Joey’s Song
Joey's Song raises money to fund research into treatments and cures for epilepsy. We host concerts featuring Rock Roll Hall of Famers, Grammy winners and Top 40 artists. On the podcast we talk with our artists, industry leaders and our key contributors to find out what makes Joey's Song so important to them.
To learn more about Joey's Song visit us at Joeyssong.org and follow us on social media @joeyssong on all the popular platforms.
Joey’s Song
Andrew Gumpert - Hollywood Executive and Board Member
Hollywood executive Andrew Gumpert opens up about his storied career in the entertainment industry, from his beginnings in New York to his influential roles at major studios like Columbia Pictures, Interscope, Miramax, Sony, and Paramount. Ever wondered how one transitions from legal work to becoming a media executive? Andrew's journey reveals the twists and turns of navigating Hollywood's competitive landscape, including his firsthand account of the infamous Sony cyber attack. Tune in for an inside look at the life of a Hollywood heavyweight who's seen it all.
We also delve into a deeply moving story of resilience and community action. Discover how a challenging birth experience transformed into a catalyst for change, leading to the creation of the Care N Cure Dinner. What began as a modest golf tournament has blossomed into an annual gala that raises over a million dollars each year for epilepsy research and support. This episode highlights the extraordinary impact of collaboration and determination, showcasing the founders' unwavering commitment to the epilepsy community.
Lastly, explore the intersection of entertainment and philanthropy. Learn about the critical need for epileptologists in underserved areas and the lengths families must go to access specialized care. In a heartening example of community support, entertainment industry connections are leveraged to fundraise through events like Joey's Song. This chapter underscores the compassion and generosity within the entertainment world, proving that even in a competitive industry, the power of personal networks can drive significant charitable efforts. Don't miss this episode filled with heartfelt stories and inspiring initiatives.
Visit www.joeyssong.org to learn more about Joey's Song and the work we do and get details on our next set of shows. Also be sure to follow us on all popular social media platforms with our handle @joeyssong
Joey's Song is a federally registered 501(c)3 charity that raises money to fund research into treatments and cures for epilepsy. Joey's Song is 100% volunteer with no paid staff, so we are able to convert more dollars into life saving research.
Our Joey's Song family of artists include Rock N Roll Hall of Famers, Grammy and Emmy winners and Top 40 hitmakers.
Hey everybody, welcome to the Joey Song Podcast. I'm your host, mike Gamal. For those of you that are new to Joey Song, we're a 501c3 charity that raises money to fund research into treatments and cures for epilepsy. We also direct funds to support patient services and community programs as well. Our fundraising vehicle is music. Every year, we hold a series of concerts that feature Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, grammy winners and Top 40 hit makers. These amazing artists all come to Madison, wisconsin, each January for a festival that we call Freezing man. You should know that every one of the artists that plays at our event donates their time and talent. None of our performers take a penny to join us. We have no paid staff. We are a 100% volunteer organization. The next Freezing man is scheduled to take place January 8th through the 11th 2025, with six amazing shows scheduled over four days. To find out more about Joey's Song, you can find us at our website, joey'songorg, or follow us on social media, where all of our handles are at Joey's Song.
Speaker 1:Hey everybody, welcome to the Joey's Song podcast. My guest today is our pal, andrew Gumpert. Andrew has had a long career in Hollywood, most recently COO at Paramount Pictures, as well as Nickelodeon. He's also at Sony Pictures for about a decade or so, as well as Miramax and Interscope. So lots of Hollywood and LA-based institutions in the entertainment business. Andrew will talk a little bit about that. But he'll really get into how he got connected to the epilepsy community, talk a little bit about the amazing program that he and his cohort, mark Borden, started called Care and Cure.
Speaker 1:You will not want to miss that. You will be inspired by what they are trying to do and what they have done. So stick around for my chat with Andrew Gumpert. Hey everybody, welcome back to the podcast. I am very pleased to introduce you to a friend of mine who I've gotten to know over the last couple years thanks to our mutual friend, billy Harris, and who you could do about a four-part mini-series on Billy Harris. I think that we could fill up. Andrew Gumpert is with me today, who has been a part of the LA epilepsy scene for decades I don't think I'm overstating that to say decades and has recently joined us in our fight here at Joey's Song.
Speaker 1:So, Andrew, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2:Well, thanks for having me, Mike. It's a pleasure to be here and looking forward to the conversation.
