Cleveland native David Spero is humble and unassuming, despite recently being inducted into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame after a successful career as a music-oriented personal manager.

Spero has been a vital part of the entertainment scene both locally and nationally for decades—working with celebrities like Joe Walsh, Glenn Frey, Ringo Starr, Graham Nash, Dickey Betts, Jackson Browne, Kenny Loggins, Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam, Michael Stanley, and other well-known rock musicians.

Spero had been an integral part of the entertainment world in Northeast Ohio since the 1960s—starting with when he held cue cards for his father, Herman Spero’s groundbreaking TV program, “Upbeat” television show (1964-1971).

“Upbeat,” featured rock stars from all over the country, performing in the WEWS Channel 5 studios in downtown Cleveland. It was one of the first programs to acknowledge and celebrate popular music in a live setting

Since that experience more than 50 years ago, Spero has been on the leading edge of what Clevelanders have watched and heard in Northeast Ohio.

Dave with Peter Frampton Michael stanley and Jim Mudcat Grant former Cleve Indian greatAs a radio personality in the 1970s on WNCR 99.5 FM and WMMS 100.7 FM, he was one of the first DJs in the country to embrace FM rock radio. Spero’s long career has included producing and hosting several innovative education programs, including the “MTV Live at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” series in the early 2000s when he was senior director of programming at the Rock Hall and he introduced Clevelanders to the latest films during his promotion work with Columbia Studios.

In October, Spero will be inducted into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame—the highest honor bestowed upon a personal manager—at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. Established by the National Conference of Personal Managers, the award celebrates illustrious careers in entertainment, music, and talent management.

More recently, Spero wrote and published a memoir this past January with co-author K Adrian Zonneville about his experiences in the music industry.

“A Life In The Wings: My Sixty Year Love Affair with Rock and Roll,” details his interactions with a roster of artists, entertainers, booking agents, personal managers, and friends from his home base in South Euclid.

“People have asked me for years when I'd write a book,” says Spero. “During COVID, one of my clients, and dear friend, Bad Company’s Paul Rodgers said, ‘You now have the time to write your book. Do it!’

“So, I got together with Charlie Wiener, one of our region’s best-known singers who’s also a terrific writer, and we did!”

Dave Spero and partial collection of gold recordsIn Spero’s home office—which doubles as a gallery that showcases gold records, special awards, and historic photos—it is obvious how his friendships and management skills have translated into the tremendous success of musicians like Eagles members Joe Walsh and Glenn Frey; Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts; and Cleveland’s own Michael Stanley, who was one of Spero’s closest friends until his passing in March 2021.  

Spero says his upcoming Hall of Fame induction surprised him. “I never saw this award coming,” he says. “I was shocked when I got the letter telling me I was being inducted into the Personal Managers Hall of Fame. Just being mentioned in the same breath as Brian Epstein, the Beatles manager, and the other greats inducted before me, is something I never imagined.”

It all started with a phone call from his friend and future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Joe Walsh. “When I was a DJ on WMMS, Joe used to hang around the studio with me, picking songs and just having fun. One day, he said, 'You aren't going to do this when you're 25 are you?'  I was 19 at the time. He said I should become a personal manager so, some day, I could manage him. He set up my 'education' following his manager at the time, Irving Azoff, around for a year or so. Ten years later, I got the call from Joe and the rest is history.”

This early start to personal management has led to deep and long-lasting friendships with many of the artists who shared the earliest sounds of what’s now best described as classic rock. Perhaps one of the most notable examples of a career and life well-lived occurred at a recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, as Spero recounts:

“My book starts with me getting a shout out (very unexpectedly) from Graham Nash when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Hollies. Our friendship goes back many years. I was in a conversation at a table with Jackson Browne. He said, 'I think you just got thanked by Graham Nash.' I looked up and Graham was smiling at me.  I hardly remember the rest of the night.  What a thrill to be acknowledged by a long-time hero of mine.” 

David Cat Stevens and Jackson BrowneAnother highlight as part of Spero’s management career: “I was in the recording studio in London with Yusuf/Cat Stevens, and it got even better when Paul McCartney joined us for a couple of sessions. That just blew my mind!” 

But every day can be mind-blowing, Spero says.

“One of the great things about what I do is, every day brings a brand new set of challenges,” he says. “No two days or artists are alike. It's a constant string of troubleshooting, being a therapist, being in the right place at the right time, or having the right phone number to get something done. And then the payoff: Standing in the wings, watching my band blowing away an entire crowd.”

As a personal manager and confidant to so many in the music world, Spero could have moved to the hotspots for the business, such as New York, Los Angeles or the UK. But Cleveland is and will always be home.

“Cleveland keeps my head straight,” he says. “My family is always close by. Here I live the same life as everyone. No bothers at all. On the road, I get to live in my rock and roll fantasy world—private jets, limos, backstage life, police escorts, etc., but then, right back to normalcy when I land home.” 

When he’s not jet-setting in support of his talented roster, you’ll likely find this new Hall of Famer, author, music historian, and true blue Clevelander sitting with friends and enjoying his favorite meal, David’s Veggie Chopped, at his very favorite hang-out, Jack’s Deli, right here in South Euclid, Ohio.