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Deal Junkie
Charlie Stettler gave his last US interview to the New York Times and Charlie Rose ...
Together with his partner Lynda West, Stettler managed and developed the careers of the Fat Boys, Ed Lover & Doctor Dré (YO!MTV RAPS and HOT 97 Radio), Leslie “Big Lez” Segar (BET’s Rap City), Run (of Run DMC), Michael Monroe, (Hanoi Rocks), DJ Skribble, Emmanuel “Tiny” Yarbrough, and the Latin Rascals. He’s also worked with Boom Boom Mancini, Grandmaster Flash, Heather Hunter, Cha Cha (Sopranos), and consults with many other industry celebrities. He currently manages Fatman Scoop and his wife Shanda, and Julian Roberts (JRSportsbrief) while creating, negotiating and producing numerous successful projects including:
- The “Man and Wife” franchise starring Fatman Scoop and Shanda (with his ADDiCTiVE NETWORKS partner Alex Lasky).
- “Ambassadors of Hoops” - A film detailing the history of Americans’ involvement in European basketball, showcasing the nearly 40-year history of African American players.
- "Who's the Man"– A film produced by Stettler for New Line Cinema, starring Ed Lover and Doctor Dré and directed by Ted Demme. Co-starring Salt 'n' Pepa, Denis Leary, with 50 hip hop cameos including: Queen Latifah, Ice-T, Naughty by Nature, Heavy D, Cypress Hill, Flava Flav, and featuring Bill Bellamy, Bernie Mac and Colin Quinn. Opened number one comedy in the U.S. with two thumbs up from Siskel and Ebert. MTV, as marketing partner, produced a one-hour special and extensive coverage during Spring Break.
- “Naked Under Our Clothes” – Dré & Ed’s biographical fun for Simon & Schuster.
- “It’s Like That” - a spiritual memoir by Reverend Run.
- “Phat Comedy” Series – Caroline’s Comedy Club with Ed Lover and Doctor Dre.
- DJ Skribble, most popular DJ on MTV. Skribble’s banner presence on MTV includes six years on the “Spring Break” shows (highest-rated every year), Jerry Springer’s “Springer Breaks,” “TRL,” “MTV Jams” with Tyrese, “The Grind,” Sisqo’s “Shakedown,” “Fly 2K,” DJ Skribble’s “Essential Mix DJ Skribble” was one of the first American DJ doing an Essential Mix for Atlantic Records/Warner. His follow-up, “Essential Spring Break 2001,” debuted #1 on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” named DJ Skribble "Best DJ" in their annual Readers Poll – became Official NFL DJ, co-hosting the NFL Kickoff Party 2002 in Times Square in front of 500,000 people and performing during the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.
February, ’83: Stettler and West organized a Rap & Breakdance Contest, (the first major hip hop event) raising capital for a five-week event with free-admission finals at Radio City Music Hall for 6000 inner city kids sponsored by Coca-Cola and WBLS. History was made: WBLS took the Arbitron book for the quarter, the show was the first urban format at Radio City, and three chubby Brooklyn teenagers calling themselves the Disco 3 were the rap winners. Stettler renamed them the "Fat Boys", a name and concept he and West created and trademarked.
For six years, the Fat Boys remained the only rap/pop group with five gold and platinum albums and two motion pictures to their credit. Stettler went on to steer a unique course through the entertainment industry as producer and manager. Below are some early highlights:
- 1984 - 1988 “New York City Fresh Fest” – 5 years of 40-50 city annual sold-out tours with the Fat Boys, Run DMC, Salt ‘n Pepa, L.L. Cool J, Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5, Whodini, Heavy D. etc. For the debut tour, Stettler secured $300k sponsorship from Swatch Watch. Other Sponsors: Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Sprite and Mountain Dew.
- 92KTU BIG BREAK DANCE CONTEST @ the world famous ROXY, hosted for WABC TV by Leslie Uggams and Carlos de Jesus, with performances by Afrika Bambaataa, The Commodores, Love Bug Starksi and Shannon.
- 1985 "Krush Groove" – Warner Bros’ hip hop classic film; Fat Boys/Run DMC/ Sheila E. Stettler also played role of film’s music mogul, Terry Bieker.
- Started own label, TIN PAN APPLE RECORDS, distributed by PolyGram. Featured Fat Boys multi-platinum albums with hit singles from the Beach Boys and Chubby Checker; and from hit producers, Latin Rascals.
- “Disorderlies” – Warner Bros film ($20M domestic b/o; 200K video units)
- “Disorderlies” Sountrack – Tin Pan Apple Records: Fat Boys, Bon Jovi, Bananarama, Art of Noise, Cashflow
For those of you who don’t have ADD and request more detailed information:
First marketing and promotion success:
TIN PAN APPLE, INC.
Tin Pan Apple started in l982 with a lot of noise. Stettler and West, then-owners of a New York roller disco, Busby's (later home of the Cat Club, the Grand, System, and now Spa), put together a six-minute gag cassette of street noise for homesick city dwellers. By the end of the year, Tin Pan Apple noise became the hit gift for Christmas '82 at retailers like Bloomingdale's and Bendel's selling over 250,000 copies.
They released a 12" rap (unknown in mainstream music at that time) version of the noise in February of ‘83. To promote it, Tin Pan Apple organized the Tin Pan Apple Rap & Break-dance Contest (see above).
The Fat Boys
- first Hip Hop group wearing tour jackets (logo designed by West); only Hip Hop group performing in Wembley Stadium in front of 100,000 people for Nelson Mandela’s 70th Birthday Tribute; first Hip Hop group visiting East Germany while still under Soviet control; first Hip Hop group appearing in a TV commercial (Swatch Watch); first Hip Hop group starring in their own motion picture, “Disorderlies”; first Hip Hop group appearing during Super Bowl halftime show: “Chillin’ with William “The Refrigerator” Perry; two-time Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award winners: 1988 and 1989; “Wipeout” was the most requested video on MTV during the summer of 1988 and topped the charts for 18 weeks.
- Stettler appeared in all Fat Boys Videos Sample: “The Twist” with Chubby Checker
- Stettler was the first to promote his company via film product placement (see Tin Pan Apple banner) throughout “Krush Groove”; Street promotion: Stettler and the Fat Boys visited EVERY “Fresh Festival” market several days before the show, handing out flyers, visiting schools and recreation facilities, performing mini concerts, endlessly promoting the upcoming concert (a first at that time); when Warner Brothers wouldn’t give him enough support to promote the Fat Boys film, “Disorderlies,” Stettler purchased this ad in the Hollywood Reporter prompting the studio to release some much needed funds.
A commitment to the "entertainment" in the entertainment industry enables Stettler to clothe hard work in gorilla suits, march elephants and camels through promotions, or stage an impromptu chorus line on the conference table at a McDonald's sponsorship meeting. Stettler believes in a policy of hands-on creative involvement with each project, but persistence and good relationships are at the root of his achievement. Stettler is originally from Switzerland. He studied Business Administration and speaks several languages.
Stettler’s Movie Trailers:
Who’s the Man?:...and recently appeared on Swiss, German and Austrian TV
