NEW Chelsea director Barbara Charone will have dealt with everything and anything as music’s leading publicist for over 40-years, so nothing will faze her under the new Todd Boehly regime.
The 70-year-old American has worked as a PR for Madonna, Rod Stewart, and Keith Richards, acting as confidante for the Rolling Stones axeman following a drugs arrest in Canada in the 1970s.
She currently has her own agency, MBC (set up in 2000) that looks after the likes of the Foo Fighters, Depeche Mode, Lewis Capaldi, and more.
But her weekends have been reserved for the Blues for over three decades now, regularly making the pilgrimage to Stamford Bridge to regularly cheer on the Premier League giants
And she even had a hand in Chelsea’s FA Cup anthem Blue Day, as song by Madness frontman Suggs in 1990s.
“They wanted to get two fans on the board,” she recently told The Big Issue.
“It’s like a lot of things in life, a lot of luck is involved. They wanted a woman and approached me, and it was obviously a no-brainer. It’s ridiculously exciting.”
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New recruit
Last week, it was confirmed that Charone would be a director on Boehly’s board, along with Jonathan Goldstein, the CEO of Cain International, as well as Times columnist and Conservative peer Daniel Finkelstein, another Chelsea supporter.
Charone, herself, is a fanatic. A season ticket holder for a number of years, she was in the stands in Munich to see the club win their first Champions League title in 2012 against the hosts Bayern Munich.
Alongside her love of the beautiful game, Charone cemented her reputation as “Britain’s most powerful music PR”.
But before that, the Chicagoan started off as a music journalist in her homeland, before emigrating to our shores in 1974, where she wrote fornow defunct Sounds magazine, freelanced for Rolling Stone, and was one of the first female writers for the NME.
A superfan of The Rolling Stones, Charone interviewed the band numerous times – striking up a strong bond with guitarist Richards.
That trust would come in handy in 1977, when the wild rocker was arrested in Toronto, Canada for possession of heroin.
Charone relived the story in her brilliant tell-all memoir Access All Areas of helping Keith, as well as penned his book.
Rescuing Keith
‘By 1976 I had a good relationship with Keith, having interviewed him on numerous occasions,’ she wrote.
‘I eventually asked him if I could do a book on him, and much to my surprise and delight he said yes.
‘Keith suggested I come to Toronto early in 1977 for the Rolling Stones shows at the El Mocambo club.
‘I flew to Canada at the end of February, but unfortunately the Royal Canadian Mounted Police reached Keith’s hotel before I did, arresting him for possession of heroin.
‘Keith was in big trouble. Suddenly rehearsal time for the upcoming club shows was cut short by meetings with lawyers and court appearances.
‘Keith was no stranger to the law but this was his most serious drug charge yet, with a prison sentence a very real possibility.
“The shows at El Mocambo (capacity 300) took place on March 4 and 5, and it is a testament to the band’s dedication and stamina that they pulled them off under such trying circumstances.
Uncertain future
‘They tore the place up. It was one of those “you had to be there” moments. However, the grim reality of the situation hovered like a very dark cloud.
‘When Keith appeared in court he was given bail, his passport confiscated.
“He and partner Anita Pallenberg and their seven-year-old son Marlon returned to their home for the foreseeable future, the 32nd floor of the Harbour Castle Hotel.
‘The future for Keith, and indeed the Stones, was uncertain.
“A couple of days after the court appearance Mick Jagger flew to New York City and soon after the others followed. I was moved to the suite next door to Keith, Anita and Marlon.
‘I’m sure Keith felt alone and quite possibly betrayed but no doubt my staying helped forge a tremendous bond between us.
“It also provided an upfront and personal insight into the man I was writing a book about.
‘God knows what my parents thought, knowing their loving daughter was living for a month in a Toronto hotel alongside a Rolling Stone out on bail for heroin trafficking. It’s going to be a really great book, I promised them.’
Football banter with Rod Stewart
By 1981, Charone had left journalism behind and started working for Warner Music in their public relations department.
Having previously written a Rod Stewart cover interview for Rolling Stone, it was only natural for her to work with the Scottish music legend as his PR.
70-year-old Charone is a Blues season-ticket holder and went to the 2012 Champions League final in Munich
Client Rod Stewart once ribbed her after Chelsea were beaten 7-0
And a love of football was something they shared in common.
In her memoir, she says ‘Rod Stewart is a massive Celtic fan and really loves football. Likewise, I am passionate about my beloved club Chelsea.
‘Once, while we were in Sweden to shoot a Rolling Stone magazine cover, Rod asked me to read him the scores of that Saturday’s top-flight games before a show.
‘I ran through the scores, leaving off Chelsea’s 7–0 thrashing by Nottingham Forest.
‘The next day, before I left Stockholm, my phone rang, and the voice just said “seven–nil!!!!” and laughed. Rod hung up before I could get a word in.’
Fandom with Suggs
In 1997, Warner signed the Chelsea-mad singer Suggs to their label, which brought Charone plenty of joy.
She already knew the Madness singer, also a regular at Stamford Bridge, and was thrilled to work with him.
Then, an opportunity arose with the Blues appearing in that season’s FA Cup final for their paths to cross in a working capacity – for Chelsea’s FA Cup song.
She recalled, ‘As fate would have it, the songwriter Mike Connaris brought me a Blue Day, which he thought was perfect for Suggs and would make a great FA Cup final song.
‘Suggs loved the track, as did the club. I somehow managed to convince WEA to pay for the recording and to put it out as a single.
Today, Charone juggles managing her PR company and looking after clients including Foo Fighters with her love of Chelsea
In 1997, Charone had a hand in orchestrating Chelsea’s FA Cup final song Blue Day with Madness singer Suggs
‘Before you could say dreams really do come true, I was in a London studio on a Sunday afternoon with Chelsea captain Dennis Wise, Gianluca Vialli, Mark Hughes, Steve Clarke, Gianfranco Zola and the entire Chelsea team making a record.
‘When the team left, Suggs and I sat around having a beer, practically speechless, literally in dreamland. It was a real pinch-me moment.
Chelsea won the FA Cup, beating Middlesbrough 2–0.
‘Hearing Blue Day blasted on the Wembley Tannoy brought tears to my eyes. The song is now part of Chelsea folklore and is played at every home game.
‘When Chelsea started their own in-house radio and TV station, Suggs and I were asked to guest on the first matchday show. Suggs hadn’t been to bed and arrived straight from a big boozy night out.
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‘Our interview quickly disintegrated into a very amusing car crash. We were not on air for long. Nor were we asked back.’
As director now, surely she will be asked back in the near future?
