The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast is celebrating its 150th episode! We welcomed music industry legend Joel Wertman to the podcast for this milestone episode.

The Toronto, Canada native began his career in 1977 as a young music artist when he wrote and produced a song that reached the top five in Canada and Europe. After this success, Joel moved to Los Angeles, joining Mushroom Records as a staff producer and songwriter. Mushroom Records co-founder Shelly Siegel took Joel under his wing, and he began to develop his style and passion for music as he advanced in the recording and music production process.

When Siegel suddenly passed away at 32-years-old, Joel Wertman decided to continue his career in the recording industry. He worked with and guided some of the recording industry’s most prominent acts throughout his career, including the Goo Goo Dolls, Heart, KISS, No Doubt, Tiffany, and Young MC. He also worked in executive roles with several record labels, including Eureka/EMI, Eureka/BMG, Eureka Records, and Sire/Discovery Records.

While he continues to work with recording artists under his WhattaGuy Music label, Joel began developing and producing programming for children, then creating music for Lifetime’s hit reality series: Dance Moms. In 2017, he expanded his interests by becoming the Heartland Network’s Chief Executive Officer. He also oversees the network’s sister networks, including Retro TV, Rev’n, the Action Channel, and the Family Channel.

On this milestone episode of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Joel Wertman spoke about his career in the recording industry. Also, he talked about his latest television project: Becoming Alex. The series will follow Alex Russell, a young music artist trying to make her mark in the recording industry. Becoming Alex is expected to tackle civil rights and the MeToo Movement.