PHOENIX — For 50 years, Danny Zelisko has been one of the Valley's most prominent concert promoters — and he has the memorabilia to prove it.
Now, hundreds of those items are up for auction on eBay under "Danny Zelisko's Closet," with a portion of proceeds benefiting JoyBus Diner, a nonprofit restaurant that delivers free, chef-prepared meals to cancer patients across the Valley.
"I want to see people, see this stuff, enjoy this stuff, maybe buy this stuff," Zelisko said.
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Zelisko has been promoting concerts since the early 1970s, booking acts ranging from The Who and Dan Fogelberg to Paul McCartney, who sold out then-Sun Devil Stadium at $30 a seat.
"Paul McCartney could fill this place," Zelisko said, recalling research tour at the stadium for McCartney.
His career also put him at the center of pivotal moments in music history, including early conversations about Nirvana before the band broke through. He recalled how one agent described the group ahead of the grunge era.
"They're gonna bust out man, they're like the crunchy Beatles!" Zelisko said.
Zelisko says he has enough rock and roll memorabilia to fill a 100,000-square-foot museum. Among the items currently listed are a James Dean-signed guitar with photos and stamps, a Johnny Cash tour jacket, and a tour poster from a Carlos Santana show at the Pima County Fairgrounds.
Zelisko is a two-time cancer survivor, which makes the partnership with JoyBus Diner personal.
"I got melanoma a few years ago, which was harder to deal with than the colon cancer believe it or not," Zelisko said.
The prices are set by comparing them other memorabilia auctions.
Prices range from a Sade 1993 Concert XL t-shirt listed at $10,000 to a Jonas Brothers ‘Dream Package 2008 signed guitar and poster’ for $2,275. On the cheaper side, a Kid Rock promo photo is listed for $25 or a laminated Gabriel Iglesias Backstage pass from 2013 for $35.
For Zelisko, a lifetime of bringing rock stars to the Valley has taken on new meaning.
"You can't solve everybody's problems but you can certainly try and help a little bit," Zelisko said.
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