Hal Kant
Encyclopedia
Harold Sanford "Hal" Kant (July 29, 1931 – October 19, 2008) was an entertainment industry attorney who specialized in representing musical groups. He was best known for his 35 years as principal lawyer
and general counsel for the Grateful Dead
, a position in the group that was so strong that his business cards with the band identified his role as "Czar".
. He earned his law degree at the Harvard Law School
. After graduation he was hired as a clerk in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
in San Francisco, California
.
, Captain Beefheart
, Hot Tuna
, Janis Joplin
, New Riders of the Purple Sage
, Sonny & Cher
and Stevie Ray Vaughan
. He turned down an opportunity to represent The Doors
after the group demanded that he only represent them.
, bringing the band millions of dollars in revenue, through his management of the band's intellectual property and merchandising rights. At Kant's recommendation, the group was one of the few rock 'n roll pioneers to retain ownership of their music masters and publishing rights
. Kant's role with the band was so significant that his business card
s with the band identified himself as "Czar".
Kant planned to donate his legal business records to a proposed Grateful Dead museum to be built in San Francisco that didn't come into fruition, so that his experience in the historical development of contracts and business practices could be used as a resource by visitors.
, earning a gold WSOP bracelet and $174,000. He was the runner-up in the $2,500 Limit Hold'em tournament at the 1990 World Series of Poker
. Kant would often have members of the Grateful Dead cheering for him at poker tournaments.
During his poker career, Kant had total live tournament winnings exceeding $1,100,000. His 12 cashes as the WSOP account for $524,514 of those winnings.
on October 19, 2008 from pancreatic cancer. He was survived by his wife, Jesse, and his three sons, two stepchildren and five grandchildren.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and general counsel for the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, a position in the group that was so strong that his business cards with the band identified his role as "Czar".
Early life
Hal Kant was born in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. He earned his law degree at the Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. After graduation he was hired as a clerk in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Music business
After starting to practice law on his own, he came to the realization that "the only attorneys in the music business were the attorneys for the record companies, and their job was to get as much money as they could for their company and leave as little as possible for the artists". Kant decided that "the other guys should have an attorney, too" and proceeded to help represent a series of artists including The AssociationThe Association
The Association is a pop music band from California in the folk rock or soft rock genre. During the 1960s, they had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts and were the lead-off band at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival...
, Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, Hot Tuna
Hot Tuna
Hot Tuna is an American blues-rock band formed by bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen as a spin-off of Jefferson Airplane. It plays acoustic and electric versions of original and traditional blues songs.- Jefferson Airplane side project :...
, Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
, New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage
New Riders of the Purple Sage is an American country rock band. The group emerged from the psychedelic rock scene in San Francisco, California in 1969, and its original lineup included several members of the Grateful Dead. Their best known song is "Panama Red"...
, Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
and Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
. He turned down an opportunity to represent The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
after the group demanded that he only represent them.
Grateful Dead
Kant became best known for his representation of the Grateful DeadGrateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, bringing the band millions of dollars in revenue, through his management of the band's intellectual property and merchandising rights. At Kant's recommendation, the group was one of the few rock 'n roll pioneers to retain ownership of their music masters and publishing rights
Publishing rights
Literally, the right to publish a work.In the music industry, "publishing" is used as a catch-all shorthand for the administration of matters relating to the songwriter's and composer's share of income from a musical composition or recorded work....
. Kant's role with the band was so significant that his business card
Business card
Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. A business card typically includes the giver's name, company affiliation and contact information such as street addresses, telephone...
s with the band identified himself as "Czar".
Kant planned to donate his legal business records to a proposed Grateful Dead museum to be built in San Francisco that didn't come into fruition, so that his experience in the historical development of contracts and business practices could be used as a resource by visitors.
Poker
Kant won the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha tournament at the 1987 World Series of Poker1987 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 152 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....
, earning a gold WSOP bracelet and $174,000. He was the runner-up in the $2,500 Limit Hold'em tournament at the 1990 World Series of Poker
1990 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 194 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....
. Kant would often have members of the Grateful Dead cheering for him at poker tournaments.
During his poker career, Kant had total live tournament winnings exceeding $1,100,000. His 12 cashes as the WSOP account for $524,514 of those winnings.
Death
He died at age 77 in Reno, NevadaReno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
on October 19, 2008 from pancreatic cancer. He was survived by his wife, Jesse, and his three sons, two stepchildren and five grandchildren.