Maybe Celebrities Fake Their Deaths But Jack Steven Was Real—That Was Not Bowie
Submitted As Comment By "2nd Smartest Guy In The World"
That strange man “Jack Steven” is apparently not David Bowie. It was a very cryptic interview, however.
I did write that it “clearly” was him, (Bowie) last night. In the light of day I don’t see why I was so certain last night. I regret my certainty, and my error.
Last night, I also watched that video of Prince’s alleged sister accepting an award for him after his death or alleged death. Everybody (in comments) was sure it was really Prince, and I didn't see it. I’ve learned my lesson.
I am not good at this.
I think something is important about all this but I don’t think it’s worth losing our sanity over. (What remains of it.)
In any case, here’s the apparent “bottom line” of the Bowie/Jack Steven rabbit role.
By "2nd Smartest Guy In The World
Conclusive Evidence that Jack Steven Is Not Bowie
So, I spent an hour today and did some research. (This has really be gnawing at my head since I saw Jack Steven.) Everybody keeps saying that no record of Steven exits before Bowie or that Steven exists only in one video called "Dallas Roundtable." This isn't true. I've written something called the "Jack Steven Timeline", which makes it very clear that Steven is not Bowie. The earliest first hand proof that Jack Steven exists can be traced to 1982. (Even if Bowie had concocted Steven, there's no way he could have done that.)
"Jack Steven Timeline"
~In August 1956, Jack Steven is born.
~From 1970‐1980, Stevens claims he was the International Manager and Profession Manager for companies such as Essex Music, Dick James Music, and Chappell Music (the largest independent music publisher) managing the publishing of work from acts such as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Who, T Rex, Elton John, and songwriters such as Terry Britten (Tina Turner) and Geoff Stephenson (Barry Manilow).
~"From 1980‐1990, Jack Steven ran the A&R divisions of Paramount films, RCA Records, CBS Records, and MCA Records, discovering diverse acts such as Eurythmics and Sade; and product manager for acts such as David Bowie, George Michael, and Musical Youth." (This is from Steven's LinkedIn, it's the only thing I don't understand. How was a 14 year old kid running film or music companies?)
~In September 1981, Eurythmics premiere the album, In the Garden.
~In 1981, Jack Steven was a junior A&R member at RCA in London. Steven was a young “street kid” at the time tasked with signing new acts to RCA. Steven fell in love with Annie Lennox’s voice when Eurythmics performed on Old Grey Whistle Test.
~Later in 1981, Steven told the head of RCA to keep Eurythmics and drop the rest of the bands that RCA had signed. (Steven was unaware that RCA had actually just dropped the band.) Steven gained a reputation as hard to handle and was almost fired from RCA three times. Jack Stevens was a huge source of help and provided a lot of assistance.
~In 1982, the single of This Is The House features a thank you to Steven.
~In 1982, Eurythmics dropped all managers and conducted all business out of Steven's office at RCA. All ideas for the record, artwork, and tours were planned in Steven's office. RCA ultimately agreed to resign the band. Annie Lennox remembers how Jack Steven, aided by Sheila Sedgwick, convinced RCA to resign Eurythmics. Eurythmics retreats to Chalk Farm in Northern London. In 1982, Lennox has a nervous breakdown and Stewart experiences a collapsed lung. Eurythmics frequently conducts business out of Steven’s office.
~In September 1982, behind the Marketing Director of RCA’s back, Steven arranged for Eurythmics to shoot a music video for “Love Is A Stranger” was shot in a limousine, bathroom, Hammersmith Bridge, and outside Dave Stewart's mother's Maida Vale flat.
~At the end of 1982, Eurythmics plotted the band's next album with Jack Steven. Steven was pressured by RCA and given a budget of 15,000 pounds to do the album. Most albums at the time cost 60,000 pounds to record. Jack convinced Dave Stewart to continue producing Annie rather than find another producer.
~Also at the end of 1982, Steven demanded an extra 70,000 pounds for the funding of Eurythmic's promotional tour. The Managing Director at RCA was enraged that Steven, a junior A&R, was making such requests.
