Don DeVito

"Brooklyn boys"

"I met Don when I was 5 years old. He had a big impact me and we stayed in touch for many years. I recall that he put raw garlic cloves in his mouth before bed to scare away colds. He meditated. He taught me left rudder, right rudder and let me steer his boat, Mama Tried, down the Hudson. When I was 15 he got me tickets to see Dylan and Tom Petty at The Garden. He came by our seats during the show and noticed someone had thrown up nearby. He moved us to 5th row center on the floor, Wow. After I graduated college, he helped me get job interviews at Columbia and when I got married, he treated my husband and me to dinner at his favorite place.

Don, I started a booking agency recently and wanted to share this big news with you. I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'m sorry that I never took the time to do it. I will always remember you smiling through your furry mustache and your endless generosity and love. I hope the mix is good up in heaven and that it feels like a long, slow happy sail. Love, Alison"

"Dylan "

"Don and The Boss "

"I moved from North Carolina to Manhattan in 1979, of which I had always dreamed, despite the lack of decent barbeque. After an interview with Barbara Cooke, I knew I had to be at Columbia Records. Luckily, she gave me that opportunity.

But it was a different atmosphere from the Atlanta CBS branch office of Sales and Promotion lunatics. Not that there weren't Sales, Promotion and Marketing lunatics in New York. But, I was in awe of a new persona, the A&R man. A person I perceived had been given a special talent anointed to only a few. Cast from a different mold and rarely cast again. Then I met Don. Don made it real, made it tangible, and straight from the heart. Don always gave an honest perspective. And most of all, made realize the love of music was a piece of us we could all share. We were all A&R men and women!

"

"Billy "

"Tough Guys "

"In 1994 (yes, that far back), I had been at Columbia as an assistant in marketing for just about a year. It was pretty late on a Friday night and I'm not sure why I was still even in the office but, your Dad came into my cubicle and asked if I had a passport. I said I did. He said great, stay right there and ran out. In a little while he was back. With a business class ticket on Virgin Atlantic to London, leaving the following evening on the redeye. I hadn't even said yes to anything yet but your Dad is so great that who could say no, especially since I had never flown business class and had not yet been to London.

On Saturday, 2 guys from the Pittman Plant showed up at my apt. in Greenwich Village with the test pressings of Pink Floyd's "The Division Bell." I was going to take them with me and deliver them directly to the engineers in London so they could listen, call your Dad and give him feedback immediately. So funny to think all this went down as now we'd just send it digitally. Saturday evening arrives, and I arrive at JFK. As it turns out, my ticket wasn't for business class, I had somehow been upgraded for first class! The first class lounge in JFK was pretty swank in those days and I ate a steak for dinner with champagne before I got on the plane. I had no idea the adventure I was in for. On the plane, I was the only person in first class and I was ridiculously excited! I had specific instructions from your Dad not to tell anyone what I was carrying (I just it was pretty common then for people to get the test pressings and copy them) so I just said I had won a ticket when the flight attendants asked. And my enthusiasm for that trip was infectious I guess because they gave me EVERYTHING they had...Shanghai Tang pjs, eye masks, an electric toothbrush, a manicure (on a plane!), and ice cream sundaes. Really, I did not sleep a wink and each moment was better than the next.

We landed and I was met at the gate by one of engineer's assistants who walked us to David Gilmour's car with a driver. Like Jeeves...it was super cool. We drove to David's houseboat and I gave over the recordings. They started to play them and called your Dad. At that point, my job was done but I still had some time in London. I was pretty tired so they took me back to my hotel. This INCREDIBLE place called The Halycon in Holland Park. I had a room just for the day that was bigger than 3 of my apts put together. The driver came back to take me on a little driving took of the city and to do some shopping. I got 3 pairs of Doc Martens (this is 1994 so even one pair from London was awesome!) and some clothes. Then the driver (I can't remember his name), took me to lunch at his favorite pub and I had my first proper British pint. YUM. Then he took me back to the airport for my flight home.