Speaker 1:You know I didn't want to age you by saying you've been here, you've been there for decades, but I think when people hear your professional story they'll figure out that you know you're not just three years out of grad school. Not just three years, maybe only six, maybe only. That's close, so let's talk a little bit about that. Andrew, you're out in LA. Can you talk a little bit about your professional career first, so people can get to know who you are?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah just a brief walk. Grew up in New York, born in Brooklyn, went to Syracuse for my undergrad studies and then didn't know what I wanted to do with my life and went to law school in Washington DC an American and came out to LA for a summer internship at a law firm just to try better weather and just fell in love with the place. And also fell in love with the woman that would become my wife and so she's an Encino girl and said we're never going back east. So here I am in LA. And what do you do in Los Angeles? Well, I guess you find your way eventually into the entertainment business. It seems that way yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know, left the law firm. I was only a lawyer, a real lawyer for about two years but very briefly got out, started my I'll say, my studio media career at Columbia Pictures in the legal department and I had a very, very highfalutin title attorney. That was it and it was wonderful. It was actually where I really learned the craft and, uh, and I found out, you know, once you're in the club, um, you know if you are okay at what you do and a little bit nice you can make some moves I was gonna say I bet that second one is just as important as being okay at what you do no, it is.
Speaker 2:I'm of course, I'm being facetious. No, I think it, uh. I think character and collegiality, uh, and culture win the day um.
Speaker 1:Someone said, I think, it was peter drucker actually said that, uh, culture, culture.
Speaker 2:Each strategy for breakfast, every day. So there you go anyway so uh yeah, just you know. Went to legal department in Columbia, migrated to Interscope where they had a film and television group, worked there, then moved to Miramax and was there in the heyday.
Speaker 1:And this is all in the legal capacity.
Speaker 2:Legal business affairs, working with finance, working with distribution executives, but on the deal-making side still always using the legal side of my brain. Absolutely, I'm a left-brain guy. Don't mistake me for anyone. Really talented, okay, please. So yeah, did some time over at Miramax and had a great run and from there one of the one of the guys I actually worked for went to Sony and he asked me to join him. So that was kind of my return to Sony Columbia Pictures and I was there for about 12 years and it was a great run. In the middle we had that little cyber attack interesting moment.
Speaker 1:We don't have enough. I just was listening to a podcast about that from the bbc. I knew of it but didn't know all the details. But boy, it was like a four-hour podcast. I know it now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah and what doesn't break you makes you stronger, so for sure. But it was. It was a great run and you know everything else. It comes to its natural end. And then I moved over to Paramount Pictures. That was my last gig and joined the company kind of as they were in transition spent almost seven years there. It was amazing, just met a ton of great people. I'm still in touch with a ton of great people from Paramount and I left Paramount about a year and a half ago, kind of, for the. I said I've only been working for six years. Okay, that's a lie. So I actually decided to take I'll say the midlife, I'll use the M word a little midlife sabbatical, a little break for a sec just to figure it all out, and it's been really nice. So here I am I don't know about 18 months in to that and have time to speak to you, mike.
Speaker 1:So after 18 months are you getting itchy?
Speaker 2:I don't know if it's itchy, but I'm definitely more curious. I mean, in all candor, the time off the proverbial treadmill to really reflect, without all those inputs that come from just working the usual cadence that many of us do was, in a way, a gift. It may have taken a second to see that it was a gift, but it ended up being a real gift, and so I have some ideas of what I may want to do, but I don't want to rush.
Speaker 2:One of the things I actually learned. If anyone out there listening knows me, I sometimes am a little impatient, so I learned patience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I would imagine. So, man, I wish I had put together that you were there at. Yeah, I would, I would, I would imagine. So, man, I wish I had, I wish I had put together that you were there at Sony. I literally just got done listening to this long podcast about that and the North Korean hackers and the whole bit we could have a huge conversation about. I would love to have an insider story on that.
Speaker 2:For sure I mean yeah, there's a lot, there's a lot there.
