Marty Callner, Acclaimed Music Video Director, Dies Aged 78

Marty Callner, the acclaimed director responsible for numerous music videos, concert specials, and stand-up performances, has passed away at the age of 78.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Callner’s representative Gail Parenteau confirmed that the director passed away at his home In Malibu from natural causes on Monday (March 17).

Born in Chicago in 1946, Callner’s directorial career began while working for Cincinnati’s WCPO-TV in their news department, moving on to commercials and then sports until the mid-’70s. During this time, Callner began working for HBO, ultimately helping to set the standard for live comedy specials while serving as director of their On Location series.

Helming specials featuring Robert Klein, Redd Foxx, Robin Williams, and Myron Cohen, Callner also directed 1981’s The Pee-Wee Herman Show, having discovered comedian Paul Reubens at The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Callner shifted his focus towards music with names such as Diana Ross, Paul Simon, and Liza Minnelli, before rising to prominence as an unsung hero of the entertainment world through his prolific career directing music videos.

Alongside videos for beloved names such as Stevie Nicks, Pat Benatar, Heart, and The Bangles, Callner was responsible for some of the most memorable music videos in history. His impressive resumé includes Cher’s “If I Could Turn Back Time,” Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love,” Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” and numerous clips for Aerosmith, including “Livin’ on the Edge,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” and “Love in an Elevator.”

Callner’s career would also boast numerous live concert specials, including a number of famed pop stars of the ‘90s and ‘00s. Madonna’s The Girlie Show: Live Down Under, Britney Spears’ Live From Las Vegas, Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveShow, and NSYNC: Live from Madison Square Garden.

Despite ten Prime Emmy Awards nominations, Callner didn’t win any during his lifetime, with his work on Jerry Seinfeld: I’m Telling You for the Last Time, Robin Williams: Live on Broadway, and the Rolling Stones: Forty Licks World Tour Live at Madison Square Garden all receiving nods at the turn of the century.

Callner is also remembered as the creator of HBO reality sports documentary series Hard Knocks, which has run since 2021 and takes viewers through the trials and tribulations of an NFL’s team’s pre-season preparation for the upcoming season.

Following his passing, some of the many names associated with Callner’s work came forward to offer their own tributes. Whitesnake’s David Coverdale labelled Callner “an amazing guy” and a “super talent,” while famed broadcaster Eddie Trunk dubbed him a “legend in music video,” and noted that “anyone who watched MTV knew his work.”

Dane Cook, who worked with Callner on his 2006 special Vicious Circle and 2022’s Above it All noted he was “heartbroken” following the loss of Callner, who labelled a “friend, collaborator and legend.”

“You put me on the map w/ Vicious Circle at HBO – you told me dream big and we did,” Cook said. “You directed the best because the best wanted to work with the best – you. You had the astonishing ability to take the best of a creative person and highlight it, define it with them all the while capturing it with your stellar team. Condolences to the whole family – I love you guys. Marty – we always said it to each other – ‘I love you more!’”