Green Day severs local tie

When Oceanside’s double Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jason Mraz left manager Bill Silva after 18 years, the separation was proclaimed to be friendly and drama-free.

But Green Day’s termination of San Diego’s highest profile resident rock manager, also last month, was a lot different.

“I have to admit, I did not see this coming, and I certainly don’t understand what’s behind it,” says one longtime local associate of Encinitas-based talent manager Pat Magnarella, who had managed Green Day for two decades. The insider did not want to be identified because he will still be doing business with Magnarella.

“Pat used to bring his family down here for vacations,” says the associate. “About the time American Idiot came out [2004] he figured out he could live in paradise and do business from here and just make the occasional trip to L.A. when needed. So he moved his office and staff to Encinitas.”

Although Magnarella steered Green Day through 12 albums that sold more than 30 million copies in the U.S., the pop-punk trio announced that going forward it would be placing its career in the hands of Crush Music, the New York company that oversees the careers of Sia, Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco, and Lorde.

Magnarella did not answer a request for comment.

“Who knows,” speculates Magnarella’s business associate. “Maybe Pat got tired of dealing with [Green Day frontman] Billy Joe Armstrong, who has been difficult at various times over the years. Or maybe Green Day knew that they were getting older and wanted someone to help them navigate the pop world, which is Crush’s forte.”

While there are many factors that lead to pop success, New Zealand singer/songwriter Lorde’s career has not enjoyed explosive growth since she signed with Crush last year. Her first two singles from her second album Melodrama, released in June, have not become hits.

Pat Magnarella Management had handled the Bay Area threesome for 21 years. The Encinitas company still handles the Goo Goo Dolls and Dreamcar, which features members of AFI and No Doubt.