Eric Greif

Greif was the oldest of three children to Lori and Jerome Greif who were Jewish Americans from New York who immigrated to Calgary, Canada. Greif lived in several Canadian and American cities throughout his school and work life including Lancaster, England where he met Anna Eisner. They had two children (in 2000 and 2004) and married in 2005. They separated in 2016 and were divorced years later.Personal communication.{{bsn|date=December 2024}}

Greif was the weekly teen columnist with Southam News daily Calgary Herald but, wanting to be "where all the record labels were", he left Calgary when he turned 18 and moved to Los Angeles.{{cite web | url = http://www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/greif.shtml | title = Eric Greif interview | work = Sleaze Roxx | date = April 28, 2007 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110929001925/http://www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/greif.shtml | archivedate = September 29, 2011 }} He attended the University of Sound Arts in Hollywood studying to become a recording engineer but soon switched to production when it was suggested to him by mentor Ron Fair.

Greif could play many instruments including the piano, electrical and acoustic guitars. However as his diabetes progressed, necrosis prevented him from being able to play his instruments.Personal communication and personal experience from the friendship between Eric and D. Scharie Tavcer {{bsn|date=December 2024}}

Greif's first production work was with the Greg Leon Invasion, who he met after their show at The Troubadour and later managed.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/leon.shtml|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719085910/http://www.sleazeroxx.com/interviews/leon.shtml|url-status=dead|title=Sleaze Roxx: Greg Leon Interview|archivedate=July 19, 2011|website=www.sleazeroxx.com}} Greg Leon subsequently introduced Greif to Tommy Lee, whom Leon had played in a band with, and this led to Greif's management work with Mötley Crüe.Motley Crue: Rock And Roll's Bad Boys, www.squidoo.com/Motley-Crue, retrieved August 20, 2008 Among his arrangements was Mötley Crüe's eventful 1982 tour of Canada.[http://members.ozemail.com.au/~cruekiss/82.htm 1982, Chronological Crue] (retrieved October 2, 2009)

By the mid-1980s, Greenworld Distribution, which had worked with Greif on the marketing and distribution of Mötley Crüe's first album Too Fast for Love,[http://www.motleymuseum.com/tffl_leathur_id.htm Too Fast for Love, motleymuseum.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612181640/http://www.motleymuseum.com/tffl_leathur_id.htm |date=June 12, 2008 }}, retrieved August 20, 2008 had signed contracts with the vast majority of bands Greif brought to them with production deals,[https://books.google.com/books?id=CyQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Eric+Griffy+Greif%22&pg=PT59 Billboard Magazine], p. HM-18, April 27, 1985 (retrieved October 28, 2010)[https://books.google.com/books?id=yCQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Eric+Greif&pg=PT115 Audio Track, Billboard Magazine], August 31, 1985 (retrieved October 28, 2010) including Kansas City's Vyper,{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312095831/http://www.tartareandesire.com/bands/Vyper/1934/ Vyper Band Page, Tartarean Desire]}}, retrieved August 20, 2008[http://www.denim-and-leather.com/bands.shtml Vyper, Denim and Leather], retrieved August 20, 2008[http://www.maximummetal.com/columns/way/21.asp Where are you? - Vyper, Maximum Metal], retrieved August 20, 2008 who he produced and managed. John Hughes, writing for the Kansas City Star, noted that "Mr. Greif hopes that Vyper will follow the pattern of last year's heavy metal meteor, Mötley Crüe, for which he was assistant manager and which recorded its first album with Greenworld...Billboard magazine announced the news in this week's issue".Hughes, J. Rock Band Vyper - and its manager - are coiled to strike, Kansas City Star, November 2, 1984 Quoting Greif, Hughes wrote "I'm going for millionaire status rather than blue-collar status. I'm marketing a product. The '80s is image, a look. The '80s are MTV". Greenworld's 1986 bankruptcy caused problems for Greif as Enigma Records, Greenworld's largest creditor, refused to return any of the master tapes and was not interested in promoting anything that Greenworld had been working on.

