What a vivid portrait of a complicated, difficult and totally original force of nature. This really captured that quality that a lot of people who interacted with Nikki Finke seemed to have -- a combination of fear, admiration, anger and even awe. And I was glad to see those bits about Ed Koch almost remembering her. It's a shame that the Observer version of that interview doesn't seem to exist because the photos that Emily Epstein took of Koch for it, just weeks before he died, are some of the most evocative that were ever taken of him.
Nikki Finke and I both had stints with Newsweek (I created a position for myself, courtesy of William Broyles, Jr. who assigned me to work with his Atlanta Bureau Chief, Vern Smith) but Stacy's Music Row Report was a decade ahead of Finke's online entertainment journalist presence.
Credited by the Nashville Business Journal (in its April 17-21, 1995 edition) for pioneering Music Row coverage on the Internet, I have spent the last 27 years offering "Nashville's only independent source of country-music news, reviews and informed opinion.”
And, it seems, Jay Penske wouldn't listen to neither Nikki nor me. Penske doesn't have the money to buy me out, but it would have been in keeping with the highest standards of journalism had he corrected factual reporting errors and plagiarism in his publications when properly-sourced as they were brought to his attention.
This is really lovely memorializing of someone very complicated, who nevertheless did a lot to shape how news works a decade plus later. Too many of the obits I read were really flat, I'm glad you wrote this. <3
Enjoyed this!
Franky, what a vapid, meaningless life.
What a vivid portrait of a complicated, difficult and totally original force of nature. This really captured that quality that a lot of people who interacted with Nikki Finke seemed to have -- a combination of fear, admiration, anger and even awe. And I was glad to see those bits about Ed Koch almost remembering her. It's a shame that the Observer version of that interview doesn't seem to exist because the photos that Emily Epstein took of Koch for it, just weeks before he died, are some of the most evocative that were ever taken of him.
Nikki Finke and I both had stints with Newsweek (I created a position for myself, courtesy of William Broyles, Jr. who assigned me to work with his Atlanta Bureau Chief, Vern Smith) but Stacy's Music Row Report was a decade ahead of Finke's online entertainment journalist presence.
Credited by the Nashville Business Journal (in its April 17-21, 1995 edition) for pioneering Music Row coverage on the Internet, I have spent the last 27 years offering "Nashville's only independent source of country-music news, reviews and informed opinion.”
And, it seems, Jay Penske wouldn't listen to neither Nikki nor me. Penske doesn't have the money to buy me out, but it would have been in keeping with the highest standards of journalism had he corrected factual reporting errors and plagiarism in his publications when properly-sourced as they were brought to his attention.
Terrific piece Hunter. You capture the agony and the ecstasy beautifully
This is really lovely memorializing of someone very complicated, who nevertheless did a lot to shape how news works a decade plus later. Too many of the obits I read were really flat, I'm glad you wrote this. <3