I was a little early so I went to the first class lounge. At Heathrow, that lounge for Virgin was like a Ritz Carlton. I got a haircut, a facial and a massage and then back onto the plane to finally get some sleep. I woke up at JFK on Sunday and back to my normal life. I saw your Dad on Monday and told him a little bit about the trip and I'm sure I was talking so fast he just started laughing and smiling and said he was happy I had a good time. As it turns out, he tried to get like 5 or 6 other people before he happened upon me at the office and they all said no to going!"

"Revised with correct spelling...sorry.

This is a longer version of what I said at the memorial yesterday...I hadn't planned on speaking but I did and not sure I got all the details right:

When I first got to Columbia Records in 1991, I was in the record business about 5 years already and the main reason I got into the record business in the first place was to try and become a professional musician. I had a friend in the business at Arista in 1986 and he gave me my first non-paid "intern" job. I was, however, not a college student but a 23 year old college dropout, who had been trying, for the 5 years since I had dropped out, to be a songwriter and musician. I figured I could get in and at the right time, give someone my demo. That never worked out at Arista for 5 years mainly because I sucked. This is not in hindsight...I knew it then. Irving Berlin once said he wrote 6 songs a day to get the sucky ones out of him and I wasn't writing 6 a day so it would take a lot longer for me to get un-sucky.

By the time I got to Columbia, I was feeling a bit more confident about my stuff. One of the first guys I met was Don and he was very warm and welcoming, saying a few things in Italian so I liked him right away. When I figured out that he was that Don DeVito I asked him to lunch, one of the first people I went to lunch with at Columbia.

We went to Romeo Salta restaurant on 56th Street (everyone did back then) and I was waiting for the right moment to drop it on him..."Hey Don, I'm really a musician and I would love your advice on my demo." Up to this point, I was sending out demos anonymously to publishers with mixed results (either no one responded at all or passed but complimented that my snazzy note was more creative than the actual music...ouch). So Don and I are talking, eating, laughing and I was having such a good time that I never brought it up. I mean, I'm sitting her listening to great stories, getting inadvertent advice about my music so I let it go....I'm sure he would have been incredibly gracious about it but I just got there and I didn't want to take the chance so I didn't say anything. There's a chance I might have sent him a song later but I honestly don't recall.

Six years later, Don was producing an album of cover songs by Columbia employees, ultimately to raise money for TJ Martell but there were other reasons that Don had nothing to do with. The powers that be asked him to produce the record and he did an amazing job. He got the David Letterman band (or the other 3 guys besides Paul Schaefer) to record about 8 songs and got the employees who were willing or had the most talent to sing them. For some reason, I was not included in that bunch but I did hear about what was going on towards the end of the recording session. Honestly, I was feeling a bit hurt because there were others in the building by this point who knew I was a performer and heard my stuff...ah, that's why I wasn't called....

I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to be part of this. About 3 o'clock on that last day, my phone rang...it was Don.

"Santaniello...what are you doing....I need a singer."

"Sorry Don, I don't know anyone..."

"I mean you, you idiot...I need someone who can really sing for these last three songs. Get over the studio now"

To this day I don't know how he knew since I don't remember giving him the demo but I was pretty stunned.

I dropped everything and ran over the studio and there in the control booth was Don and an engineer. He asked me to sing Hard Day's Night and Stuck in the Middle with you...I did both of them on the spot within an hour. I couldn't hit the high notes on the Paul McCartney bridge and Don says "Don't worry, we'll just slow down the tape"

Um, excuse me Don, but won't I sound like Alvin from the Chipmunks?

He laughed and showed me how it was done and it was amazing. He wanted me to sing "Shower the People" by James Taylor and but I didn't know the words so he asked me to come back the next day. He even let me down day an acoustic guitar solo on the song...are you kidding me? Surely this is expensive place but when I asked him if I could try, he said "why not" and let me do multiple takes.

For a frustrated, wanna be professional to go into a major recording studio and to be treated like a pro was one of the greatest thrills of my life...Don was a pretty amazing producer, cajoling, respectful, encouraging...a quick joke once and again to calm me down....but it was about to get better.

