on his shoulders. We come to work every day proud to continue his legacy.”
Vorce is survived by his sister, Mary Lee Stenstrom. A celebration of Roger Vorce’s life will be announced at a later date.
