A True Opportunist
He worked as both her agent and publisher, forming Tuna Fish Music together with her. “David was an opportunist,” says Joe Smith, an industry executive. “He was very quick and very smart.” He also had energy that just never seemed to wane. One singer, Essra Mohawk, called him “the elf on roller skates.”
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In 1968, Geffen quit William Morris to join Ted Ashley’s agency, but he was still getting at least one phone call a day from Elliot Roberts, which was typically related to Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. By the end of the year, it was clear to Geffen that he needed to start not just his own agency but his own label, as well as personal management firm.