#iris burton

“We went to Tokyo for the premiere of Stand By Me… . He would go to the park outside the Imperial Hotel–guys and girls were playing guitars there–and he’d tell them, "Come up, come up to the room.” And that room was filled with kids from the park; he would play guitar for them and give them fruit and juice.”

An ad taken out in industry publication, Variety Magazine, by the Iris Burton Agency, October 28, 1986

Friday the 29th of October, 1993: Just over a day before River’s death 

“Several nominees and their guests stole a few minutes to talk shop, left to right: Kevin Kline, Dustin and Lisa Hoffman, Naomi Foner, Martha Plimpton, Phoebe Cates and River Phoenix” 

The band traveled in the motor home and slept in cheap motels. Early one morning, after a late night of festivities, the phone rang in River’s room: it was Iris Burton [his agent], informing him that he had just received an Academy Award nomination, as best supporting actor, for his Running on Empty performance. “Oh, my baby!” Burton exclaimed. River grunted his agreement, rolled over, and went back to sleep. That night, Aleka’s Attic played a show at the Philadelphia club JC Dobbs. Killing time between sound check and the show, River watched some TV- and a story came on about the Oscar nominations, featuring him. “Holy shit!” he said. “Did Iris call me this morning?”