Bill Sherman’s passion for rock ’n’ roll music went well beyond mere listening. For the past half-century he breathed in the high-energy atmosphere surrounding it.
At various times in his life Sherman was a promoter, publicist and can-do arranger of both rock extravaganzas and nightclub gigs. During the 1970s and ’80s, he helped with concert tours by such headliners as Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, Seals and Crofts, Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull, the Jackson Five and later Michael Jackson himself.
While Sherman got his start in Chicago, running a Rush Street nightclub called Beavers, he spent most of his career in Atlanta.
In 1970 Sherman was invited to come here as manager of Sgt. Pepper’s, a club on Virginia Avenue near the airport. Later he became business manager and arranger of entertainment at Animal Crackers on Peachtree Road at Pharr Road. Thanks to his contacts in the music business, he was able to get Ricky Nelson as a weeklong club-opening attraction, said longtime friend Larry Llewellyn of Cumming.
Sherman also managed and handled entertainment at Charlie Magruder’s on Powers Ferry Road just below I-285 and at the Chicago Pizza sports bar on Buford Highway.
Bill Swearingen of Atlanta, who owned Animal Crackers, Charlie Magruder’s and 21 other nightclubs and restaurants during his 38-year career, said Sherman was a good showman. “Bill knew the entertainment business and how to make friends and bring in customers,” he said.
Dave Dagraedt of Ellijay, a video and film producer who worked with Sherman on promotional projects, said Sherman was a great front man whether he was making preparations for rock events or running a night spot. “Bill was so upbeat and personable that people instantly took a liking to him,” Dagraedt said.
Both the nightclub and music businesses can be tough ways to make a living, Llewellyn said, “but Bill never let the pressures change his positive outlook. He remained one of the good guys.”
Sherman, whose legal name was William Schuermann, died of a heart attack March 24 at his Jacksonville Beach, Fla., residence. He was 69. A celebration of his life is scheduled between 2 and 6 p.m. Sunday at Moderna restaurant, 8540 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home in Jacksonville Beach is in charge of arrangements.
Llewellyn said that while Sherman didn’t change his name from Schuermann legally, he used Sherman almost exclusively because he thought the more familiar spelling was a convenience for friends and business associates.
When Sherman and Llewellyn roomed together during the early 1970s at the Sundown Club Apartments in Marietta, Sherman brought his work home with him, so to speak. Llewellyn said Sherman arranged for rock groups to play at the Sundown Club’s swimming pool and recreation area on weekends. The acts drew so many outsiders, Llewellyn said, that Sundown Club tenants often had to look elsewhere for parking.
Although he spent half his life in Atlanta, Sherman remained a devoted Chicago Cubs fan. Ever the optimist, he told friends each spring that a revival of the Cubs’ fortunes was imminent.
There are no immediate survivors.
About the Author
