Andy Gershon

Biography

Andy Gershon has been a tastemaker in business, discovering and nurturing careers of artists like The Smashing Pumpkins, Moby and The White Stripes.

Gershon’s musical career began in the late 1980s in artist management, working with English alternative bands Love and Rockets, the Cocteau Twins, and The Sundays. In the early 1990s, he discovered The Smashing Pumpkins at a defining moment when alternative music was becoming mainstream. In addition to guiding The Smashing Pumpkins to multiplatinum success, Gershon revitalized Bryan Ferry’s career.

In 1996, Gershon formed Outpost Recordings with artists ranging from the multiplatinum rock act Days of the New to the first electronic dance music platinum act The Crystal Method. Outpost’s first four albums sold over 3.5 million records in America and were critically acclaimed. Also at this time, Gershon had a movie production deal with New Line Cinema to produce remakes of several Hong Kong action movies. Gershon was one of the first from Hollywood to make a movie deal in Hong Kong with the Chinese in the mid-1990s.

In the summer of 2001, Sir Richard Branson sought Gershon out to run V2 Records in North America, where Gershon signed and marketed successful artists, such as The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Black Crowes and Moby, as well as the Grammy-nominated soundtrack to the film “I Am Sam.” Gershon was eventually recruited to Sony/BMG to assist in the making and marketing of various rock and mainstream acts, such as Chevelle, Incubus, Ozzy Osbourne, Los Lonely Boys, Alkaline Trio and Cyndi Lauper.

Over the last several years, Gershon has won 13 Cannes Lions Awards for branded music videos that he produced for the video pioneers Ok Go. Additionally, he has produced Broadway in residence series featuring Broadway runs like Dave Chappelle, Barry Manilow, Morrissey and Mel Brooks.

In 2018, Gershon partnered with Darren Michaelson and Toronto-based Barometer Capital to form Barometer Music Fund 1, a music royalty fund. It was highly successful and eventually sold to a Swiss alternative asset advisor in 2021. Gershon has stayed involved with the fund and has continued to consult on music strategies and opportunities. 

Education

• B.S., American University