Lou Adler

A legendary figure in the California music industry during the 1960s and 1970s, Lou Adler produced some of the most successful acts of the period, including the Mamas and the Papas, Carole King, Cheech and Chong, and Jan and Dean. Initially a songwriter for Sam Cooke, among others, he discovered the Mamas and the Papas through his own label, Dunhill Records. Their string of hits allowed him to co-produce the groundbreaking Monterey International Pop Festival, which introduced American audiences to the likes of the Who, Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix. Adler formed Ode Records in the late '60s, and scored a giant hit with Tapestry (1972) by former songwriter Carole King, as well as a cult phenomenon with "The Rocky Horror Show," a gender-bending British musical he later adapted as the seminal cult film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975). After directing Cheech and Chong's debut film, "Up in Smoke," he moved away from the entertainment business, focusing on charitable organizations while serving as one of the industry's most knowledgeable sounding boards. His vast collection of Top 10 hits and million-selling albums made Lou Adler one of the most accomplished figures in modern pop music.