LAS VEGAS — The governing body of the Parnelli Awards announced that production/tour manager Chris Lamb will be the 2015 recipient of the Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Award. “I’m very honored by this award, and honored to join the list of previous winners, all of whom have in some way mentored my life,” Lamb said, “especially my retired partner, Gerry Stickells.”
“Chris Lamb is one of the most respected, loved, and admired people in the live event business, and one of the handful of amazing talented people who formed this business in the very early days,” said Terry Lowe, PLSN/FOH publisher and Parnelli Show executive producer. “He’s worked along side of almost all the other honorees in this category, and everyone agrees he is long overdue to receive recognition for his work.”
Lamb hails from Torrance, CA, and grew up a jock and a surfer. His parents instilled in him a great love of the outdoors, which he still has today. He enlisted and went to Vietnam in 1968, and came out a trained electrician in 1972. He got his first break into this business through John Tedesco’s lighting company, Phoebus Rock Associates (today Phoebus Lighting), and went out on the road with Leon Russell that year. He worked for Tom Field & Associates, where he worked with the first honoree to receive this award, Brian Croft. It was during this period he also met Stickells.
In 1978, with Parnelli Lifetime Achievement Honoree (2007) Stickells, they formed GLS Productions, a full service entertainment industry production company. They quickly became known for being able to pull of the big international rock festivals, including the first Rock in Rio Festival in January 1985. That 10 show festival was seen by two million and included Queen, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, Yes and the B-25s. They also put on the second one in 1991 that included Guns N’ Roses, Prince, George Michaels, INXS and New Kids on the Block.
Over his 40-year plus career, Lamb has been a part of the biggest acts and biggest tours in the business, including Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Van Halen, Bette Midler, Elton John, Roger Waters, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey and Kanye West, among many others. With Stickells and Parnelli namesake Rick “Parnelli” O’Brien, he was behind most of Queen’s tours, Madonna’s record-breaking shows for three decades, and he recently supported J-Lo in India. Over the decades, he’s also done extensive work for television concerts. Of course, he’s done it all while wearing his signature cowboy hat.
“When Chris and I worked together, he was known as ‘big hat’ and I was known as ‘little hat,’” says longtime friend and associate Benny Collins (who picked up this very award last year for his remarkable career). “He’s very knowledgeable and cares deeply about what he does. He’s very committed to his artist and his crews. Most of all, he’s a worker — there’s nothing he won’t do himself to get the job done. He’s amazing and has a great heart.”
The Parnelli Awards will be held this year on Oct. 24 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. For more information, go to www.parnelliawards.com.
