Elliott Kozak, the 'Go-To Guy' for Bob Hope, Dies at 80

Elliott Kozak, producer for Bob Hope in excess of 30 years who also offered because the comedian's agent and manager, died This summer 23 of complications after recent surgery at Providence Tarzana Clinic in La. He was 80.our editor recommendsobituaries Kozak, who also labored at WMA and ICM, offered to NBC the Motown 25th anniversary special that broadcast in 1983 and featured Michael Jackson's memorable performance of "Billie Jean" and the first public "moonwalk" move. Although Kozak crisscrossed between Hope as well as other talent agencies throughout his 65-year career, he was known mainly in the market because the "go-to guy" for anything Hope-related. Born in Brooklyn, Kozak started at age 15 in 1945 within the WMA mailroom in New You are able to, and within 3 years he grew to become a complete-time agent within the TV-variety department, booking The Milton Berle Show and also the Ray Bolger Show, amongst others. At WMA, Kozak did a big favor for Colonel Tom Parker and also got a youthful Elvis an audition on the program Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. Presley and the band were not able to complete the very first verse of "Heartbeak Hotel" and were immediately declined. In 1959, on the tip from Berle, Kozak found that Hope's longtime agent Jimmy Saphier was searching for anyone to help book Hope's NBC special offers, so Kozak departed for that West Coast to connect with Hope. Kozak came back to WMA in 1969 - particularly the television-variety department - for any three-year stint, helping shepherd a youthful Michael Ovitz in addition to Kozak's assistant, future mega-manager George Shapiro. Kozak packed talent for NBC'sRowan & Martin's Laugh-in and reserved the syndicated Merv Griffin Show, among other Television shows. In 1972, Kozak rejoined Hope, this time around joining up with Saphier, and would become Hope's primary agent after Saphier's dying in 1974. Kozak was soon creating Hope's many NBC special offers, matching his looks and running his production office. Kozak was hired by ICM in 1979 to operate its TV-variety department, and that he introduced in this-list producers and company directors as Gary Cruz & Dwight Hemion(Baryshnikov on Broadway)and Steve Binder, an experienced Emmy Honours producer. However, it had been the reveal that Motown's Suzanne p Passe introduced him in 1982 that will become Kozak's crowning achievement. Kozak offered to NBC both-hour special and ICM package Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, which marked Jackson's first TV appearance because the release of the large-selling Thriller. It won an Emmy for the best TV special plus an NAACP Image Award along with a Peabody Award and grew to become among the greatest-ranked shows in TV history. Following a Motown project, Hope requested Kozak to come back for which could be his final run using the comedian, where this time around he also offered as his manager. In 1991, Kozak opened up up a West Coast office for Nashville's Buddy Lee Points of interest, where he'd remain through the the nineteen nineties. He joined "semi-retirement" in 2000 and spent the final decade of his existence booking personal looks. Children include his wife Marie sons Robert and Steven, a clearance coordinator about the Tonight Show With Jay Leno and kids Louise and Julie, a wardrobe supervisor on Extra. A memorial service is placed for just two p.m. Sunday in the Movie & Television Country Home in Woodland Hillsides. Related Subjects Obituaries