Lou Adler Produced ‘Rocky Horror’ & Directed ‘Up in Smoke’ — Then Survived an 8-Hour Kidnapping

CIRCA 1964: Entertainer Shelley Fabares poses for a portrait with her husband Lou Adler at an event in circa 1964 in Los Angeles, California — Earl Leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

At 92, Lou Adler may not be as recognizable as some of the artists he worked with, but he played a major role in the music and movies of the 1960s and ’70s. He worked with The Mamas & the Papas and Carole King, helped put together the Monterey International Pop Festival, and even brought The Rocky Horror Picture Show to the screen.

His personal life has been pretty wild too. Adler had several high-profile relationships and once survived a terrifying eight-hour kidnapping. Here’s a look at Adler’s remarkable career, his marriage to the recently deceased Shelley Fabares, and some of the surprising chapters of his life.

Before the late Shelley Fabares spent more than four decades married to M*A*S*H star Mike Farrell, she was married to record producer Adler. They wed on June 7, 1964, when she was 20, and he was 30. At the time, she was already known as Mary Stone on The Donna Reed Show and had scored a No. 1 hit with “Johnny Angel.” Meanwhile, Adler was still building his career in the music business. He had worked with Herb Alpert, helped manage Jan and Dean, and co-wrote Sam Cooke‘s “Wonderful World” with Cooke and Alpert.

However, the marriage did not last long. Fabares and Adler separated in 1966, after about two years together, but their divorce was not finalized until 1980. Fabares then met Farrell in 1970 when she appeared on his medical drama The Interns. They reconnected years later and married in 1984, remaining together until her death on August 22, 2026, at age 82.

Lou Adler helped create the ‘California Sound’ of the 1960s

UP IN SMOKE, director and producer Lou Adler, on-set, 1978

Paramount Pictures/Everett Collection

Around the same time that he married Fabares, Adler helped launch Dunhill Records. The label signed The Mamas & the Papas, and Adler produced some of the group’s biggest hits, including “California Dreamin'” and “Monday, Monday.” After selling his interest in Dunhill to ABC Records in 1967, Adler started Ode Records. He worked with artists including Spirit, Scott McKenzie, Cheech & Chong, and Carole King.

Adler produced King’s 1971 album Tapestry, which became one of the decade’s defining albums. He won two Grammy Awards in 1972, receiving Album of the Year for Tapestry and Record of the Year for “It’s Too Late.” He also worked with John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas to organize the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. The three-day festival featured Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, The Who, Ravi Shankar, and more.

In 1973, Adler and Elmer Valentine opened the Roxy Theatre on the Sunset Strip with help from several other figures in the music business. Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers opened the club with a three-night run, and the Roxy soon became one of Los Angeles’ best-known music venues. The Roxy quickly became an essential stage for high-energy shows and live album recordings by artists ranging from Bruce Springsteen and Frank Zappa to the Ramones.

From left: Lou Adler, Britt Ekland arriving at London theater to see Twiggy in CINDERELLA, 1975

Everett Collection

During Adler’s long separation from Fabares, he had a relationship with actress Britt Ekland, and they had a son, Nic, in 1973. According to the Los Angeles Times, Ekland also introduced Adler to the London stage production of The Rocky Horror Show. Adler brought the show to the Roxy in 1974 and later served as an executive producer on the 1975 film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The movie initially struggled at the box office but eventually found an audience through midnight screenings and became a cult favorite. Decades later, with ongoing involvement from Adler and his son Nic, the venue remains a cornerstone of Sunset Strip history.

He also worked closely with Cheech & Chong. After discovering Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong performing at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, he signed the duo to Ode Records. Adler produced a run of hit comedy albums for the pair, including their 1971 self-titled debut Cheech and Chong, the famous rolling-paper-packaged Big Bambú, and 1973’s Los Cochinos, which earned a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album and spawned hit novelty tracks like “Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces” and “Earache My Eye.”

In 1978, Adler made his feature directorial debut with their first movie, Up in Smoke. Shot on a modest budget, the film grossed over $44 million at the box office, effectively pioneering the stoner-comedy subgenre and turning Cheech & Chong into movie icons. Decades later, the comedy duo returned the favor by presenting Adler with the Ahmet Ertegun Award at his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2013. The Recording Academy also honored him with its Trustees Award in 2019.

Lou Adler was kidnapped in 1976

One of the strangest chapters in Adler’s life happened on September 1, 1976. Armed kidnappers used one of his employees, Neil Silver, to gain access to Adler’s Malibu home. Adler and Silver were restrained, taken to another property and held for approximately eight hours. They were released unharmed after Adler arranged for a $25,000 ransom to be delivered.

Three people were arrested in connection with the kidnapping, and some of the ransom money was later recovered. One of the kidnappers was sentenced to life in prison, while a woman involved in the crime received a seven-month jail sentence.

Where is Lou Adler now?

Adler married actress and philanthropist Page Hannah in 1992, and they have four sons together. Adler also has older children from previous relationships, including Nic, who has helped run the Roxy, and musician and producer Cisco Adler. Adler and Hannah also helped establish the Painted Turtle with Paul Newman. The nonprofit camp provides programs for children with serious medical conditions and their families.

Beyond his executive success, Adler is widely recognized as a major architect of the “California Sound,” capturing the vibe of Southern California pop and folk-rock in the 1960s and ’70s. Today, Adler’s imprint on Los Angeles music culture is so deeply felt that murals featuring his likeness can be seen around the city, honoring him as one of the definitive creators of the era’s sound.