Michael Cohl is a Canadian concert promoter , theatrical producer and touring impresario . He is the former Chairman of Live Nation . Cohl now runs S2BN Entertainment , with offices in New York and Toronto . Having been named the Howard Hughes of rock ‘ n ’ roll by '' Fortune '' magazine , Cohl is most famous for having overseen the tours and related ancillary businesses for more than 150 artists , including Frank Sinatra , Michael Jackson , The Rolling Stones , Prince , Stevie Wonder , Pink Floyd , Crosby , Stills , Nash and Young and U2 . He has also been credited with developing the concept of " package " touring . Eliminating the middleman , Cohl worked directly with the artist to strategize and route the tour , promote the dates , and assist in the development and exploitation of the lucrative aftermarket – books , films , DVDs , television specials , and merchandising . He is currently the lead producer of '' Spider-Man : Turn Off the Dark '' , the most expensive musical in Broadway history , with music by Bono and The Edge of U2 . In December 1995 , The Toronto Star printed a 4,000 word article entitled " King Cohl of Rock 'n' Roll and the Tax That Never Was . " From conversations with a number of managers of touring bands , the reporter argued that Cohl 's Concert Productions International misrepresented to touring artists that it was collecting a tax , while not remitting any such tax to any government body . The tax was a phoney tax Cohl added onto every ticket he sold at Toronto 's CNE Stadium . Fans paid an extra $ 3 per ticket for Springsteen , U2 , and Stones tickets . According to Canadian government auditors , that $ 3 per ticket added up to $ 5 million , all of which was pocketed by Cohl . He avoided jail time but had to sell back his BCL Entertainment Ltd stock to Labatt 's . Cohl was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame , when he received a Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the 2002 Juno Awards . Cohl is also a recipient of the 2004 Billboard Legend of Live award , an honour previously bestowed on such artists as Elton John and The Allman Brothers Band . When '' Spamalot '' won the 2005 Drama Desk and Tony Award for Best Musical , Cohl was among the producers who received the awards . He was inducted in Canada 's Walk of Fame in 2005 Cohl has produced several Broadway musicals as well as numerous other international touring shows . These include : CBC Television released a 2006 documentary directed by acclaimed filmmaker Barry Avrich as part of the '' Life and Times '' series chronicling Cohl 's rise to prominence in the entertainment industry . The film claims " When the Rolling Stones wo n’t make a move without talking to you first , your name must be Michael Cohl . " Mick Jagger , Keith Richards and Bono all make appearances
2002 Juno Awards
Juno Awards of 2002
Michael Cohl