Dorothy Carvello knows all about the music biz. She was the first female A&R executive at Atlantic Records, and one of the few in the room at RCA and Columbia. But before that, she was secretary to Ahmet Ertegun, Atlantic’s infamous president, who signed acts like Aretha Franklin and Led Zeppelin, negotiated distribution deals with Mick Jagger, and added Neil Young to Crosby, Stills & Nash. The stories she tells about the kingmakers of the music biz are outrageous, but it is her sinuous friendship with Ahmet that frames her narrative. He was notoriously abusive, sexually harassing Dorothy on a daily basis. Carvello reveals here how she flipped the script and showed Ertegun and every other man who tried to control her that a woman can be just as willing to do what it takes to get a hit. Never-before-heard stories about artists like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Steven Tyler, Bon Jovi, INXS, Marc Anthony, and many more make this book a must-read for anyone looking for the real stories on what it takes for a woman to make it in a male-dominated industry.

“Dorothy leaves out nothing from her past experiences. She was there and has told her story unfiltered.”—Diane Warren, songwriter

“Carvello’s memoir is wild, sexy, bold, honest, and brave. If you don’t know about the music business it is illuminating; if you do, it is sure to be revelatory. It is an amazing testament to her experience as a woman in the complicated, fast-moving, abusive, and compelling world of business and rock ’n’ roll. An important read in today’s climate in the workplace.”—Maury Sterling, actor, Homeland

“This book is hardcore. I wanted to put it down a thousand times but I just had to keep reading it. It is not only timely but necessary. Dorothy is a survivor and a success in spite of all the bullshit she faced as a woman in the music business. A sobering read.”—Snake Sabo, guitarist, Skid Row

“Dorothy’s book lays out the music industry from a woman’s eyes. I applaud her courage and humor. It is a must-read for any woman thinking of entering the business.” —Don Ienner, former chairman, Sony Music

"The music industry is long overdue for its #MeToo explosion, and this memoir seems ready to light the fuse… No matter how sleazy you might have heard the music industry is, this memoir suggests that it was worse." —Kirkus Reviews
 

"Carvello is piercingly honest in this discouraging look into the music industry." —Publishers Weekly

“It’s not news that sex and drugs went hand in hand with rock ‘n’ roll, but what this book reveals is how damaging the power dynamics of that party atmosphere could be even for a woman who was willing to play along.”—The New York Times Book Review

"A jaw-dropping, compelling read." - Gillian Gaar on Record Collector News

 

Dorothy Carvello began her career in 1987 as an assistant to Ahmet Ertegun, the legendary Atlantic Records founder, and went on to become the label’s first female A&R executive. She worked for many of the biggest names in music—Morris, Azoff, Galante, Buziak and Ienner—at Atlantic, Giant, RCA, Relativity and Columbia.