A Career Led By a Love of Music Clinton Neils

Growing up in Washington Heights, Clinton Neils was surrounded by music, but never imagined he would be able to make a living from it. From a very young age he was exposed to a wide range of musical genres thanks to his mother’s love for the symphony. Their house was filled with music, often played by both Neils and his sister.

“My mother made me play the violin growing up,” Neils said, smiling. “I used to always dread those lessons but now I am thankful because it has allowed me to appreciate a diverse range of music.” His large stature deterred him from music when he was older, because his 6’7” frame led him to work in security after high school.

“I was always led into that world, because of my size,” he said. “I was always listening to music but back then I never realized I would be where I am today.” His first involvement with the music industry was working for Madison Square Garden, where he began his career in security. “Madison Square Garden was sort of the mecca for music for me as a kid, and I was always curious how things worked behind the scenes,” he said. “Working security gave me my first look backstage.”

In 1990 his sister was working at Radio City Music Hall, and when he would pick her up from work, he would see all the excitement surrounding the stage door. Now having some experience he wanted to get even closer to different musical acts and asked his sister if they were hiring.

The only job they had available was in their Food and Beverage department, and he took that as a way to get his foot in the door. He worked there for three years, eventually getting promoted to work in security. At Radio City he was more involved with the artists, allowing him to see how they worked on a personal level.

During his time at Radio City Music Hall he was promoted to supervisor and eventually became the Director of Security for all Madison Square Garden Theatres. He was also running the Executive Security of the Rockettes, and his hard working nature became known among important people within the music industry.

“I was given the opportunity to travel during that time,” he said. “And I was really getting to see how shows were produced. That type of involvement was priceless.” As he began working his way up, Neils began filling in for the former Beacon Theatre General Manager, Nick Spampanato, when he would leave town for work.

Spampanato ended up taking a new job heading the L.A. Forum, freeing a potential new position for Neils. He earned the position of Vice President and General Manager of the Beacon Theatre in 2012, and has since done great work broadening the range of entertainment at the historic theatre.

“Once I started, I realized the Beacon is in a much more residential area than Madison Square Garden,” he said. “It makes my work more directly involved with the community.” A native New Yorker himself, he knows how important small issues are to a neighborhood. “Once I started getting to know our patrons, I wanted to get to know them,” he said. “If anyone had any complaints or requests I would give them my direct contact information, that allowed us to handle any issues head on.”

He thanks the support he has received from Community Board 7 and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, because although people visit the Beacon from all over the world, he says the majority of his patrons are locals. His down to earth nature can be seen as he walks through the theatre, greeting everyone he passes by their first name and a warm handshake or hug.

“I try to keep attention on the simple things,” he said. “We are a famous venue but it is a small theatre and things work the best when we can all communicate directly.”

One of his favorite memories at the Beacon was during Sting’s 60th birthday concert. While the crew waited for Stevie Wonder, everyone decided to take a break to grab some lunch. Neils was around the corner when Sting rode by on his bike, waving at him as he passed.

“That was a really great day for me,” he said. “Here is this super star and he just said ‘Hey Clinton’ like any other colleague would do. It gave me a lot of perspective, and it’s something I will always remember.”