CLEVELAND (CelebrityAccess) Mike Belkin, 83, one-half of the brothers who ran Belkin Productions in Cleveland and was synonymous with major concert performances in the city for decades, was remembered by the city luminaries after it was announced he had died after battling Alzheimer’s disease.
“It’s a very sad day at The Kent Stage as well as within the music community of Northeast Ohio and across the country with the passing of Mike Belkin,” Kent Stage owner Tom Simpson said in a statement. “When I graduated from Kent State in 1979, I went to work for Mike and Jules Belkin. My relationship with the Belkins started at Kent State where Belkin Productions produced all of the major concerts starting in the late 1960s. Over the years I worked for Mike as road manager for Breathless and Donnie Iris, and assisted with the promotion of various other artists. Everything I learned about being a promoter was from Mike and Jules. If not for the Belkin Brothers, Cleveland’s identity would not be directly linked to rock ‘n’ roll, Cleveland wouldn’t rock and most likely there would not be an iconic Rock Hall building on the lakefront or on the All-Star logo.”
Barry Gabel, who started Belkin Productions in 1979 and is now part of the Live Nation rollup, posted a tribute on his Facebook page:
“Up until his passing, Mike still managed and steered the careers of Cleveland and Pittsburgh’s favorite respective sons, Michael Stanley and Donnie Iris,” Gabel writes. “Cleveland will remember Mike for the incredible musical memories etched in everyone’s souls, but I will remember him as a wonderful father to Michael, Lisa and Sam, a great husband to Annie, a tremendous leader, a spirited competitor, a friend and mentor to many in the business, including me.”
Comedian
Charlie Wiener added the following:
“Very sorry to hear of the passing of Mike Belkin,” he wrote. “He was always kind to me and did me many a good turn. A good man who loved NEO and her music and will forever be remembered for his very integral part in the making and presenting of that music.”
h/t Cleveland Scene