Speaker 1:Maybe next time I'm out there I'll I'll buy you a soft drink and we can talk about it. So obviously a long and illustrious career in the entertainment business. But life also brought you to the epilepsy community. Do you want to talk a little bit about that please?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So you know the I don't know the opposites of life, the good and the bad, no kidding. No kidding. You know the unexpected moments, lightning bolts, um, to use all those metaphors. Um, so here I am, um a young when I say young, I think I'm like 31 years old at the time and my wife is, uh, nine months pregnant. And you know, we go in for our, you know, kind of one of the final checkups before the due date. Everything's perfect, great, you know, here you go, book it and, uh, I'll see you in, I don't know, maybe two weeks, and this should be all easy and smooth.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the day before the due date, uh, my wife woke up, started feeling a little bit of a tummy pressure. It felt unnatural. She drove herself, didn't even tell me I was at work, drove herself down to Cedars Sinai and within a few minutes they said uh, houston, we have a situation Um, there's a low fetal heartbeat, um, low fetal movement. Uh, we're not quite sure what's going on, but I think we have to, you know, maybe get into a C-section mode. Here it's a side story. It took too long, regrettably. But be that as it may, the the ultimate result hours later was a C-section and my daughter, chloe, was born. I can say now, at the time it was all a shock, but she's, she's 23 years old now. Um, she's, she's 23 years old now. Okay, just fast forwarding. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But but reversing to that moment, um, she was born, I'll say, white as a ghost, like paper color white. There was a loss of blood, there was a maternal fetal um artery uh, sever, uh, you know, and that's what happened. So loss of blood for all you doctors out there listening loss of oxygen to Chloe's brain, and so she suffered catastrophic brain injury and one of the effects because there are a few, regrettably, but one of the effects was an epilepsy condition. So it took, you know, admittedly, a few years to come out of the fog of war, of all that. But I I seem to recall Chloe being about four years old and, ironically, a very good friend of mine. They had their third child and their third child was born under adverse conditions and also ended up with an epilepsy condition.
Speaker 2:So here is my friend Mark, and me, you know, sitting at the diner. A little bit of woe is us and I don't know what it was, but maybe it was just like the collaboration, the friendship we said. You know, we got to get our head out of the sand and you know, what can we do? We're just two dads with this massive problem on our hands, um, but maybe there can be some good that comes from kind of the, the sadness, um, and the you know the unfortunate occurrence that we both are living with, and we decided to start at the time like a little fundraiser. You know, it was actually.
Speaker 2:I remember it was a golf tournament, we both played golf, yep, and we said we'll just call it the Epilepsy Golf Open, as I recall, and it was wonderful. I mean, we had I don't know 40 people. We raised I don't know eleven thousand dollars. It was the greatest eleven thousand dollars in the history of ever. Um, and we're like, what can we do? And we called a few area hospitals and you know there were crevvices that could use 1500 here and 2000 here. And we're like, wow, that felt amazing. Like you know, it was like a drug, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:I haven't wanted to interrupt you, but I've been vigorously shaking my head for the last four minutes as you've been talking about this, because photocopy, photocopy.
Speaker 2:I know a bit of your journey, so I get it. Yeah, so that was, and it's obviously it's itself a longer conversation, but that was the real impetus for two guys, business minded, to say how do we formalize this, how can we build this kind of like entrepreneurs in a company, how can we take a bit of those skills and apply it to charity? And so now, fast forwarding. I am about, or I say we, Mark and I, my partner, are about six weeks away on October 30. So I don't know when this podcast will air, but we're speaking what? September 6th.
Speaker 1:It will be out before.
Speaker 2:October 30. It will be out All right. Well, on October 30th in Los Angeles we will be hosting the 18th, now called Karen cure dinner. We'll probably have, I don't know, 600 people or so with tables and a entire gala event Not wood. We will kind of continue to do what we've done kind of in the recent trending years, cause we look at this like a business with a P andL and we've been blessed. We have been blessed in the community that it's an event that people show up for and we have been raising a million plus dollars in a night for epilepsy.
Speaker 1:Talk a little bit because it's one of the things and I had actually met Mark before I met you because I think maybe Billy introduced us or whatever it was talk a little bit about what the mission of CNC is, because it really resonated with me when I first heard it. It's a little unusual of what you guys have been doing with that funds and admirable. So talk a little bit about that, please. Thanks, mike.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when Mark and I got into it now I'm backing up to the beginning we learned rather quickly that there was a lot of research going on, really good research, everyone trying to find some kind of new cure, new remedy, medicine that maybe wouldn't erad know. The doctors tell me you don't necessarily eradicate epilepsy, but you can lessen or decrease or just make, make go away.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Which, of course, the seizures, right. So we said to ourselves all right, there's all this research going on, but who's actually deciding what to like, what to administer? Well, it's the doctors, right. There weren't any Right. So we came up with this term care and cure. Actually deciding what to like, what to administer, well, it's the doctors, right. There weren't any right. So we came up with this term care and cure and we really decided we were going to focus on the care side, because the cure to us was all of this research, that care were the doctors, and there was a massive scarcity, just a dearth of doctors that were experts.
