Shep Gordon Supermensch - The Man Who Made Chefs' Celebrities The Raw Hospitality Show

Shep Gordon is an American talent manager, Hollywood film agent, and producer, and the star of a 2013 documentary, Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, directed by Mike Myers.  Born in Jackson Heights, Queens, he has spent the last 47 years living in Maui and has just become the proud father of his first child (he also has 4 adopted children).
This man truly is an all round great human being, adored by celebrities across the world and one of the most humble, appreciative, wise and spiritual person I have ever met, and I am honored to be able to call him a friend,  
During today’s show we cover so many topics - we learn how hospitality is his passion, cooking is his mediation & hosting culinary jam sessions at his home in Maui are a regular occurrence.   
He talks about his humbling experience working with the Dalai Lama for over 12 years, and how if being Alice Cooper’s manager (along with many other famous artists) wasn’t enough, he is the man single handedly responsible for creating celebrity chefs.
Why did he do this?  Well, having been a close friend and then manager for the iconic French chef Roger Verge, he became angered by the differences he saw first hand in the way chefs vs rock stars were being treated, and after a conversation with Wolfgang Puck, he was called to go down to Spago for lunch, where he was met by 100 of the world’s greatest chefs holding a sign, asking for help.  From that point on, he made it his mission to stop chefs being seen as just staff, but to bring them/us out of the kitchen and give them/us not only a platform to show off their/our creativity & be recognized for their/our skills, but receive the status (and financial reward) they/we deserve.
We go on to discuss the evolution of the culinary arts, the role of TV in the rise to stardom for chefs, and way that has changed over the years, for good and bad; 
We discuss the impact of the #metoo movement on the industry and with the current situation we’re all facing, he shares his thoughts on where he sees opportunity for chefs and restaurateurs moving forward in order to be successful in their business, be happy with who they are and deliver delight to customers.
It really is a fascinating, wide ranging discussion, so sit back and enjoy….
BIO
After obtaining his B.A. in 1968 from the State University of New York at Buffalo in sociology, he attended The New School for Social Research for post-graduation work.  On moving to Los Angeles, California, he first got a job as a probation officer before becoming a legendary talent agent and friend of celebrities the world over.
Music career
After being introduced to the band Alice Cooper by drummer Neal Smith’s sister Cindy Smith, he and his partner Joe Greenberg began to manage the group in 1968. Gordon went on to represent Anne Murray, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross, Ben Vereen, Burton Cummings, The Calloways, Squeeze, Frankie Valli, Gary Wright, George Clinton, Gipsy Kings, Groucho Marx, Jean-Luc Ponty, Johnny Clegg, Kenny Loggins, King Sunny Ade, Lisa Fischer, Majek Fashek, Maurice White, Michelle Shocked, Mtume, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Pink Floyd, Pointer Sisters, Raquel Welch, Rick James, Sarah Miles, Stephanie Mills and Yvonne Elliman. He continues to manage Alice Cooper to this day without a contract.
Gordon was a partner with Sammy Hagar (of Van Halen) on Cabo Wabo Tequila. He also partnered with Willie Nelson to create Old Whiskey River Bourbon.
Culinary career
In 1993 Gordon created Alive Culinary Resources, the first talent agency to represent chefs. In the words of Emeril Lagasse, “He single-handedly created celebrity chefs. His client list has included Celestino Drago, Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, Dean Fearing, Emeril Lagasse, Jimmy Schmidt, Jonathan Waxman, Larry Forgione, Lydia Shire, Mark Miller, Mark Tarbell, Nobu Matsuhisa, Peter Merriman, Piero Selvaggio, Pino Luongo, Rovert Del Grande, Roger Vergé, Roy Yamaguchi, Sam Choy, Wolfg