Bob Leone, responsible for launching Lana Del Rey talks about the past, early career, 'So Legit' and ‘Honeymoon’.

[edwinfg 9,131]

He made an interview for a Brazilian Lana Del Rey site, "Lana Brazil". He talked about Lady Gaga as well. Link here

 

“No, I cannot honestly say I had anything to do with Stefani Germanotta becoming Lady GaGa or Lizzy Grant becoming Lana Del Rey. They chose these personas themselves based on who they truly are inside and that is why they are both authentic artists.” — Bob Leone

 

 

 

Lana Brasil: You discovered Lana on “Song Writers Hall of Fame”, right? What did you see in her that made her different from the others?

 

Bob Leone: No, that’s not true. In January 2006, Lana introduced herself to me at a famous NYC music club called The Bitter End. I was the national projects director for the Songwriters Hall of Fame at that time. She came up to my apartment a few weeks later to play some of her songs for me. I knew immediately that Lana would be a superstar because her voice is very distinctive, like no one else’s voice. Also, her lyrics are amazing and also very distinctive. And, of course, she’s very beautiful. We became very good friends. In her “Rolling Stone” interview, Lana said I was her confidante. We often had dinner together and after dinner we would take took long walks in Manhattan, talking about anything and everything, including her dreams for the future.In June 2006, six months after I met Lana, I featured her in a Songwriters Hall of Fame Songwriter Showcase. I also arranged for her to take a songwriting workshop.

 

You were also Lady Gaga’s first businessman. Both Lana and Gaga have created a new persona, an alter ego. Did you have any influence on it?

 

I met Lady GaGa when she was 14. She performed at one of my Hall of Fame Open Mics and I knew immediately she was going to be a very successful artist. Her voice, her piano playing and her songs were incredible. I was her friend and mentor for five years and then accepted her offer to be her first personal manager. As you may know, she thanked me in June, when she received SHOF’s Icon Award, for supporting her in her early career. Her comments and my comments to her are on my facebook timeline.

No, I cannot honestly say I had anything to do with Stefani Germanotta becoming Lady GaGa or Lizzy Grant becoming Lana Del Rey. They chose these personas themselves based on who they truly are inside and that is why they are both authentic artists.

 

 

Do you still work with discovering new faces for the music industry?

 

Yes, I have always been interested in discovering new artists. That’s why I created the SHOF Songwriter Showcases. I chose the most talented artists to perform at these events, which I produced four times a year for 18 years, and these artists performed in front of music industry executives. GaGa performed at one of my showcases and, as I mentioned before, so did Lana, but not in the same one.

I am currently managing three artists. Two of them — Daiana Segovia and Roberta Simonen — just finished recording their first singles which haven’t been released yet. My third artist is Artemissanne. I want to make it clear that I will not be working with any other artists in the near future because I only have enough time and energy for those with whom I am already working.

 

What is the connection between Lana and Gaga? Have they ever met?

 

What Lana and GaGa have in common are three things: I discovered both of them, although I want to make it clear that I was never Lana’s manager. Also, both of them took songwriting workshops at SHOF and both were featured in one of my SHOF showcases. I also featured Lana and GaGa in two showcases I produced after I left SHOF. But Lana and GaGa were not in the same workshop and they were not in the same showcases. As far as I know, they still have not met.

 

 

In 2006 Lana was signed with “5 Points Records”, where she recorded the album “Lana Del Ray AKA Lizzy Grant”. Were you involved?

 

No, I was not involved in any way with her being signed to that record label.

 

In 2012 Lana released her debut album, Born to Die, with a more mainstream pop sound and made an effort to capture/captivate the audience. But her latest album, Ultraviolence, was something more personal. What do you think about this change ?

 

I love both albums. True artists, like Lana, grow and evolve all the time.

 

When you met her, did she used to write for other artists? If so, which ones?

I’m certain that Lana has never written songs specifically for other artists. Those artists who have sung Lana’s songs did so because they love them, not because Lana asked them to.

 

 

Do you still keep in touch with her? What is your relation with Lana?

 

I saw Lana perform in Berlin last year but we did not have a chance to speak because she flew to her next show immediately after she performed. But I wished her a Happy Birthday this year and she congratulated me on getting married.

 

What should we expect of this new era? Do you think a new style will arise?

 

I don’t know if “Honeymoon” will be in a different style from Lana’s previous recordings, but what I do know is that the music and lyrics will come from Lana’s heart and soul, as does everything she writes and sings.

 

 

If you could say something to the youth that is currently starting a career, what would it be?

 

It’s the same for everyone who has a dream, whether they want to be a successful artist or be successful at something else.

First, learn everything you can about your future career. Be a sponge for information. Educate yourself about every aspect of the field you have chosen. “Knowledge is power.”

Second, network, network, network. This is so important. Spend as much time as you can with people in your field who are more advanced in their careers than you are. They are all potential mentors These are professionals who, if you are fortunate, will take you “under their wing” and whose experience and expertise will advance your career to a higher level.

Third, never, ever, ever give up. The one thing that all successful artists have in common is that they have always held on to their dreams. They take every experience as a learning experience. Sometimes the experiences that seem “negative” are the ones from which we grow the most. A perfect example is one of the artists who performed in one of my SHOF showcases many years ago. Her name is Rachel Platten. Rachel, who is very talented, has been performing for over ten years. Even though she felt discouraged at times because commercial success eluded her, she refused to give up her dreams. Now she is a star. And ironically, her hit, “Fight Song,” is about not giving up.

 

 

I know that you must’ve been asked about this a lot, but I can’t avoid the question. Some time ago one of Lana’s songs called “So Legit” was leaked, in which she talks about a girl named Stefani and some past in Williamsburg. Is that the Stefani we’re thinking?

 

Yes, I have been asked this question many times. Those of us who know Lana, either in real life, like me, or as fans of her songs, know that she would never write something like that about GaGa or anyone. That whole controversy blew up to ridiculous proportions. For example, some people blamed me for Lana having bad feelings about GaGa. They sad she was upset because I managed GaGa and not her. And a few days ago, under a You Tube video of GaGa thanking me at the SHOF award ceremony, someone wrote a comment saying that it was so wonderful of her to express her gratitude to me because, according to that person. I wrote “So Legit.” All I could do was laugh at something so ridiculously untrue. Like Lana, I would never write anything so cruel, especially about someone like GaGa about whom I have very positive feelings

[Hunty Bear 12,485]

<3 nifty

[untitled 733]

ok so what other Stefani was Lana talking about

[Vespertine 1,553]

[Lust 9,161]

right so some no1cur was like hey lana can you sing this diss song i wrote about gags and lans was like um yas ofc makes lots of sense

 

lana and gags were in the same circle so it wouldn't be so far fetched for them to have talked a few times even for like a minute or what ev, most of the she sings about in so legit are probably made up shit that sorta have nothing to do with reality like most of ha lyrics k? but clearly she was presseT that gags got famous and she was still a and had a distaste for ha.

[Slasher 19,618]

My queens better not hate each other though. I cannot have this.