I AM MICHAEL ALAGO
Breathing Music. Signing Metallica. Beating Death
Michael Alago with Laura Davis-Chanin
Backbeat Books. 265 pages, $24.95
DO YOU HAVE a friend who regales you with stories about their celebrity encounters, sexual shenanigans, and intoxicated misadventures? A lot of gay people do, but if you don’t, I’d suggest reading Michael Alago’s new memoir. Heck, read it even if you do have that friend. The stories Alago tells will be probably be wilder, weirder, and more entertaining than anyone else’s.
Alago was born in 1959 into a middle-class Puerto Rican family in New York City. From a young age he was obsessed with rock music, and worked as a booking agent for the legendary Ritz nightclub when he was still a college student. He moved on to become an A & R executive for Elektra Records in 1983, having met the company president’s son during a small gay orgy. Of the son, Alago notes that “He had a hard, muscular body and we had a wonderful time together.” They later dated.
A & R stands for “artist and repertoire.” Alago was one of several executives responsible for finding artists and signing them to Elektra. He is famous for
_____________________________________________________________
Peter Muise writes about New England folklore and legends.
