"When I was signing an artist," Shep Gordon begins to explain in the documentary about his life as a famously successful manager (of mainly musicians), "I would sit him down, take my glasses off, look him in the eyes, and say 'you need to really listen to me and listen seriously, this is not a joke,' if I do my job perfectly, I will probably kill you." Shep went on to manage (and not maim) Alice Cooper, Blondie, Groucho Marx, and Luther Vandross, to name just a handful.

Such is the start to a documentary filled with twists and turns celebrating the life and times of the extraordinary mensch, Shep Gordon. A mensch is a Hebrew term defined as a person of integrity and honor; in spite of the massive quantities of cocaine, alcohol, and other substances that were left in the wake of Gordon's rock star lifestyle, it's clear from this documentary that people really loved him, mainly in part because he gave everything he had to others without expecting anything in return.

"It's never about what YOU want," was his quote regarding hosting legendary dinner parties with celebrities of his ilk. The celebrities interviewed included Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Steven Tyler, Emeril Lagasse, Mick Fleetwood, and Mike Myers (who directed the documentary).

Gordon graduated from college and wanted to be a probation officer. He got his certification, showed up to work with long hippie hair and promptly left after he was jumped by a bunch of juveniles. Beaten and battered, Gordon decided to try his luck in the land of angels and holed up at the Hollywood Landmark in Los Angeles.

Resting in his bed after taking a hit of acid, he hears a woman outside screaming in distress. Nobly, he runs to save her and sees a man on top of her. Gordon intervenes and then the girl punches him in the face. He promptly goes back to his room.

The next morning, he sees the girl - Janis Joplin - and the guy - Jimi Hendrix - and at this point the three of them are relatively sober and realize the mistakes that were made the evening before. And that's how Shep Gordon got into the music industry. This is one of many great stories Shep Gordon retells throughout the film.

For those who enjoy hearing wild and interesting stories about musicians and celebrities, stories of people forming bonds that were never to be broken (seeing Gordon and Alice Cooper as two old guys on a golf course is pretty hilarious), others that snapped in half, and the travails and triumphs of a man pure of heart (he cooked for the Dalai Lama for goodness sake!), this documentary is for you. It's also for people who are inspired by seeing amazingly successful people succeed not because of Machiavellian tactics but because of the goodwill and beauty of their heart.

The documentary is on Netflix and runs about 1:20. Check it out!