Ron Delsener is a working-class kid from Queens who rode his charm and his hustle all the way to the top of the music industry. He basically created the genre of the massive outdoor concert with his epic series of free Concerts in the Park. He landed everyone: Pavarotti, Streisand, even post-breakup Simon and Garfunkel. And Delsener is still firing on all cylinders: James Bay and Hozier are among the artists he maintains relationships with today. In his wonderfully profane and discursive conversation with Alec Baldwin, Delsener delivers a full dose of the old-school Queens personality that the New York Times says “radiates like a lighthouse beacon.” Delsener’s rockstar stories are great, his accent is great, and you’ll leave the interview finally understanding what a concert promoter actually does. (Hint: it’s so lucrative because it’s so high-risk.)
