Linda Eder and Ronni Hart

"A smart, strong woman like Ronni Hart would rise to the top no matter what she chose to do in life. She has already conquered one profession, and now it's great fun to see her tackling another. It's a completely new direction for her, but it complements the great changes she has made in her personal life. It's a pleasure to see someone you care about getting so much pleasure out of her life. She's earned it and she deserves it. She's a wonderful woman who I am proud to say is my friend."

Ronni Hart, together with her husband Dave Hart, is Linda's concert manager. The Editorial Staff of THE VOICE sat down with Ronni to learn more about the woman who brings Linda to venues around the country and what is involved in being Linda's concert manager.

VOICE: How and when did you first meet Linda?

RONNI: The first time I met Linda was at her concert at the Gershwin Theatre. She was doing a series of Christmas concerts there, and Dave brought me to the concert. I was back stage and I was so excited to actually be meeting Linda.

VOICE: A lot of people have that reaction!

RONNI: I know. I was thrilled. She is just so amazingly talented… and beautiful… and gracious. The whole experience was just pure delight for me that night.

VOICE: Had you heard of Linda before this?

RONNI: Absolutely! First of all, I saw JEKYLL & HYDE many times, and after the first time I saw the show, I fell in love with it. And so I came back a number of times. I brought my son… brought my parents… brought my friends. I just kept going back to hear that incredible voice. I was truly amazed when I heard Linda sing those wonderful songs at each performance, and actually there isn't a time when I'm at one of Linda's concerts that I don't get the chills listening to her sing. That aspect never changes for me.

VOICE: So you were a Jekkie?

RONNI: Well, no, more like a huge Linda Eder fan! I thought Linda was just amazing!

VOICE: Did you know Dave when you saw Linda in JEKYLL & HYDE?

RONNI: No, I didn't know Dave until many years after that.

VOICE: When you met Dave, did you know that he was connected to Linda?

RONNI: Well, my hairdresser, Damian Miano, is the man who actually introduced me to Dave. That's how I met Dave. I was married at the time I saw Linda in JEKYLL & HYDE but eventually I got separated. My good friend, Alla Katkov, also works at the salon, and she came over to the chair one day when Damian was cutting my hair. She told him that since he knew so many people, perhaps he could suggest someone to fix me up with. He said he would think about it. A few months later, he told me there was someone he thought I ought to meet and that this man happened to represent Linda Eder. I said okay, and so that's how Dave and I met in the summer of 2001.

VOICE: Was it love at first sight?

Ronni on her Wedding Day with her mother and Linda

RONNI: We had a fabulous first meeting BUT, after we met, I didn't hear from him for a couple of weeks so I assumed that he wasn't interested. I went back to the salon, and the first thing Damian said to me was, 'I heard you went out on a first date with Dave. So… when are you going to see him again?' I told him I didn't know because I hadn't heard from Dave. He was quite surprised to hear this. In the middle of cutting my hair that day, he excused himself and went into the office for a minute. He had actually called Dave to ask him what he was waiting for. Dave told him he wasn't sure that I liked him — so that's why he hesitated to call me. I didn't know Damian did this until much later. But it worked — because Dave called me the next day.

VOICE: That's men for you!

RONNI: Sometimes they're a little shy.

VOICE: That can be what makes them charming sometimes too. Getting back to the work you do with Linda, we'd like to know more about what your job entails.

RONNI: I'm her concert manager, so I really work on the management side and do everything that being Linda's concert manager requires. I take care of the contracts, insurance, coordinate with public relations if necessary and details with the venues where Linda will be appearing, oversee what's happening with the travel and the hotels. Jeff Osborne handles the day-to-day details, but we work very closely together. Sometimes I travel with Linda. I went with her to London where she recorded some of the songs for BY MYSELF with the London Symphony. Dave does most of the bookings. He and I meet with Linda's record company as needed. We talk with them and with Linda about the future, send out promotional materials, and work with the band and make sure they get paid. These are the day-to-day things that management requires in addition to administering the bookings.

VOICE: What's really involved in booking Linda for a performance? Do you contact venues or do they contact you?

RONNI: It works both ways, but there are so many things that we do. For example, later today after our interview, Dave and I will be going to the Performing Arts Presenters Conference here in New York at the Hilton. We will meet lots of different representatives from various venues and symphonies. There are many things that we do behind the scenes to get bookings. Oftentimes venues will contact us, but we also reach out to the people we meet and the people we know. Of course, Dave knows most everyone in the concert world, so that definitely is a plus. You never know where a booking is going to come from. Since Linda and Michael Feinstein have been doing their Two For The Road show, Dave and I coordinate the booking of concerts with Michael's management.

