Seinfeld's Manager Howard West Dead At 84; Details Released!
Howard West, producer of comedy series "Seinfeld," has died Dec. 3 at UCLA Medical Center due to a massive stroke, according to Variety. He was 84 years old.
He was Jerry Seinfeld's co-manager and was George Shapiro's longtime partner in Shapiro/West and Associates, a management firm. The two met at an elementary school playground at the age of eight.
"I invited him to join me and my friends to play basketball, stickball, curb ball and touch football," said Shapiro. "It was love at first sight, and we became best friends since that day."
Howard West graduated from Long Island University and served in the Army. He reunited with Shapiro at the William Morris Agency's mailroom and the two rose through the ranks. They launched their own firm in the early 70s, reported Deadline.
West took on clients such as Campbell, Diamond, Anne Murray, Jerry Reed and Greg Garrison, who produced and directed shows such as "The Dean Martin Show" and "The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast," revealed the Daily Mail.
One of his biggest clients was Feldman of "The Last Remake of Beau Geste fame" and later worked with the man behind "Scrubs," "Cougar Town" and "Spin City," Bill Lawrence.
In 1999, West was given brief role and portrayed a hard-nosed TV executive in "Man on the Moon," a biopic of Kaufman starring Jim Carrey. "He was a natural for the role," said Shapiro.
West and Shapiro served as executive producers of "Seinfeld," which ran from 1989 to 1998 and were key players in the show's launch on NBC. The duo managed comedy legends such as Andy Kaufman Hollywood.
The two had one of the longest business relationships and friendships in Hollywood. West and Shapiro's bond with their childhood friends and old neighborhood was seen in 2003's "The Bronx Boys," an HBO documentary narrated by Carl Reiner.
In 2013, the sequel " The Bronx Boys Still Playing at 80" aired on PBS.
Howard West is survived by his wife of 54 years Marlene, son Todd, daughter Dayna and granddaughter, Olivia.