I eventually had a 25 year career in the record business, and now have my own entertainment marketing company because of it. Nineteen of those years were at Sony, most of them with Don. People say "well, you never did become a rock star but at least you were in the business." I tell them this is equivalent to wanting to be a brain surgeon and winding up being the guy who stocks the operating room with supplies.

Because of the business, I have lifelong friends, lots of wonderful things and met most of my musical heroes.

I never did become an artist but because of Don DeVito, I am listed as Lead Singer on three songs on an album called "Takin Care of Business" that says "Columbia Records" the spine and “Produced by Don DeVito” on the back. Close enough for me.

"

"To me, Don was not only Marissa dad and a nearby neighbor, but he was my first contact in the music business. In 1999, I remember going to his office for an informational interview and listening to (and talking about) music with him for over an hour. It was so awe inspiring that one person could work with so many talented musicians and have such a powerful influence on their work. I was so impressed by him - his easy-going nature, every one in the office seemed to look up to him, not to mention his great music sensibilities. I left with a big stack of CDs and a new aspiration, to work in A&R at a record label. "

"The Segal and the DeVito families on the "Mama Tried", cruising up the Hudson River on a beautiful clear 4th of July evening watching the fireworks from all the towns along the river. One of the most perfect evenings ever! Found this great photo of Don entering in his Captains log book."

"One (of many) random memories I have of Don is watching football with James and him (Giants, of course). Don played football at least through high school, I'm not sure if he played at all in college, but as a teenage avid sports fan I thought that I knew everything there was to know. Don clicked a light bulb on above my head when he paused and rewound a play just to show James and I how the pulling guard on the offensive line made the entire play go. I was blown away.

There are things you cannot know, and things you cannot even see/detect unless you've done it yourself and been through it... Don did it all in his life, my outlet for learning this lesson just happened to be football."

"GO Yankees!"

"Learning from the best!!!!

On board "Mama Tried" with Don, the family and friends. Don was always so giving and eager to share his knowledge and his life with everyone around him.

His kindness and generosity will never be surpassed. Truly one of kind."

"Renting a house in Virginia Beach, Feb 1st, 2009. Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals Superbowl XLIII.

Amazingly cold walks on the beach...thank goodness for the family warmth inside. "

"Don was true to himself. He knew who he was and he stayed focused all his days on what he did best, helping us create music for all

Elliot

"

"It is hard to narrow it down to just one story when it comes to Don…I called him my ‘cousin’…he called me his ‘niece’. Even thought we weren’t really related, he was closer to any real cousin I have and feel very fortunate to have known him.

Carolyn brought Don to my family’s home to introduce the man she was going to marry and in a way get my parent’s ‘thumbs up’. He got out the guitar, and played and sang…we all sang, it was such a fabulous evening. I was only 10 and told my parents that I wanted to go back to the city with Carolyn and Don…what amazing people!

Many years later, I was working at Le Cirque and we twisted Don’s arm to come to dinner…he didn’t want to come because he had to wear a jacket and tie. Actually, there was one more reason, he didn’t want to eat liver…and of course foie gras was served as they were a ‘VIP’ table and think between the jacket, tie and liver it was the worst experience ever.

Another few years later, I received a fax from Don and was living in Diani Beach, Kenya. He wrote, ‘You will never believe where he went for dinner in a Beastie Boys Sweatshirt…Le Cirque!’ He had been recording with Julio Iglesias who wanted to go for a late dinner. Don said he would give it a miss as he was not going to wear a jacket and tie…but Julio convinced him that he could wear whatever he wanted. He got away with it and mentioned to Sirio Maccioni that he was my uncle. Sirio said to pass a message to me that they were opening a new restaurant and wanted me to come back.

At 26 years old, I came back to NYC to be one of the opening chef’s at Osteria del Circo. Don just seemed to open doors for everyone and was so kind and generous. I love visiting the DeVito’s when I pass through NY, which I do almost every year and could listen to Don’s stories for hours. One of the best pieces of advice I think I have ever heard in my live comes from Don re relationships…to be kind to each other.

"

"For those of you that knew Don and the enjoyment he got out his boat Mama Tried. She is in Good hands and being well cared for."