~In January 1983, Eurythmics releases Sweet Dreams and there’s also some difficulty over the artwork due to the cutting edge images used, RCA wants more conceptual stuff. Also in 1983, RCA reissues In the Garden. Steven burst into the RCA office and demanded a recall. Jack introduces Eurythmics to Laurence Stevens, fresh out of college, who will design the artwork for Sweet Dreams.
~The week before February 28, 1984, Jack Steven attended a dinner that RCA set up between Annie Lennox and a Radio 1 executive. After she was offended at something the executive said, Lennox told the executive off. The Head of Promotions at RCA pulled Annie Lennox from a big event.
~In 1984, Steven decides to use Geffen Records to release the next album rather than RCA America. RCA America gets in a fight with Steven. RCA still releases the record.
~From 1990‐2000, Jack set up his own independent management production company which developed acts such as Jay Kay (Jamiroquai) and Dorren Waddle (Soul To Soul); he developed the music label of the Ministry of Sound; and was the Executive Producer and instigator of the Session Series (which to this day is the most successful dance compilation series in the world). He subsequently joined M&G Records (owned by Lord Michael Levy, personal advisor to the Right Honorable Tony Blair).
~In 1991, Zoe presented Jack Steven with an album that would become Scarlet Red and Blue. Steven, who was the new A&R Director at M&G records, was impressed and arranged for a concurrent US release of the album by RCA.
~In May 11, 1996 of Billboard, Steven appears hyping Zoe’s Hammer.
~In August 2, 1997 of Billboard, Steven announces signing of Jai.
~In May 2009, Pete Freedman, Music Editor of the Dallas Observer, and Hunter Hauk, Quick Entertainment Editor, release “Dallas Music Roundtable” which features Steven. Steven is in Dallas, has a record label in London that is distributed through Universal. Chardan, Eva Cherry, Xray Specs, Bow Wow Wow, Jamiroqui. Is on vacation in Dallas because he has a girlfriend that he has fallen in love with. Steven lists his age as 53. Trying to get into the scene.
~In January 2010, Jack Steven founds Kuba Entertainment. Founds Kuba along with Larry Little. Kuba signs Apartment, Ashock, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. Kuba manages the Sansara Festival.
~At some undisclosed time this decade, Steven founds Kew4, an online music marketing/PR company.
~In January 2013, Jack Steven founds 3Fifty5 in Cyprus. He does this along with Anthony Melas aka A.M. SNiPER. Melas calls his cultural home Cyprus. Melas claims relationships with Kanye West, 50 Cent, Memphis Bleek, Akon, Julian Marley, Juelz Santana, NORE, Sway, Mutya Buena, Curtis Young, Rick Ross, Lethal Bizzle, Sway, JME, Ghetts, Wiley, and others.
~In February 2013, Jack Steven founds Fortress Music.
Sources This Is The House Single, 1982/ Billboard May 11, 1996/ Billboard August 2, 1997/ Virgin Encyclopedia of Music, 2000/ Annie Lennox: The Biography by Lucy Ellis, 2001/ Dallas Music Roundtable, 2009/ Sweet Dreams Are Made of This by Dave Stewart, February 9, 2016/ Jack Steven’s LinkedIn
From Reddit post.
You are wrong Celia.
—2nd Smartest Guy In The World
I'm catching up on comments. I did not know this was a thing, until last night.
I hope we can all remain friends. Surely this is not a friendship-ender. It seems we have a split vote, which is typical of these quicksands.
Rudimentary question: Why would a celebrity, a star, of his age, do something this weird, at the end of their life? What would their motive be?
It's hard to be a newbie and have to ask naive questions.
I did look at the 2 Pauls, couple years ago. That one seems very possible.
I eventually had to get off the train because it was too chilling. It was scary in a way that I had to move away from.
The hallmark of journalistic and scholarly integrity is the capacity to acknowledge mistakes and correct them, remaining consistent with the commitment to properly sourced and cited facts and claims. Farber's update of the previous post reflects that integrity and reinforces her work in general especially topics more controversial and politically charged.