Lee Solters

Lee Solters (born Nathan Cohen, June 23, 1919 – May 18, 2009) was an American press agent and publicist known for his flamboyant promotional style and long career representing prominent figures in entertainment, theater, and music. For over 60 years, he handled publicity for more than 300 Broadway productions, including My Fair Lady, The King and I, and Funny Girl, and for performers including Yul Brynner, Barbra Streisand, the Beatles, and Led Zeppelin.

Solters was best known for his 26-year collaboration with Frank Sinatra and his publicity stunts that helped shape modern celebrity promotion. Prior to entering public relations, he served as a Stars and Stripes writer during World War II and later co-founded several major agencies including Solters & O'Rourke and Solters/Roskin/Friedman, with offices in New York and Los Angeles.

Early life and career Born Nathan Cohen in Brooklyn, New York on June 23, 1919, to Jewish parents (Jacob and Gussie) Cohen, Solters attended New York University, where he studied advertising and journalism. After being drafted into the United States Army, he became a writer for Stars and Stripes, the official newspaper of the United States Armed Forces.

After leaving military service, he went into the public relations business with his own company in 1948, achieving early success with stories about clients planted in the columns of Army Archerd, Hedda Hopper and Walter Winchell.

In 1991, after 35 years, Solters parted ways with Roskin and Friedman to form his own agency.

From 2001 to 2009, Solters was partnered with Jerry Digney in Solters & Digney Public Relations.

Notables represented Among the celebrities he represented were Yul Brynner, Carol Channing, Jackie Gleason, Cary Grant, Barbra Streisand and Mae West. The firm also represented political figures, such as Gary Hart, pop groups, including the rap group 2 Live Crew, and corporate clients, such as FirstAir.

After reports spread in 1990 of the death of Bubbles, the chimpanzee companion of his client Michael Jackson, Solters told the press that "When Bubbles heard about his demise he went bananas". He represented Dolly Parton and would say he knew her "since she was flat-chested".

Las Vegas and Frank Sinatra While representing Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Solters first met Frank Sinatra. Solters followed Sinatra on his tour to ensure that Sinatra would be connected with the hotel. Solters told Sinatra that he wasn't impressed with his existing publicist and suggested that Solters would invite columnists in each city where he performed to meet the star five minutes before he went on stage to give the reporters a rarely obtained chance to speak directly with Sinatra. The professional relationship with Sinatra lasted for 26 years. His efforts led to Pope John Paul II being named in 2000 as an honorary member of the Harlem Globetrotters in a ceremony orchestrated in front of a crowd of 50,000 in Saint Peter's Square. In the 1970s, Solters won a competition over several other agencies for an account with a Detroit automaker by waving his client list and stating "That's my presentation."