File:Death Mexico 06-89.jpg in Mexico City, June 1989]] Greif moved into concerts as co-promoter of Milwaukee Metalfest,{{Cite web|url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7006866076187030360&q=morbid+saint|title=MORBID SAINT live at Metal Fest III|website=video.google.com}} described by MTV as "one of the largest celebrations of underground heavy metal in the country".[https://www.angelfire.com/mi/metaldates/news.html Mega Metalfest Takes Milwaukee, MTV.com], retrieved October 6, 2010 He managed death metal pioneer Chuck Schuldiner and his Florida band Death,[http://www.emptywords.org/BANDPerryGrayson.htm Emptywords.org], retrieved August 20, 2008[http://www.emptywords.org/Thrash'nBurn02-1992.htm Thrash 'n Burn, February 1992], retrieved August 20, 2008[http://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/Specials/A-TRIBUTE-TO-CHUCK-SCHULDINER--6794.html Voices from the Darkside Magazine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009184621/http://www.voicesfromthedarkside.de/Specials/A-TRIBUTE-TO-CHUCK-SCHULDINER--6794.html |date=October 9, 2013 }}, retrieved December 5, 2013 did some campaigning against US heavy metal media censorship,{{Cite web|url=https://myspace.com/masoptica/video/mr.-metal/1685446|title=Mr. Metal Video by Mas Optica on Myspace|website=Myspace}} and produced bands such as Acrophet,[http://www.vinylrecords.ch/A/AC/Acrophet/Corrupt/corrupt_minds.html Acrophet, Vinyl Records], retrieved August 20, 2008 Num Skull, Morbid Saint,[http://nocturnalcult.com/morbidsaintint.htm Smith, B. Interview with Tony Paletti of Morbid Saint 2006], retrieved August 20, 2008 Realm,[http://www.spirit-of-metal.com/biographie-groupe-Realm-id_bio-5448-l-en.html 'Realm Biography', Spirit of Metal], retrieved October 6, 2010 Invocator,[http://www.invocator.com/biography.asp Biography, The Official Invocator Homepage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023135920/http://invocator.com/biography.asp |date=October 23, 2014 }}, retrieved August 20, 2008 Viogression,[http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,181242,00.html Viogression, Artist Direct], retrieved August 20, 2008 Jackal,[http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=1493 Encyclopaedia Metallum] (retrieved April 16, 2010) Twistin' Egyptians,[http://www.daveonbass.com/disc/45.htm Shakin' All Over/In The Sun 45 Page, Twistin' Egyptians' Discography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107024658/http://www.daveonbass.com/disc/45.htm |date=January 7, 2009 }}, retrieved August 20, 2008 Transmetal,[http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://club.telepolis.com/transmetal/discos4.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Eric%2BGriffy%2BGreif%2522%26start%3D30%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN Discografia, Transmetal], retrieved August 20, 2008 Cyclone,[http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=1110 Cyclone, Metal Archives], retrieved August 20, 2008 Dr. Shrinker, and Morta Skuld.[http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=43862 Through the Eyes of Death, Relapse Records], (retrieved June 23, 2011) In September 1990, Greif held one of the first North American death metal festivals, Day of Death, in Milwaukee suburb Waukesha, Wisconsin, at the Expo Center and featured 26 bands including Autopsy, Hellwitch, Obliveon, Revenant, Viogression, Immolation, Atheist, Broken Hope, and Cynic.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100325022446/http://www.officialatheist.com/index.php?item=biography Biography, Official Atheist site]}}, accessed December 10, 2008

Greif also managed LA band London, who at one time featured his former client Nikki Sixx, before their final break-up.[http://www.metallian.com/london.php London, Metallian mag], retrieved December 5, 2013

Greif also produced several [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6511834/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 music videos and documentaries].{{bsn|date=November 2024}}

