Remember the days when press kit folders with striking covers were used to excite the media about projects? From my collection of past PR clients…

One of my early publicity clients in the biz at Michael Levine PR was Detroit metal act Madame X (thanks to Don Arden and Pat Siciliano at Jet Records). I needed a solid national look to turn folks onto their 1984 debut album, so I pitched Creem magazine the idea of a photo shoot for their “Creem Dreem” section with the band’s sisters Maxine Petrucci and Roxy Petrucci…and, yep, President Ronald Reagan. I somehow got permission from the Hollywood Wax Museum to do the shoot with their wax figure of Reagan one morning before it opened. Maxine and Roxy, with their gloriously teased hair and tons of make-up, cozied up to the conservative President, touching his face and neck and happily mugging for Robert Matheu’s camera. It was one of the best photo ops I ever set, but I was disappointed that we were not sued by the White House.

When it comes to band merch, it’s hard to beat this toddler dress that the Pistols’ camp gifted me with when we did their reunion PR. #mitchmuseum

From my 17-year run as publicist for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1987-2004), I’ve held onto lots of goodies. Here are two different advance cassettes of Tom’s 1989 solo album Full Moon Fever, the first of which contained nine songs before more were added to the album.

Only one year into being a publicist (1980), lucky me helped set this photo up backstage (with my mentor, Beverly Magid) when Solters/Roskin/Friedman client Melissa Manchester headlined L.A.’s long-gone Universal Amphitheater. Here are four smart + beautiful women—Melissa, Lily, Dolly, Carole—who have made life richer. This 8 x 10 glossy print was mailed to media outlets when publicists did things like that. I was also lucky enough to be Dolly’s publicist for five years (2007-2012).

25 years ago today (Feb 1, 1995), MSO PR opened for business in Sherman Oaks. I remember on that day setting up a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover story with Rolling Stone during his “Wildflowers” tour, and a few days later, a check arrived from ‪Stevie Nicks. She was the first client to send payment from the first batch of our invoices. Stevie may not be a current client, but she remains a striking presence in the reception area of the SRO PR Encino office; she gifted us with this autographed special print back in the early ‘90s at Levine/Schneider PR.