Jo-Ann Geffen

Jo-Ann Geffen is an entertainment industry executive who has represented many, many music acts throughout her publicity and celebrity booking career that has spanned over 35 years. She continues to preside over JAG Entertainment.

She moved to Los Angeles from New York in 1978 to open an office at Motown Records for the Commodores at the peak of their superstardom and traveled the country and the world on tour with them. She has worked in every genre of music and is very active with non-profits.

Some of the clients she has represented in music include Smokey Robinson, David Cassidy, Lamont Dozier, the Temptations, BJ Thomas, Ray Stevens, NAMM (International Music Products Association), the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, Robin Gibb, Trackboyz, to name a few. Others on her roster, past and present, include Barbara Walters, Nancy Cartwright, South African Broadcasting Corporation, Sugar Ray Leonard, Body by Jake, Sinbad, Jackie Mason, FiT TV, the People's Choice Awards and many, many more. She has booked talent for the television academy, Children's Miracle Network telethons, Miss World, the Black Achievement Awards, and for concerts and events throughout the U.S. and the world. Some of those she has booked include Larry King, George Benson, Vanessa Williams, Christie Brinkley, Fran Drescher, Joe Cocker, Diahann Carroll, Pierce Brosnan, and a host of others.

Author is a new label she is happy to wear, accidental though it was. Called to a meeting in Las Vegas for a new PR client, she was in a conference room with the one of the creators and the President of the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise listening to their success story and ideas before her own meeting was to take place. By some miracle, this idea popped into her head and she had to stifle blurting it out for over an hour until the meeting let out. Over lunch, sitting next to Bob Jacobs, the then President of Chicken Soup for the Soul, she presented her idea. Without hesitation, he replied, "I love it. Let's do it." The rest will hopefully be history.

Through her relationships and simply because songwriters are not often given the due they deserve (most of the time they're not even credited with their songs online) she has been able to speak with the writers of 101 of the greatest songs of all time, covering virtually every genre of music from Paul Anka's "My Way" to Kanye West's "Welcome To Heartbreak," Melissa Etheridge's "Come To My Window," and Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer" and everything in between including legendary Motown hits, country classics, rock ‘n roll and hard rock chart toppers.

To schedule an interview with Jo-Ann Geffen or receive a review copy, please contact Rusty Shelton at (512) 785-4469 or [email protected].