In November 1991, Journal Sentinel music writer Terry Higgins stated: "At 29, Greif has become the kingpin of a steadily growing rock empire by becoming the kind of tough businessman who is as much at home in the courtroom as in the boardroom".[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19911122&id=9EUbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6U4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4575,5564354 Higgins, T. Greif thrives on death metal, Milwaukee Sentinel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316121843/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19911122&id=9EUbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6U4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4575,5564354 |date=March 16, 2016 }}, November 22, 1991 Although client Schuldiner had said about Greif "we just came to the conclusion that it was stupid just fighting all the time, taking each other to court and all that stupid shit", by the mid-1990s Greif decided he had spent enough time in court to know he wanted to become a lawyer.

Greif was an alumnus of the University of Calgary Faculty of Law[http://law.ucalgary.ca/system/files/1710_MootPubWeb.pdf Alumni Update, Moot Hill, Faculty of Law, Winter 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706210435/http://law.ucalgary.ca/system/files/1710_MootPubWeb.pdf |date=July 6, 2011 }}, retrieved August 20, 2008 and was a member of the Canadian Bar Association. {{Cite web |url=http://www.cba.org/Alberta/PDF/Newsletter-Nov2000.pdf |title=Canadian Bar Association Newsletter, November 2000 |access-date=November 1, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927233154/http://www.cba.org/Alberta/PDF/Newsletter-Nov2000.pdf |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=dead }} He completed his law degree from the University of Calgary while confined to a hospital bed due to complications from diabetes, a transplant, and infections.

Within his legal practice, Greif was a co-founder of the Association of Restorative Practitioners of the UK and Ireland,[http://www.restorativejustice.org.uk/Resources/word/ARP(uk)_Proforma.doc Restorative Practitioners, restorativejustice.org.uk], retrieved August 20, 2008 delivered victim-offender mediation training to the Czech Republic Probation and Mediation Service (PMS) in Prague,[http://www.yjb.gov.uk/publications/Resources/Downloads/YJBNews_21.pdf The YJB takes RJ across the world, Youth Justice Board News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226045948/http://www.yjb.gov.uk/publications/Resources/Downloads/YJBNews_21.pdf |date=February 26, 2009 }}, February 2004 and was a State Prosecutor facilitator at a conference of the European Forum for Victim-Offender Mediation and Restorative Justice in Belgium.[http://www.era.int/web/fr/resources/5_1796_665_file_fr.761.pdf Restorative justice and its relation to the criminal justice system: Second conference of the European Forum for Victim-Offender Mediation and Restorative Justice] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928152935/http://www.era.int/web/fr/resources/5_1796_665_file_fr.761.pdf |date=September 28, 2007 }}, Oostende, October 10–12, 2002, retrieved August 20, 2008[http://www.euforumrj.org/readingroom/GM/GM_2002.doc European Forum for Victim-Offender Mediation & Restorative Justice] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070110155853/http://www.euforumrj.org/readingroom/GM/GM_2002.doc |date=January 10, 2007 }}, retrieved August 20, 2008

In entertainment endeavors, Greif represented American guitarist/songwriter Paul Masvidal,[http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=20443 Blabbermouth.net, March 17, 2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040911135411/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=20443 |date=September 11, 2004 }}, retrieved August 20, 2008 Danish heavy metal guitarist Hank Shermann,{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100305183043/http://www.demonica.net/thrash/?page_id=100 Contact, demonica.net]}}, retrieved August 19, 2009 and the bands Cynic,[http://www.cyniconline.com/index.php?sub=contact Cynic legal contact] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615220738/http://www.cyniconline.com/index.php?sub=contact |date=June 15, 2010 }}, (accessed July 12, 2010) Obituary, Weapon, Anciients, and Massacre. He was the legal rep for the intellectual property of Chuck Schuldiner, and has submitted copyright claims to YouTube on behalf of Mutilation Music BMI for uploads of Death live footage.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1YF2_Jg35M|title=Death - Live in Japan|website=YouTube}} In latter 2012, Greif assisted metal documentarian and fellow Canadian Sam Dunn in logistics and raising funds for a short film on extreme metal, to be completed by late 2013. Dunn was quoted as saying "Eric Greif has been enormously supportive of our work. He is a hugely important figure in the extreme metal scene." Greif was instrumental in obtaining the rights to the majority of the Death catalog (with the exception of Symbolic) and reissuing them under Relapse Records.{{cite web|url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2021/10/31/r-i-p-eric-greif-1962-2021-death-manager/|title=R.I.P. Eric Greif (1962-2021) (Death manager)|work=Decibel|accessdate=January 5, 2024|date=October 31, 2021|author=Albert Mudrian}}

