MANAGEMENT

Over the past four decades Hervey & Company has maintained a highly regarded reputation as a multi-faceted boutique entertainment management and brand consultancy firm. The company has represented a diverse and impressive roster of entertainers that encompass a wide spectrum of contemporary music genres, ranging from pop/rock, rhythm & blues, hip-hop, jazz, and gospel.  In addition, their diverse clientele has included actors/singers, independent record labels, live events, prominent sports figures, music supervision, non-profit organizations, and executive producing television and film projects.

Ramon Hervey II founded Hervey & Company, a personal management company in 1985 while simultaneously operating his public relations company of the same title. He opted to shutter his PR firm and 1993 to devote his full attention to artist and brand management.

In recent years, the company also served as a Management Consultant for Sankofa.org, a social justice artist driven non-profit organization founded by iconic activist/entertainer Harry Belafonte, developed a new lifestyle brand platform, “Sustainable Life Satisfaction,” with noted CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) Therapist Jennifer Guttman, and has helped to rebrand Brooklyn-based non-profit community organization, Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation. He is also authoring his first book, “The Fame Game,” (working title) for Harper Collins/Amistad Publishing.

Rock n roll legend Little Richard became the company’s first management client. He revitalized his career handling his best-selling and controversial biography, “Little Richard, The Quasar of Rock n Roll.” The company also helmed recording star/actress Vanessa Williams’s multi-faceted rise to stardom (1984–1996), multiple Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer and recording artist Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds (1994-1996 and 1998–2003), and contemporary gospel icon and 8-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter/artist/producer Andrae Crouch for over two-and-a-half decades, (1994–2010).

Over the years, Hervey has managed; Grammy nominated a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Canadian contemporary jazz/ soul/pop songwriter/singer Kellylee Evans, actress/singer Gloria Reuben (former Emmy nominated actress from the hit series “ER”), Tony-award nominated actress/recording star Daphne Rubin-Vega, Speech, founder of Arrested Development, multi-platinum selling r & b/pop duo, Zhane, Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer Barry Eastmond, Grammy-nominated contemporary Jazz artist Philippe Saisse, and rock/jazz fusion trio, PSP (Simon Phillips, Philippe Saisse, Pino Palladino), among others.

The company has supported many charitable organizations over the years, including, Athletes and Entertainers for Kids, TransAfrica Forum, which successfully lobbied for the 1983 economic sanctions against South Africa and its system of Apartheid, The T. J. Martell Foundation, St. Elmo’s Village, a community arts & crafts center for inner-city youth in Los Angeles, Green Chimney’s, a home for inner-city youth and wildlife preservation based in upstate New York, and Keep A Child Alive, a Brooklyn based organization that assists and provides generic drugs/treatment for HIV/Aids children and orphans throughout Africa.

PUBLIC RELATIONS (1974–1993)

Prior to developing his personal management company, Hervey successfully helmed his own entertainment public relations company, was a partner in The Group (with veteran PR icon Bob Gibson), and served as Vice-President Of Talent at Rogers & Cowan, one of the entertainment industry’s most prestigious public relations companies.

Throughout his tenure as a public relations practitioner, Hervey represented a bevy of celebrated entertainers, including among others; Bette Midler, Richard Pryor, Natalie Cole, George Benson, Herb Alpert, James Caan, Al Jarreau, Joe Sample, Lenny Kravitz, The Bee Gees, Nick Nolte, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Peter Frampton, Heart, Priscilla Presley, The Jackson’s (with Michael Jackson), Commodores (with Lionel Richie), Paul McCartney, The Carpenters, Ashford & Simpson, A Taste of Honey, and David Sanborn.

He also represented major corporate clients and motion picture and television events such as, A & M Records, Motown Records, Chrysalis Records, ICM, “The Rose,” starring Bette Midler, the first “Richard Pryor Live In Concert,” “The Tenth Anniversary Rolling Stones Special,” the long-running Midnight Special music series on NBC-TV, Soul Train, and The Soul Train Music Awards.

In addition, he has handled several world-class athletes and sports figures, including among others; Muhammad Ali, light heavyweight champion Matthew Saad Muhammad, former All Star MVP, Pittsburgh Pirates Dave Parker, the late St. Louis Cardinals and Hall of Fame inductee Lou Brock, former All Stars, Cincinnati Reds, George Foster, New York Yankees Graig Nettles, All-Pro Los Angeles Rams, Lawrence McCutcheon, and Olympic decathlon champion Bruce Jenner.

