Takin’ A Walk – Music History with Buzz Knight

Episode: Buzz Knight and Jake Sumner Discuss Ron Delsener’s Impact on Rock Music History and the new documentary “Ron Delsener Presents”
Release Date: February 19, 2026
Host: Buzz Knight
Key Guests: Jake Sumner (director of “Ron Delsener Presents”), Ron Delsener (concert promoter and subject of the film), Jules Belkin (Midwest concert promoter), Dennis Elsass (NY radio personality), Mark Chernoff (radio program director)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the career and legacy of legendary New York concert promoter Ron Delsener, as well as the making of the new documentary “Ron Delsener Presents.” Host Buzz Knight is joined by director Jake Sumner and prominent guests who reflect on Delsener’s unique role in shaping the live music industry, especially in New York. The discussion delves into the challenges, innovations, and risk-taking inherent in the concert promotion business, offering tribute to Delsener’s impact and storytelling from those who knew and worked with him.

Main Discussion Themes

1. Ron Delsener’s Legacy & Importance

• Buzz Knight introduces the episode as a tribute to Ron Delsener, highlighting his central role in concert promotion and his influence on the fabric of rock & roll and live music in New York (00:00).

• Jake Sumner reflects on growing up around Delsener backstage and being drawn to his charismatic, approachable personality, and omnipresence in the music scene (04:05):

  “He was the kind of person who... would like to engage with sort of everyone in the room... he just always had incredible stories and was willing to share them about any number of iconic acts from the Beatles to Hendrix to everyone, really.” (04:11)

• Delsener’s famous “Ron Delsener Presents” brand became synonymous with New York concerts, and his hands-on approach is contrasted to modern, corporate promotion (05:24).

2. Concert Promotion: Risk, Competition, and Innovation

• Jules Belkin (Cleveland/Ohio promoter) joins to compare notes as Delsener’s counterpart in the Midwest. He describes promoters as hustlers and recounts the business climate—high risk, fierce competition nearby but with unspoken regional respect (07:26):

  “The first thing you think about a promoter is a hustler. You know, a guy with a cigar. Carnival…[But] our relationship was very good.” (07:26–10:49)

• On risk and business evolution:

  “It can rain. There could be riots. There could be fistfights. It could be anything that goes wrong. So you have to know what you’re doing.” – Ron Delsener (07:37)
  “Ron was one of the ultimate innovators in the business at that time…he was the ultimate promoter.” – Jules Belkin (14:26)

• On changing industry rules: Both reflect that early concert promotion was largely improvised—no rules, just making it up along the way (13:57).

3. The Making of “Ron Delsener Presents” Documentary

• Jake Sumner shares his journey making the documentary:
  • Dream of the film began around 2016–17, but Delsener was reluctant (“people have tried and failed, and I’m not really interested”) (16:11).
  • The process was informal, spontaneous, and required “courting” Delsener’s trust (17:35).
  • The pandemic led to deep archival work—Sumner digitized Delsener’s massive, disorganized archive in East Hampton, discovering stories through memorabilia triggers (Jimmy Buffett show, COVID, etc.) (17:35–20:18):

    “I spent a lot of time in Ron’s basement in East Hampton digitizing his crazy archive of material...During that time...I just found myself going through his stuff and found just an amazing collection and an amazing insight into his story.” (18:44)

4. Delsener Through the Eyes of Radio and Artists

• Mark Chernoff (WNEW-FM PD) and Dennis Elsass recall the vital partnership between NY radio and Delsener, from promoting Central Park’s Wollman Rink and Pier 84 concerts to intimate Christmas shows (21:26, 23:51):

  “Ron was an important. The guy...Ron owned a lot of venues.” – Mark Chernoff (23:51)

• Elsass shares personal anecdotes of seeing Delsener at nearly every gig, including a legendary Beatles memorabilia auction trick and Delsener’s knack for “gliding through” venues with calm leadership (30:31, 35:00):

  “Ron just sort of...glides through. And he has this wonderful way of being casual, but being in charge. You know, he’s just...cool. The artists respect him. They know that they’re gonna be comfortable.” (35:00)

• Delsener’s role in innovation and artist care: He popularized low-cost public concerts in Central Park, crafted sponsored festivals, and always ensured artists felt at ease (33:49–37:24).

