This Creative Director Finds Satisfaction in His Rock 'n' Roll Collection

Beatlemania was in the air in 1964, but it wasn’t until Gary Greenberg saw his school auditorium decked out in Beatles decor for a dance that he realized the phenomenon was bigger than music. “I remember looking around thinking, ‘Something is happening that’s important,’” recalled Greenberg, chief creative officer at Philadelphia’s Brownstein Group agency. “[They] had such a major impact on everything, not only music but art and fashion and culture and politics.” The desire to be connected to these cultural influencers led him to collecting memorabilia, a passion that’s taken him all the way to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Sure, there's eBay and live auctions, but like the advertising industry, collecting is about relationships. Through his work as a creative, Greenberg met Jeff Gold, a former music mogul with Warner Bros. Records and now the owner of Recordmecca collectibles and a good friend. Having that personal connection means Greenberg gets arguably an item's most valuable commodity: “The story behind it is sometimes far more interesting than the object itself." While his wife jokes that his retirement is hanging on the walls of their Philadelphia home, Greenberg isn’t buying the pieces as an investment. “I’m buying for the love I have for them—an emotional connection with that piece,” he said. One of Greenberg's most prized possessions is this leather jacket worn by The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards in the 1970s. His collection spans between 300 and 400 items, ranging from concert posters to a leopard print-lined leather jacket worn by The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, to drum cases from Ringo Starr’s time with The Beatles and even artwork created by band members. These items have shaped Greenberg’s life in many ways. He and his wife chose their current home for its great room that could house his collection, though Greenberg admits it’s bursting at the seams after 25 years of collecting. He served as creative director on 2008’s Guitar Hero: Aerosmith video game. He directed Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash alongside actress Betty White in a series of ads supporting the Los Angeles Zoo. “He’s such a sweet guy, the complete antithesis of what you think he would be,” Greenberg recalled. “He’s soft-spoken, quiet, very humble, just a really fun guy to work with.” As for the Rock Hall? Greenberg’s extensive Rolling Stones collection bailed out the museum during its iconic "50 Years of Satisfaction" show when a major loan from another exhibitor fell through. And on one memorable occasion, Greenberg got to return an item that wasn’t even known to exist. In 1981, Richards sang a handful of classic songs at the piano in Long View Farm Studios during a rehearsal. Greenberg bought the master tape of the session, then years later decided to gift it back to the Stones guitarist. A friend who’d done advertising for cymbal maker Zildjian put him in touch with the Stones’ management. Greenberg had just one request: “I’d like to give it to him personally.” Two weeks later, he was sitting on a couch with Richards in a New York hotel. “I don’t think he actually believed I had what I said I had until he saw it,” Greenberg said. “The expression on his face was priceless. He was thrilled; we just sat and talked.” The good deed also landed him on the Stones’ tour guest list—and what’s better than turning an old memory into a new experience?

Off the Clock

This Creative Director Finds Satisfaction in His Rock 'n' Roll Collection

Memorabilia from The Beatles to The Rolling Stones fills Brownstein Group CCO Gary Greenberg's home

Eva Kis

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