Michael Striar

Early life

Striar grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of Daniel Striar, one of the largest private landowners in Southeastern Massachusetts, a prominent philanthropist, and founder of the Jewish Community Center in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

1970s-1990s

Striar began his entertainment career as a boxing promoter in the late 1970s, after being introduced to Muhammad Ali through a mutual friend. At 21, Striar was the youngest promoter to ever work with Ali, when he assembled a group of investors that lured the former heavyweight champ out of retirement. Ali took on Jimmy Ellis at the Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island, on March 12th, 1979. The match was billed as Ali’s "last ring appearance," but later proved to be a tune-up for a fourth championship bid. Striar also put local boxer Marvelous Marvin Hagler on the undercard, giving the future middleweight champ a breakthrough opportunity.

The summer of 1980 marked Striar’s transition from boxing to concert promotion, when he invested in a series of outdoor music festivals at New Hampshire’s Temple Mountain that featured Bonnie Raitt, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger and others. He soon became a fixture on the Boston music scene as well, and began promoting small rock concerts in non-traditional venues.

On New Year's Eve 1981, Striar promoted a show with disaffected Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, at the Glen Ellen Country Club in Millis, Massachusetts. The two became friends, and formed a business partnership in Perry’s new band, the Joe Perry Project. Striar brought much needed financing to the band, helped orchestrate a change of labels, and was Executive Producer of Perry’s 1983 MCA album, Once a Rocker, Always a Rocker.

In 1984, Striar facilitated the reunion of Joe Perry, Steven Tyler and the original Aerosmith lineup, by offering cash strapped band members a substantial advance for concert performances. The band secretly rehearsed together for weeks in a function hall at Glen Ellen, and made the reunion official with two Striar produced shows at the Capitol Theatre in Concord, New Hampshire. Striar promoted the band in arenas during their Back in the Saddle Tour, and produced their legendary stadium show at Boston’s Manning Bowl on September 14th, 1985.

Striar was quick to capitalize on the cache of his involvement with Aerosmith’s resurgence, and in January 1986 launched Michael Striar Presents from his newly acquired Boston area estate, known as the “Music Mansion.” The Music Mansion became an integral part of the company’s brand, featuring luxury guest accommodations for touring bands, and boasting the address 1 Rock and Roll Road.

1986 was a breakout year for Michael Striar Presents, landing multiple tour dates with Stevie Wonder, AC/DC, Run DMC, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys. Striar’s company received international attention when it was featured on the cover of Performance magazine’s April 1987 issue. He promoted major rock concerts with Guns N’ Roses, Alice Cooper, the Allman Brothers, Twisted Sister, Megadeth, the Replacements, Slayer, Kansas, and the Ramones, eventually becoming the producer of record for more than one thousand live shows. He expanded the company in the early 1990s and produced shows with Tony Bennett, illusionist Doug Henning, and the musical Camelot with Richard Harris.

Striar eventually sold the concert company and moved to Los Angeles, where he ran Jetrink Management, a company he had founded in 1987. Striar was personal manager of Los Angeles based rock band, The Broken Homes. The band toured extensively with Joan Jett, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Jefferson Starship. Striar was Executive Producer for two of the band’s MCA albums, Straight Line Through Time, and Wing and a Prayer. Under his management, The Broken Homes were prominently featured in TV shows and films, including Miami Vice, Weird Science, and Another 48 Hrs.. The band also appeared onscreen in the film, Thelma and Louise, and recorded the title track for Oliver Stone’s, Born on the 4th of July.

Since 1998

Since 1998, Striar has been a principal in Striar Development, a Boston based, commercial real estate investment company. In 2005, Striar ran for Mayor of his hometown, Newton, Massachusetts, losing to the incumbent. In 2010, Striar and his partners sold a large tract of undeveloped land in Middleboro, Massachusetts to the Mashpee Wampanoag for a resort casino proposed by the tribe. In 2014, Striar formed Striar Entertainment, a television production company based in the Boston area.

Personal life

Striar was married to Laurie Miller; she died in 2011. They have three children.