• A major story: It was Delsener who relayed the news of John Lennon’s death to the DJ at an annual Christmas show, underscoring his central presence in NY music history (37:24).

5. Artist Testimonials & Documentary Insights

• Sumner reveals many artists volunteered to be interviewed for the film—an unusual testament to Delsener’s impact (41:49):

  “Big names...actually contacted me hearing about a film saying, ‘Hey, I hear you’re making a Ron Dazna movie. I’ve got a great story. Like, I owe that guy a lot.’...We got so many great interviews from Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt, Patti Smith...Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Paul Simon, Garfunkel...” (41:49)

• The Simon & Garfunkel Central Park concert is cited as a documentary highlight, with interviews from Paul, Art, and Lorne Michaels providing a new level of detail about how these iconic moments actually happened (43:17–43:45).

6. What Makes a Legendary Promoter?

• Sumner on Delsener’s unique attributes (44:50):

  “I think what Ron has that maybe others don’t, I think he has a willingness to kind of go all the way with things…it’s sort of a force of nature...It takes 10 winners to make up for one big loss...I think Ron really loved the music, and I think more than music, I think Ron really loved the action and the event and the show business atmosphere...” (44:54)
  “No one really sustained a career like Ron or was there really from the beginning, from the outset of live music as we know it through to the corporatization and the creation of Live Nation. No one’s really has that span of time and history that Ron has.” (46:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the hustler stereotype:
  “The first thing you think about a promoter is a hustler. You know, a guy with a cigar. Carnival…The alligator boy, that kind of stuff.”
  — Ron Delsener (07:26)

• On risk:
  “If it doesn’t sell out, he loses. That’s the Risk. It can rain. There could be riots. There could be fistfights. It could be anything that goes wrong. So you have to know what you’re doing.”
  — Ron Delsener (07:42)

• On creativity and beginnings:
  “A lot of it in the beginning was making things up along the way. There were no rules.”
  — Buzz Knight (13:57)

• On the Simon & Garfunkel Central Park documentary section:
  “The feelings are raw and real that are there. It’s fantastic.”
  — Buzz Knight (43:17)

• On what makes someone legendary:
  “Being a promoter...you have to be a gambler of sorts...It has to be beyond just a love of money. I think Ron really loved the music...but it’s just that love of the show and putting on the show. What separates him from others...?”
  — Jake Sumner (44:54)

Key Timestamps

• 04:05 – Jake Sumner on first impressions of Ron Delsener
• 05:24 – Delsener’s impact on New York and concert branding
• 07:26 – Jules Belkin’s perspective on promoter culture and partnership
• 13:57 – Evolution of the concert business; improvisation as necessity
• 16:11 – The documentary’s origin and Delsener’s reluctance
• 18:44 – The deep-dive into Delsener’s personal archive
• 21:46–23:51 – Mark Chernoff on radio and Delsener’s domination of NYC concerts
• 30:31–31:58 – Delsener’s Beatles memorabilia auction anecdote
• 35:00 – Dennis Elsass describes Delsener’s behind-the-scenes presence
• 37:24 – Delsener delivers Lennon tragedy news at a holiday concert
• 41:49 – Artists volunteering their Delsener stories for the film
• 43:17 – Simon & Garfunkel’s Central Park concert explored
• 44:50–47:22 – What sets a great promoter like Delsener apart

Episode Tone & Style

The discussion is candid, warm, and filled with humor and reverence. Guests speak with the casual insight of industry insiders, often drifting into storytelling mode. The tone is respectful, infused with nostalgia and admiration for Delsener’s maverick persona and the seat-of-your-pants ethos of the early live music business.

Summary Takeaway

Through personal stories, behind-the-scenes documentary insights, and heartfelt industry reflections, listeners get a vibrant picture of Ron Delsener as arguably the quintessential American concert promoter—a force of both creative chaos and steady professionalism, who crossed generational boundaries to “present” New York with some of music history’s most legendary nights.