Shelley Lazar, the pioneer of ticketing VIP programs for everyone from the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney to The Who, died Sunday from cancer, a spokesperson from the company she founded, SLO VIP Ticket Services, confirmed. She was 69.
Known as “The Ticket Queen” among those in the industry, Lazar was vice president of artistic relations and special projects coordinator of Bill Graham Presents (BGP) from 1991 to 2002, before opening SLO in San Francisco.
Lazar managed credentials coordination for concert tours, music festivals and celebrity events for some of the biggest names in music, including Beyonce, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Lady Gaga, Bob Dylan, Cher and Tina Turner.
She also managed VIP tickets for “American Idol,” the Emmy Awards, Chris Rock and even visiting popes, Pope John Paul II and Central Park and Pope Benedict at Yankee Stadium.