Dreams of a Kitten by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Dreams of a Kitten

Page 210

wholly non-original material, featuring such songs as "Jimmy

Mack," "Nowhere to Run," and "Spanish Harlem."

During 1971, David Geffen worked to establish his own recording

label, “Asylum Records,” in part because of the trouble he had

trying to secure a recording contract for another of his

clients, Jackson Browne, with whom Nyro was in a relationship at

the time. Geffen invited Nyro to join the new label and

announced that she would be “Asylum's” first singer. However,

shortly before the signing was due to take place, Geffen learned

that Nyro had re-signed with Columbia instead, without telling

him. When interviewed about the matter for a 2012 PBS

documentary on his life, Geffen, who'd considered Nyro his best

friend, described her rejection as the biggest betrayal of his

life up to that point, and said he "cried for days" afterwards.

By the end of 1971, Nyro was married to carpenter David

Bianchini. She was reportedly uncomfortable with attempts to

market her as a celebrity and she announced her retirement from

the music business at the age of 24. In 1973, her “Verve” debut

album was reissued as “The First Songs” by “Columbia Records.”

By 1976, her marriage had ended, and she released an album of

new material, “Smile.” She then embarked on a four month tour