Speaker 2:We call them epileptologists to be fancy. So these are folks who've obviously been to medical school, they've done residencies, they've studied to be neurologists, so these are like the smartest of the smart, and then they go beyond and they keep studying and then they become a sub-sub-specialist and they are called epileptologists. Then they go beyond and they keep studying and then they become a sub-sub-specialist and they are called epileptologists and they are specified neurologists to focus on epilepsy. So that was our mission, mike, to answer your question. So all the funds we've been raising go to partnering with hospitals that do not have epileptologists. We create endowments, we partner with the hospitals, we try to go 50, 50 with them. That's the model. And we set up an in perpetuity endowment so that every year, on the year, a new epileptologist will come out of the program and enter the world. And last last point, there's something like this fact where every epileptologist that comes out can positively impact 20,000 to 30,000 individuals suffering with epilepsy.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, it's like I said when I first heard about it through Mark. It moved me and it's applicable here in Wisconsin, because the northern part of our state is very remote, right, and you know your nearest options. If you're in the top half of Wisconsin or heading over to Mayo and I don't even know what the epileptology setup is over there, or coming down to Madison, that's hours and hours of drive and the Northern part of Wisconsin is not the most well-to-do, so that means taking off work and driving four hours and all that other stuff. So it just resonated with me. It's such a huge need and you can't depend on their GP to do it, you know, and if the nearest neurologist is Minneapolis, the nearest epileptologist could be even farther than that.
Speaker 2:So it's plane flights away in many cases, and we do help. We definitely handle situations where folks need, you know, the transportation in the, uh, the hotel rooms, because these these issues require days, weeks at times, and cities like Los Angeles are are not cheap, sadly so. So, yeah, so. So the foundation that we have, you know, tries to serve all of that. We can't can't serve everybody, obviously, but but we try to, you know, tries to serve all of that. We can't serve everybody, obviously, but but we try to, you know, take the really tough cases and help the families find a solution.
Speaker 1:You know, it's interesting, I I can't believe it never occurred to me. But when you talk about the days, right, sometimes you need to I remember with my son be hooked up to that EEG for days before you would get all the readings that you need, and that's just to start the diagnosis, right. I mean, that's just so. I hadn't made that connection in my head. But it's not just that the nearest person is four hours away, but you might need to take a week off of work if you're mom and dad or you know. And that's just the start of the diagnosis, because almost all of us I've been doing a lot of these podcasts lately and I talk to people and more often than not it starts with well, we were misdiagnosed at first, and then we blah, blah, blah, you know. So I just your care and cure is just. It really, really resonates with me and if we keep doing this Joey song thing, right, we're gonna piggyback on that, because that's where the rubber really meets the road.
Speaker 1:We will, we will. So let's talk a little bit about Joey song. So you are part of the entertainment business or were before you've taken your little sabbatical. Here it is, and I always do this next little speech very carefully because I don't want to sound like I'm besmirching something else. But there's there's the traditional ways of doing fundraising that people can do golf tournaments, walks, all that type of stuff. I'm fortunate because of my college relationship with Butch Big, butch Vig. You're fortunate because of your history of being able to get into the entertainment business to, I assume, attract people to your gala.
Speaker 2:I'm sure, there's a network. There's a network, absolutely.
Speaker 1:And I unabashedly and unashamedly use that because, as a father, our job is to use whatever resources the universe has given us.
Speaker 1:And mine happened to be that kid from Veruca named Butch Vig who went on to win some Grammy awards and do all that type of stuff and decided to help me Talk a little bit about. As you're putting together your events, you're thinking about where you're going to talk, about the role that the entertainment industry plays in it. I have a reason I'm asking you this, but I'm going to wait for your answer before I Sure.
Speaker 2:You know to to you now, mike, because you you're living it and you're in it and you know I've been in it and I guess I still have a lot of relationships in the network.
Speaker 2:Forget that I'm not showing up in an office maybe each day. It may come as a surprise to the non entertainmententertainment listeners out there who don't know the ecosystem, but when I tell you, despite all of I'll say in air quotes, the battles, lawyer versus studio lawyer, big CEO slamming the fist down, it's never going to happen on my watch, et cetera, et cetera, then you get to like six o'clock in the evening and there's a charitable event, everyone shows up. It's amazing, like there's this switch and there's this compassion and I just, this is my guesswork, I have no idea, mike, I really don't, but I but I just think, you know, in business there's a face that folks have to wear. It's the tough face, it's the hard face, it's the competitive face, it's business, yep. And then you know, and I'm happy to you know, believe this, because it's my reason for leaving, there's hope for humankind.
