Harold Stanford "Hal" Herzon, musician and talent agent who helped bring James Coburn and Cliff Osmond to the screen, died Jan. 17 in Southern California after a long fight with Guillain-Barre syndrome. He was 84.
Originally from Chi, he attended Northwestern U., graduating with a master's in music and dedicating himself to the clarinet and sax. He was a member of the Charlie Barnett and Bill Bardo bands and later formed the Hal Herzon Septet. He also jammed with jazz greats Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey.
He toured with big bands until he came to Hollywood, where he set up his own recording studio at Hollywood and Vine. His first album was "Morton Gould's Musical Fantasies." He played the Hollywood Canteen during World War II, as well as the Santa Monica Pavilion and on Bob Hope shows with Skinny Ennis.
Changing careers as the demand for big-band live music dwindled, Herzon became a talent agent, working with Meyer Mishkin before going solo. He helped rep Coburn and Osmond.
He is survived by wife Sandi, two sons, a sister and others.
Contact the Variety newsroom at
news@variety.com