Hervey broke into public relations in London, England, working as publicist for the rock n roll/pop booking agency, Starlite Artists, (Marmalade, Clem Curtis & The Foundations, Mac & Katie Kissoon, Bay City Rollers, 1974-75). He later served as an Editor for two pop fanzines, Poster, and Superstar magazines. He returned to the States and began working in the music industry in the US at Motown Records as a writer/publicist in Los Angeles, (1976-77).

FILM, TV, & MUSIC SUPERVISION

In 2013, Hervey served as Music Supervisor on FREE ANGELA, the critically acclaimed and NAACP Image Award-winning film (for Best Documentary), about activist and pop culture icon, Angela Davis. Guitarist/songwriter/singer, Vernon Reid, (Founder of Living Color) composed the film’s soundtrack. Shola Lynch directed and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Executive Produced. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Code Black Entertainment/Lionsgate distributed a limited theatrical release and BET televised it.

In 2009, he also served as Music Supervisor for the documentary, “Hot Flash Havoc,” the first film of its kind to deal with menopause. The music score, penned by Barry Eastmond, features the title song, “Power Surge,” Co-written and produced by Eastmond with Grammy Award-winning songwriter/singer Siedah Garrett. Garrett also performed the song. Marc Bennett served as Director and Heidi Houston produced. They released the film independently in 2010, and 100 PBS-TV affiliates broadcasted it nationally.

In 2008, he served as Executive Producer of, “Andrae Crouch and Friends,” a one- hour television special hosted by Crouch with special guests, the late Natalie Cole and Walter Hawkins and Yolanda Adams. The Feed the Children organization produced it to support their worldwide hunger and famine relief efforts. They televised it nationally via several major cable television affiliates.

In 2004, he served as an Executive Producer of the Peabody Award-winning documentary “Chisholm 72, Unbought & Unbossed,” directed by Shola Lynch. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, competed in The Los Angeles Film Festival, The Harlem Film Festival. The documentary had a limited national theater release and later, via the “Point of View” series, PBS-TV broadcasted it nationally. Fox Home Video released on DVD in March 2005.

He served as Executive Producer of two live concert specials featuring Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Both captured performances during his Japanese concert tours. One broadcast on NHK-TV (1995), and the other on Wowow TV (2001).

EVENT PRODUCTION AND SPECIAL PROJECTS

An entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word, Hervey served as a Management Consultant for the International Cairo Film Festival and booked several Honorary Guests to attend the Festival in Cairo, Egypt (2003-2006). Some Honorary Guests included Danny Glover, Gabrielle Union, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Priscilla Presley, Samuel Jackson, Salma Hayek, and Lucy Liu.

In 2004, he Co-produced the annual gala benefit concert for the Jazz Foundation of America, “A Great Night in Harlem,” at the Apollo Theater. The event featured many jazz greats, Brian Blades,

Barry Harris, The Arturo O’Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, the Harlem Blues & Jazz All Stars, among others. The highlight of the night included a special tribute to the late Ray Charles presented by “Ray” film director Taylor Hackford. The tribute featured performances by Chris Thomas King, Angela Workman (an original member of The Raelettes), Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, and Sweet Georgia Brown.

In 1996, Hervey served as Executive Producer of “NBA at 50,” a tribute album to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the NBA (1946-1996). It featured original songs by songwriters/producers Babyface and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and performances by David Sanborn, Vanessa Williams, Crystal Waters, Brian McKnight, Take 6, Eddie and Gerald Levert, Bobby Womack, Wayman Tisdale, and others. The project was a joint venture between the late Bob Krasnow/Krasnow Entertainment (also an Executive Producer) and Mercury/PolyGram Records.

In 1991, Hervey helmed the Los Angeles based music production/club entity, R & B LIVE with partner Bill Hammond. During a four-year span they produced over 160 shows featuring the industry’s most celebrated R & B, contemporary jazz, gospel and rap/hip-hop artists and musicians including Stevie Wonder, Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Chaka Khan, The O’Jays, The Ohio Players, Natalie Cole, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Earth Wind & Fire, Lisa Stansfield, Grand Master Flash, Heavy D, Brian McKnight, Be Be and Ce Ce Winans, Andrae Crouch, Mick Hucknall, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, and Marcus Miller to name a few.

R & B LIVE also produced music for several major entertainment events the world premiere after party of Eddie Murphy’s box office hit, “Coming To America,” concert tours in association with the USO for servicemen based throughout Europe, and a gala event for the music industry’s prestigious T.J. Martell Foundation, among others.

Hervey & Company’s home base is in New York, NY.