VOICE: How does someone who's interested in doing the type of work that you do go about getting into that line of work?

Ronni and Dave pose for a photo with Linda backstage at Westbury Music Fair

RONNI: The first way would be to start as an assistant for someone who is established in this line of work. That's really how the business is learned. For example, my son is at William Morris. He started as an assistant, and now he is in the agent trainee program there. It's that kind of business. You can go to school and get a degree in communications, and there are some schools that offer a music management major. But for me, in my prior life and in this life, the best way is to learn is from someone you work for. Some parts of this job look so glamorous and wonderful, but like any other job, there are those parts and then there are the day-to-day parts that you may not like to do but that you have to do. Also, I think one of the keys is to know that this is a people business. You really have to understand the clients you're representing. You have to be the behind the scenes person and put it all together, and that's the bottom line. That's where you get your marching orders. So I think working for someone is the best training. I was really lucky that I met Dave, and I always say I got to learn at the feet of 'the master.' He's been in this business for a long time. Even though I had a business background, I didn't know this business. It was something I always wanted to do, but I never had the opportunity. Basically I gained my knowledge because I followed Dave around for a couple of years, just watching and learning and taking it all in.

VOICE: Your background in law and business must really come in handy.

RONNI: It definitely helps with the contracts and with negotiations. Having a very strong business background, I'm good with numbers and books, and that all really helps. I was sort of in a people business before, so I transitioned my skills into this business. This was something I wanted to do since I was out of law school, but I just never really had the opportunity until recently.

VOICE: What kind of law did you practice?

RONNI: I was in real estate law. When I graduated from law school, I wanted to be an entertainment lawyer, but I just didn't have the opportunity. I already had a child. And so it had to go the way it did then, but now I feel like I have a second chance. This job gives me a chance to use my skills that I relied on in business. I always look at it that way. The artists are the creative force. I'm on the business side taking care of everything so that when Linda steps on the stage, everything is in place so she can do what she does best. I work to make every appearance as seamless as possible and to make Linda as happy and comfortable as possible.

VOICE: Jeff Osborne is a great asset in that regard.

RONNI: Yes, he is. He's there to take care of lots of production details. Jeff and I communicate a lot behind the scenes about each show that's coming up and discuss any details that we all need to know. We really operate like a team and to some extent — like a family.

VOICE: Has working with Michael Feinstein's team so much taken some of the pressure off?

RONNI: Not really. Our office handles all of the financial aspects of the joint concerts. My office is in the same building as Michael's managers. We're down the hall from them, so I get to talk to them on a daily basis. We do a lot of coordinating and strategizing together, so that's been really fun. Michael is so very nice and gracious.

Linda toasting the new Mr. and Mrs. Hart on their Wedding Day

VOICE: It's a great show! Everybody loves it, including the band.

RONNI: I love it too! Linda and Michael have such great chemistry together. You can tell when you watch them that they have a wonderful friendship and great admiration for each other. I really love when he says (to Linda after her solo numbers), 'Good luck with your career!' It always brings a big laugh from the audience.

VOICE: When you describe Linda to people representing prospective venues, how do you pitch her?

RONNI: Most of the time, I just say that I have the pleasure of representing Linda Eder. Usually I don't have to say much more because they say with enthusiasm, 'Oh, Linda Eder!' For the most part, people know her and think she's amazing. If they don't know her for whatever reason (which isn't very often!), I tell them what an amazing singer she is, that she's beautiful, and tell them some of the many places she's played. I also sent them a CD so they can have the pleasure of hearing for themselves.

VOICE: Her reputation precedes her!

RONNI: Exactly… her reputation precedes her!

VOICE: If a fan feels that a particular venue would be a perfect fit for Linda, how can they communicate that to you?

RONNI: I do get e-mails from fans stating that Linda has never come to their town and how well they think she'd do there. Recently I've gotten e-mails from Europe saying that they'd love to have Linda there. I write back to let them know that Europe is something we've been working on. We're always interested in suggestions fans may have. If there are venues I don't know, Dave is usually familiar with them all. There may be a reason a venue may not work for Linda, but if we think there's a possibility it will work, we contact them. Many times we've already been speaking to the venue that has been suggested. We follow up on all e-mails we receive.

VOICE: Do you book Linda for charity events?

RONNI: Linda does do some charity events. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, she can't do as many as she would like to do. There are a number of causes that Linda has done things for. I know she would do more if she had more time.

VOICE: We get requests all the time for merchandise. Fans are interested in photos, key chains, a souvenir book and things like that. Have you ever discussed the possibility of having merchandise for sale at the venues where Linda is performing?

