A True Story: John Mendel aka Johnny Neurotic

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The True Story of John Mendel aka Johnny Neurotic

It was the early 1950's when I was born and raised in Hollywood,

I grew up in and around show business and spent most of my time on
studio lots.

I did work for everybody from Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Charleton Heston,
James Caan to Billy Friedkin, and the list goes on & on.

I was in the music business for 20 years.

In the late 1970's I created and managed local L.A. rock bands. I wrote many of the songs the these bands would perform in the studio and live at local club gigs.

Over the years I have spent, Hundreds of thousands of dollars of my own money developing new acts and talent.

In fact I was with Prince for six years, and I put Lenny Kravitz in his first band.

In 1981 I discovered another new artist. His name was Tony Lemans.
After several years of working together and struggling our hard work began to pay off.

In 1986 we got a $7 million record contract with Paisley Park Records,
Prince's record label.

Our management company, Cavallo, Ruffalo and Farnoli was the biggest in the business,
Bob Cavallo is now the chairman of Hollywood Records, Disney's record label.

We were on our way and all of our dreams were about to come true...

Tony was being groomed for super stardom and the movies as well as collaborator for many other major musicians and artists.

He wrote songs on Donnie Osmond's comeback album as well as Mick Jaggar's 1993 release "Voodoo Lounge".

Tony Lemans was one of those acts that comes around once-in-a-lifetime and he was all mine.

In June of 1992 we had started production on our second album when an early morning telephone call changed everything.

One of my road managers called and was trying to tell me something, It finally came out. Tony was in a horrific fatel car crash on Pacific Coast Highway...
and... he was dead.

That morning my life changed forever.
Tony and I worked together for 11 years and I put everything I had into developing his career.

As a result of Tony's death,
I gave up... I give up on life.

After the accident there was never a word from Warner brothers, (our distributors)
or Prince, (our executive producer).

I was left with nothing. No money, No business partner and most of all no more dreams.
I lost everything, and became a Crazed Homeless Crack Head wandering the streets of Las Vegas, alone with no one.

Most people that go as far down as I did, don't ever come back.

After several more years of Crack abuse I finally stopped.

It has been over three years now and as a result of merely stopping my drug
habit my life has completely changed back.

Although my life has not turned out the way I thought it would,
there is still a glimmer of hope.

Recentlly I produced and hosted a public access TV show in Los Angeles,
"Upside Down TV with Johnny Neurotic and Bridget the Midget",
as well as write and produce short films.

One of our short films is called "Johnny Neurotic, in Vegas tales of a crack head "
it is about an ex crack head that goes back to las Vegas and in a comedic way
takes us on a fast-paced roller-coaster ride through hell .

It won best comedy at the DV expo 2001.

It could really help some people facing the same things that I was faced with.

I am also working on a screenplay entitled "Catch a falling star" It is about
a small time rock'n'roll manager that gives his big break and as a result of a tragic auto accident and his artist's death he ends up a homeless drug addict.

Sounds a bit familiar doesn't it?

John Mendel