Speaker 2:There is that compassionate, empathetic side, and folks check themselves, they look at themselves in the mirror and they said, damn, am I lucky to do what I do. I mean, look at this, I'm making TV shows, I'm making music, I'm making movies with the most well-known directors and stars in the world. Hang on a second, I gotta give back right. And I just have found that the entertainment industry, writ large, wants to give back time and time again.
Speaker 1:So well that that you, you walked. That was exactly where I was going to go with this, because I believe I, I do believe. My theory is and you and I mentioned right you're a left brain guy, I'm a marketing guy, but not a creative guy in like creating meaningful stuff, I can create slogans and ads. People that truly create art and are part of that process by their nature want you to know how they feel. That's why you write a song, that's why you write a script or what you've observed. So, by definition, they wear their heart firmly on their sleeve. So when you give them a chance to emote, to help others right, and as you and I are both in, even though neither one of us are strictly pediatric epilepsies, our stories come from our kids when you give the entertainment community a chance to wear that heart on their sleeve for something other than my late.
Speaker 1:You know the car wash interviews you do for your new movie or the. You know the radio shows you do for your new album. Correct, a lot of people really, I know for me. I look, I get people to come from Los Angeles to Madison, wisconsin, in January for a week. So that that's your, that's your proof point.
Speaker 2:As they say in Brooklyn, that's a schlep.
Speaker 1:And a schlep with four icicles hanging off of it too when it comes to it. So I agree, I believe it is inherent in the entertainment folks, because now that I am in kind of that treadmill I've done enough of this and know enough people. Everybody, even the people, when they say no, they fall all over themselves to apologize for having to say no, right, because they know they're lucky and they want to help.
Speaker 2:That's right. And then you know, usually they'll show up the next year.
Speaker 1:That's 100% it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is wonderful and it's a great community that supports, frankly, you know, a lot of important issues and charities, but I think you and I are fortunate to, I guess, be two that are, I say, kind of on the list.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, no, I always remember my life is built around Seinfeld references. There was the episode where George Costanza had the wallet with the model in it and some people thought it was his girlfriend. And then he was able to go to the parties. You know, and Butch is the girlfriend in my wallet, right, who's gotten me into all these parties? And then now I'm on the list and at least people take my call, and that's perfect. It's all you need, exactly.
Speaker 2:You just have to have an at-bat. Doesn't mean you're going to get a home run, but you need the bat in your hands.
Speaker 1:Just give me a chance to tell you my story. That's all I ask. Let me tell you my story, and I'm sure you and Mark feel the same way, as you've built all of this up Very well said, yes. Well, andrew Gumpert, thank you so much for joining me today. I am extremely pleased that you are on our side and serve on one of our advisory boards. And, speaking of schleps, I'm absolutely expecting you to schlep out here in January to see what we do, because you need to be a part of this. Can you play keyboards or anything, do you?
Speaker 2:play sax. I'm a guitar player. You're a guitar player, yeah, and I see again we're on video a little, but I see some guitars in the back of your room there, so I figured you'd use it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, yeah, but not very well. But that's why it's down in the basement, where nobody can hear it or it can't cause any hardship to the dogs or neighbors.
Speaker 2:Well, we'll be there. Billy has mandated it. So in the circle of friendship, you know it's going to happen, so looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:Good. Andrew Gumpert, thank you for joining me today. Everybody, thanks for listening. I encourage you to find out more about Care and Cure because I really think it's a. It moved me and I'm you know, I'm a Midwestern German so I don't get moved that easily, but when I first heard about it, it's phenomenal what you and Mark have done out there with Epilepsy LA and I'm really glad you're on our team.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you so much, mike. I appreciate it and I love the conversation.
Speaker 1:All right, Thanks for joining us for the Joey Song Podcast. Remember to visit our website, joeysongorg. Follow us on all our social media handles, which are at Joey Song. We'll see you guys at the show. Whoa geez, sorry about the record scratch. Wait a minute. I forgot one thing. If you want to help us spread the word about Joey's Song and our podcast, there's a few things you can do that are real simple. That will help us. One of the things you can do is follow the show wherever you get your podcast, give us a five-star review I mean, why wouldn't you and write a review. All of these things help our podcast and our cause get more traction and seen throughout the community. And if you wanted to tell a few friends about Joey's Song in the podcast, that would be great as well. And, of course, you can visit joey's songorg and follow us on social media. All of our handles are at joey's song. Okay, I think that's it. We will see you guys at the show.