RONNI: It has been talked about, and I think it would be really fun to do. One of the problems with that is just the logistics of it because of the fact that Linda wants to be home with Jake and not on the road for six weeks at a time. In that case, they would be traveling in a bus and could easily bring all the t-shirts, mugs and other merchandise fans would like to purchase. To have these items available at Linda's concerts, it would require having items shipped to a venue for one night and shipped back. The logistics of coordinating something like that would be very difficult.

VOICE: We can understand that! Can you share some of your favorite memories of times you have spent with Linda?

In London during the recording of BY MYSELF (from left to right): Ettore Stratta, Linda Eder, Byron Olson, Ronni Hart, and Pat Phillips.

RONNI: I traveled to London with Linda when she went to record songs for BY MYSELF with the London Symphony, and that was definitely a highlight for me. Flying over and spending time with Linda was very special. Being at Abbey Road Studios and also having the London Symphony there was amazing. The first day we went to Abbey Road Studios and I sat down in the recording area, the London Symphony started playing 'By Myself.' I had not heard any of the orchestrations that were going to be used, and when Linda started singing, I was just completely blown away… I mean completely! This trip to London was also such a special time for me to spend with Linda because she had just started dating Craig. We had a lot of 'girl chats' late at night about life. Linda and I had so much in common and had been through many of the same experiences. We talked late into the night about having kids, dating, and just life in general, and this made the week together in London so much fun and so special. I didn't know what to expect when we first planned this trip. At that time, Linda and I knew each other well, but I don't think we knew each other that well. We had worked together, but this time in London helped to solidify our friendship. It really turned out to be a fun week.

VOICE: I guess it would be hard to top that special memory.

RONNI: True, but I also spent a week with Linda down in Orlando when she was filming Jim Brickman's PBS Special, and we really had a good time there too working together. They were shooting into the wee hours of the morning, and I had to be a little bit tough and outspoken with the PBS people and the Disney people, so I think Linda saw another side of me there, a professional side she hadn't seen before. It required me to be tough. She had a chance to see me, and some of the things that I do, in a different light. It was a fun time!

VOICE: Those are two great memories you have to treasure.

RONNI: They were wonderful times! There is also one more very important time I'd like to share. Linda gave a speech at Dave's and my wedding, and that was very special to us both.

VOICE: That must have been so amazing. Linda is such a great speaker.

RONNI: I agree. After I watched the graduation speech she gave last year, I called Linda and told her that the speech was just fantastic! I thought it was just a wonderful speech and very inspiring. I loved it!

VOICE: What do you think it is that makes Linda so unique?

Ronni and Dave with Linda's Publicist Jill Siegel

RONNI: Of course, I have to say her amazing voice. Dave and I get CDs to listen to all the time. They are sent to us either from record companies or directly from the singers themselves who would like us to represent them. What sets Linda apart is her voice, her ability to deliver the song, her phrasing, the pureness of the notes. There's so much going on that's incredible. I think it's a combination of her voice, of her being so beautiful, and of her being such a real person. Those three qualities combine to make Linda a totally amazing singer and person… all the stars are aligned, as they say. I think that she has so much going for her. She's a real caring mother, a wonderful daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. All those things are priorities for Linda, and they are combined with that amazing technical ability and beauty, both inside and out.

VOICE: Do you have a favorite Linda song?

RONNI: Of course, I love 'Vienna.' I love 'By Myself' and 'This Must Be Love,' which shows the differences in couples and was the first dance at our wedding. When Dave first played that song for me, I told him that it was the song we were going to play at our wedding. But I really love everything! You really know you love somebody's music in this business when you play their CDs even though you don't have to play them. I play Linda's CDs in the car and at home. If we are in the wings when Linda is singing on stage, Dave and I always dance together.

VOICE: As you think about this question, it seems like it's really hard to choose a favorite song for different reasons.

RONNI: Another favorite song just came to mind. I love 'Let Him Fly!' For a long time, I didn't even know that song existed. It's the last song on one of Linda's CDs, and somehow I never got to it. I couldn't believe that I had never heard it until Dave played it for me, and from that point on, it became very special. I told my son when he gets married that's the song we're going to play, and he feels the same way. I can't ever listen to that song without crying. 'If I Could' is another favorite. I guess I like different songs for different reasons, but if I had to pick one favorite song, I'd pick 'This Must Be Love.'

VOICE: Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this interview. You have given Linda's fans a better insight into what takes place behind the scenes to bring Linda to her fans around the country.

We would love to hear from you! Please write to THE VOICE at lethevoice@comcast.net
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