The Heart of Rock & Roll is still beatin’ in Cleveland, and it may also be showcased in all its glory on Netflix or one of the other big online streaming services sometime soon.
That’s the word from Cleveland-based, but world famous music and film artist manager, David Spero, whose star-studded client roster over the years has included rock luminaries such as Joe Walsh, Allman Brothers Band guitarist, Dickie Betts, singer-songwriter, and actor, JD Souther, Yusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens), as well as hometown rockers Eric Carmen, and Michael Stanley.
He’s also represented TV and movie stars along the way, such as Billy-Bob Thornton, and Don Novello (aka, “Dr. Guido Sarducci” from Saturday Night Live).
But now Spero is stepping out in front of the camera, starring in a new rock documentary about his career, called “The Heart of Rock and Roll, A Cleveland Rocks Story“, which was recently featured at the Chagrin Falls Film Festival, and will also be shown at the Music Box in Cleveland, on January 23, 2026.
What’s keeping Spero busiest right now, though, is preparing for induction of two of his clients, Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke of Bad Company, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on November 8. He says they will be performing that night in Los Angeles with other well-known musicians whose identity he can’t reveal just yet, but who he assures us; “will blow your mind!”
Spero started his career at the age of 13, working on his Dad’s nationallly syndicated musical variety TV show, “Upbeat”, that aired from 1964 to 1971, and then just a few years later became a radio DJ on Cleveland radio stations including WNCR, WXEN and WMMS.
It was at WMMS in the early ’70s, in fact, where Spero met Joe Walsh, who convinced him to move out to LA to learn how to manage rock stars from none other than the legendary Irving Azoff, who was managing bands like The Eagles, REO Speedwagon, and Dan Fogelberg, at the time.
Listen now as we find out more about his new movie, high profile clients he calls his closest friends, and why he thinks AI, (Artificial Intelligence) will be “the end of the world” when it comes to the fortunes of musicians and other artists.
Rock & Film Artist Manager, David Spero
If you’d like to know more about David Spero, you can also read his book, My Life In the Wings.
