🎤 Michael Cohl: The Concert King Who Reinvented Live Music

From scrappy Toronto hustler to architect of the modern tour, Michael Cohl’s story is one of wild deals, corporate showdowns, and the billion-dollar blueprint for rock & roll on the road.

In 1989, an unknown Canadian promoter shocked the concert world by outbidding Bill Graham for The Rolling Stones’ comeback tour — guaranteeing the band over $65 million and rewriting the rules of live music forever. That deal, known as the Steel Wheels Tour, marked the beginning of the global “package tour” era: ticketing, merchandising, sponsorship, broadcasting — all under one promoter, all built to scale. His name? Michael Cohl.

Over the next 30 years, Cohl masterminded tours for 150+ major artists — including Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, U2, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, and more. He pioneered the “360° deal” long before Live Nation made it a corporate strategy, and turned concerts into cross-platform media empires. But it wasn’t all standing ovations. There were scandals. Lawsuits. A few high-priced flops. And one time he had to throw Donald Trump out of a Rolling Stones show — with Keith Richards wielding a knife.

🎙 In This Episode

• How a strip club in Toronto led Michael Cohl to rock promotion
• The birth of Concert Productions International (CPI) — and how Cohl turned Canada into a world tour destination
• The Steel Wheels tour: ousting Bill Graham, rewriting contracts, and selling out stadiums
• The rise of package touring — where one promoter handled everything from merch to broadcast rights
• Behind-the-scenes stories from tours with Jackson, U2, Pink Floyd, and the Stones
• The CNE ticket tax scandal — and how $3 per seat turned into millions
• How Cohl helped launch Live Nation Artists and land Madonna & Jay-Z on mega-deals
• The Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark disaster — and how Cohl took the fall

• 
  

📍 Why It Matters

Michael Cohl didn’t just promote concerts — he industrialized them. His deals paved the way for today’s billion-dollar tours, VIP ticketing models, branded experiences, and corporate crossovers. The modern music business — from Live Nation to the rise of tour-first artists — owes a massive debt to his blueprint.

Whether you see him as a genius, disruptor, or deal-hungry capitalist, Cohl changed the game. And his story is full of backstage drama, brilliant ideas, and moments that redefined what live music could be.

Follow for more deep-dive music industry stories.

🔗 Bonus Links

• Michael Cohl – Canada’s Walk of Fame
• Satisfaction, Guaranteed – Washington Post
• Keith Richards vs. Donald Trump – Vanity Fair

Press play and step inside the empire that changed everything.