He thought he was going to beat it.
And that was the essence of Chip Hooper, his optimism, his determination, his perseverance. He saw what he wanted and he reached out and got it.
Almost always.
I first met him on a soundstage, at A&M Records, back in 1990, he was the agent for the band the Blessing, who were making a video.
My old friend Robert Tauro had picked Chip over competitors in L.A., like CAA, despite Hooper residing in Monterey. Chip closed him.
And he closed me. Chip had a way of being friendly and intimate without being pushy or overdramatic. He was the kind of guy who felt like a friend from the moment you met him, and whenever you connected, no matter how long the break, you felt the same kinship, you were important, you mattered, you shared a bond.
Which is a rare thing in show business where everybody is defined by their job and their power and as soon as they lose it, they're history, it's like they don't exist.
And although the Blessing failed, Chip insisted I come see his new signing Phish, at the Variety Arts Center in downtown L.A., on April 15, 1992, weeks after my dad died, a week before my birthday. The energy was palpable, I knew they were gonna blow up just as Chip said, and they did.
And then Chip became the jam band king. He represented the Dave Matthews Band. Suddenly, Chip was the big earner at Monterey Peninsula Artists, which represented blue chips like Aerosmith and Bonnie Raitt, but this guy from the midwest had a sense for what was coming, he always had a sense for what was coming.
Kind of like EDM. Chip made the deal for AM Only. Snatched them away from competitors. Because when you got Chip in a room...you felt the humanity, you could not sign with anybody else.
To the point where you told others they had to be with him. I told Ron Fierstein that Shawn Colvin had to sign with Chip and she did, and Ron became a fan of Chip's photography.
I'd say that's what most people don't know, but most people do, Chip was a world class photographer.
And a world class father.
You were hearing about the exploits of his son Max on the hardwood from the time the kid entered his teens. Chip was agenting his son.
And proud of his daughter Valerie too, especially when she got into Duke.
But you rarely saw Chip in the headlines, because the truth is you get those when you employ a publicity agent, when you need the accolades to survive. Chip loved his status and his power, but didn't need to brag, he was satisfied that those in the know knew, and they did, that's how he wound up winning Agent of the Year at the Pollstar Awards eight times, more than any other.
And I know we always say good thing about people when they pass. And maybe you don't know Chip.
But he was a force. He was a power. He did it through charm as opposed to intimidation, but he won.
Chip told me he'd tell me what he had if I promised not to Google it.
I didn't.
Others did, they told me it was a death sentence.
But Chip did not believe this. He went to Germany for a special treatment that worked! He was convinced he was gonna be here a long time.
But then he had his stroke.
You can't beat the Big C. Oh, you can try, but it'll get you in the end. Not every time, but most times.
And those of us left behind can't fathom it. How someone so vibrant is laid low and ultimately taken from us. We're sad, we're creeped out, and we're reminded it could be us.
And it most definitely could be. The Grim Reaper is funny that way. He plucks the best and the brightest instead of the deserving. There seems to be no rhyme or reason.
And 53 is way too early to go. But Chip packed a lot in and had an impact on so many, not only helping their careers but their personal lives too.
In the long run none of us will be remembered.
In the short run it's those you've come in contact with who you've been good to, who you've helped, who'll remember you.
And those who came in contact with Chip Hooper will never forget him.
And those that were exposed to Phish and Dave Matthews and so many other acts might not know that without Chip Hooper, they might have never heard of them.
So I don't know what to tell you to do. This death thing is confounding. I wish I'd seen Chip recently, I wonder what else I could have done.
But I do know that Chip did everything. He was there for people.
And if you want to honor his memory you'll pursue the target, despite the competition, you'll do good for others, and you'll know that life can be snatched from this earth at any time, and possessions are not people, and achievements are not experiences, and life is about the living.
Live yours to the fullest.
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