Sid Bernstein was born on August 12, 1918 at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. He grew up in Harlem, near the famed Apollo Theatre and quickly grew a habit for listening to music and eating great food. He spoke mostly Yiddish to his parents who emigrated from Russia to NYC through Ellis Island.
It was early in Sid’s life that he discovered an ear for music. It was his ability to know when a singer or band had that inimitable “it” or “sound” and started his career as a promoter of Jazz and Latin music in small clubs throughout New York City in the early 1950’s. He later became an agent, promoter and manager to some of the greatest musical talents in the world. He imported the British Invasion to the shores of New York City and helped build the dreams of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits, the Moody Blues, the Kinks, James Brown, Ray Charles, John Denver, Joan Baez, Miles Davis, the Rascals, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Elvis Presley, Barbara Streisand, ABBA, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the list goes on and on…
Sid and his wife, Geraldine (former Broadway actress-singer), have six children, and are still patiently awaiting their first grandchild. They have made their home on the Upper East Side in Manhattan for the past thirty-five years.