The broadcaster pays respect to the 'brilliant agent and manager,' who died at 59 last week and who persuaded Morgan to appear on 'Celebrity Apprentice,' helped him replace Larry King at CNN and once apologized for giving the world 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians.'
Piers Morgan and his late manager John Ferriter
I was John’s client and close friend for 12 years. We bonded during the extraordinary aftermath of that health crisis in 2009. One of the clients who dropped him after 10 years working together was Larry King. A year to the day later, John and I sat in Cut restaurant at the Beverly Wilshire and waited for a fax to arrive with my four-year contract to replace Larry at CNN.The moment the contract was delivered to the table, I signed it and we opened a bottle of 1961 Chateau Latour. It was every bit as delicious as the karma the contract signified.
As his great friend Jon Finseth, lead singer of The Tearaways — the terrific band that John played in and was due to tour the U.K. with in a few weeks — put it: "John instilled in us that there is a solution to every problem; that if there’s no solution, we don’t have a problem." I soon nicknamed him "Ferret" because ferrets are "intelligent, lively, youthful playful carnivores that adjust their sleeping schedule to yours so they are eager and ready to play when you are. They’re also quite ferocious when they need to be, with a nasty nip if challenged."
John was all over that show for the three and a half years it aired, helping to recruit staff, book guests and often travel with me to far-flung locations. He felt as personally invested in it as I did. He also managed my inflated anchor ego with commendable brevity. John coped admirably well with clients when we rejected apparently great jobs. I once turned down a lucrative offer from Donald Trump to host his Miss USA pageant because it clashed with a big cricket match in England.
What a ride we had together, full of highs and lows but always full, too, of unconditional support from a man I trusted with my life. "Whether or not you own a house," he recently posted, "If you have a dog you will always have a home.""Dogs never whine unless they’re hungry," he explained. "Clients whine even after a 12-course dinner."
From the extraordinary outpouring of heartfelt tributes that have flowed on social media since his death, and from the many calls I have taken from his equally heartbroken clients and friends, it’s clear that John did the right thing by many, many people.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Barclays, JP Morgan among banks facing UK class action over currency-riggingBarclays , JP Morgan , RBS , UBS and Citigroup are being sued by investors over ...
Read more »
Barclays, JP Morgan among banks facing UK class action over forex-riggingBarclays, JP Morgan, RBS, UBS and Citigroup are being sued by investors over allegations they rigged the global foreign exchange market via iainwithers and Kirstin Ridley
Read more »
JP Morgan downgrades Starbucks after 90% rally: 'Upside from here is limited'J.P. Morgan lowered its rating on shares of Starbucks to neutral from overweight on Monday.
Read more »
Morgan Stanley: The S&P 500 will fail to break out for a third time in 18 monthsDespite the S&P 500 closing at an all-time high on Friday, the index's internals and fundamentals are too weak to maintain the rally, Morgan Stanley said Monday.
Read more »
The big challenge for Apple is offsetting its iPhone sales with its services, says Synovus's Daniel MorganAs Apple prepares to release third-quarter earnings results, the White House has announced there will be no tariff relief for the company's parts and products made in China. Dan Morgan of Synovus Trust Company, and guest host Michelle Girard, chief U.S. economist at NatWest Markets, join 'Squawk Box' to discuss.
Read more »
Trump names Rep. John Ratcliffe to replace Dan Coats as director of national intelligenceBreaking: President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that he was nominating Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) to be the director of national intelligence, replacing Dan Coats, who will leave the position on Aug. 15.
Read more »