Greif said that he has always opposed the abuse of hard drugs, especially after seeing it "destroy" a few lives, including a former business partner who died after years of addiction. Greif was a university lecturer{{Cite web|url=https://theyyscene.com/2011/11/10/ffwd-eric-greif-lawyer-professor-and-metal-show-promoter/|title=Eric Greif Lawyer professor and metal show promoter - TheYYSCENE|work=TheYYSCENE - Calgary's Going Out Guide |date=November 10, 2011}} and remained active in the music business simultaneously. He stopped teaching and practicing law only a few years before his death.

Greif was an insulin-dependent diabetic for much of his life, which was briefly cured by a pancreas transplant, but "it failed a few months later and health continues to be a struggle for him." He tried several times for a kidney transplant but was unsuccessful.{{Cite web |date=October 30, 2021 |title=Former DEATH Manager ERIC GREIF Dies |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/former-death-manager-eric-greif-dies |access-date=December 30, 2024 |website=Blabbermouth.net}} His friends joked that he had nine lives because his health deteriorated severely, so many times, but he always climbed his way back to living his life in full. For example, in May 2021 he posted to social media: "Well, two weeks ago tonight a series of events landed me in the Nanaimo hospital. First I had an accident with my walker and broke both my legs at the tibia. Then an ambulance took me to the hospital, where for whatever reason I contracted a very vicious bug. It was so bad that I went into cardiac arrest, and was dead for 30 minutes. Lucky for me they never gave up and continued slamming my chest until eventually I regained consciousness and my heart started beating again...2 weeks later and my legs don't hurt even though they are in casts....It has been a hell of a couple of weeks. I've never died before, so the whole experience was new, but what I will say if life is always preferable to death."{{cn|date=November 2024}}{{Cite web |last=Järvinen |first=Samuel |date=November 2, 2021 |title=Eric Greif, former manager of death metal legends Death, has died |url=https://chaoszine.net/eric-greif-former-manager-of-death-metal-legends-death-has-died/ |access-date=December 29, 2024 |website=Chaoszine}}{{Cite web |last=Mudrian |first=Albert |date=October 31, 2021 |title=R.I.P. Eric Greif (1962-2021) (Death manager) |url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2021/10/31/r-i-p-eric-greif-1962-2021-death-manager/ |access-date=December 29, 2024 |website=Decibel Magazine}}Facebook post from Eric Greif to his friends May 2021

His last years were spent in the city of Duncan on Vancouver Island. His diabetes became more challenging and he became dependent on a caregiver, a wheelchair, and constant medical attention including dialysis several times a week. Greif suffered a heart attack that left him brain dead. With his son by his side, his ventilator was turned off, and he died on October 29, 2021.Personal communication between D. Scharie Tavcer and Eric's kids Teega and Sam.{{bsn|date=December 2024}} The music industry made an announcement when he died.{{Cite web|last=Reeder |date=October 30, 2021 |title=Legendary DEATH Manager ERIC GREIF Dies {{!}} Metal Addicts |url=https://metaladdicts.com/legendary-death-manager-eric-greif-dies/ |access-date=October 30, 2021 |website=Metal Addicts |language=en-US}}

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Category:1962 births

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