Theresa Chambers, Booker for Mercury Lounge, Bowery, Dies at 64

Theresa Chambers — a talent booker at the Mercury Lounge, Bowery Ballroom and other venues whose career reached back to Studio 54 days — died on Aug. 11, a representative for her family confirms to Variety. No cause of death was announced; she was 64.

“Theresa was one of a kind,” said Steve Ferguson, an agent at Paladin Artists, “always fighting for her beliefs and her acts. And that infectious laugh! I will truly miss her.”

A New York City native, Chambers’ career reaches back to the early ‘80s when she was Steve Rubell’s assistant at Manhattan’s legendary Studio 54. Over the years she also worked at the APA agency and as a talent booker for promoter Ron Delsener Presents.

Yet it was over the last three decades that she truly hit her stride as the founding booker at such iconic New York venues as the Bowery Ballroom, the Mercury Lounge, Fez, and BB Kings, among others — nearly every rising rock act of those years performed at at least one of those venues, and Chambers was well known to most of them, even as they rose to superstardom. She was named talent buyer of the year at the Pollstar Awards in 1999.

Chambers also worked as a manager for such acts as Ireland’s Hothouse Flowers and rock act Something Happens, among many others. She also worked in various capacities with David Bowie, Herbie Hancock, the Sugarcubes and Sinead O’Connor.

She is survived by her children Ryan, James and Anna; brothers Christopher, Paul and Daniel; and her Aunt Colleen.

The family is plaaning a memorial service for later in the year; an announcement will be made at that time. Contact Dave Lory at [email protected] for information.