Simon Fuller The most successful music manager in history Date of Birth: 17.05.1960 Country: Great Britain

1. Simon Fuller: The Most Successful Music Manager in History
2. Early Life and Career
3. The Spice Girls
4. S Club 7 and Simon's Television Ventures
5. Other Ventures

Simon Fuller: The Most Successful Music Manager in History

Simon Fuller is the most successful music manager in history, as well as an international sensation as a television producer, talent manager, and creator of the wildly popular reality music competition series "Idol" franchise, beginning with "Pop Idol" in the UK and over 100 spin-offs including "American Idol," "Australian Idol," "Canadian Idol," "Indian Idol," "Nouvelle Star," and "World Idol." Fuller was also an executive producer and co-creator of the American talent show reality series "So You Think You Can Dance," as well as other shows in the U.S. and Europe. He is the executive producer of the television show "Little Britain USA," a spin-off of the popular BBC television series "Little Britain," and is also the manager of several high-profile celebrities including Victoria and David Beckham, Claudia Schiffer, the Spice Girls, Carrie Underwood, Will Young, and others. He was named one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World" by Time magazine on May 3, 2007.

Early Life and Career

Simon Fuller was born on May 17, 1960, in Hastings, England. Fuller is the head of London, Los Angeles, and New York City-based company 19 Entertainment, which he founded in 1985. Prior to founding 19 Entertainment, from 1981 to 1985, Mr. Fuller worked for Chrysalis during which time he worked for the company's publishing arm, Chrysalis Limited, and as an A&R executive responsible for talent scouting and promoting for the label, Chrysalis Records. In 1983, Simon was responsible for signing Madonna to her first major label record deal for her hit song, "Holiday."

In 1985, the 25-year-old Fuller met and managed songwriter Paul Hardcastle and guided Hardcastle to the top of the American and British charts with his Vietnam War-themed anthem, "19." In February 2008, Fuller received a PGA Award from the Producers Guild of America in Hollywood. Simon was commended for his creativity, entrepreneurialism, and philanthropy, with personal tributes from Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Parliament Members and His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, who thanked Fuller for his support of The Prince's Trust charity.

The Spice Girls

Simon Fuller was the manager of the Spice Girls during the height of their success. The "Svengali manager" (as the UK media affectionately called him) is credited with masterminding the group's rise to one of the most successful and in-demand pop acts of all time, with hits like "Wannabe" and subsequent lucrative endorsement deals with Pepsi, Polaroid, Walkers, Cadbury, Asda, Elida Faberge, and many others.

It was Fuller who famously introduced Victoria Beckham to her future husband David Beckham. Under Simon's management, the Spice Girls achieved chart-topping success, selling over 53 million albums. In November 1997, the girls decided to manage their own affairs and parted company with Fuller. The group later disbanded before Fuller went on to manage former members Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham.

In June 2007, Simon announced a 47-date worldwide reunion tour of the Spice Girls, which included dates in London, San Jose, Cologne, Madrid, Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver, Boston, and Toronto. Tickets for the tour sold out at an astonishing rate, with fans demanding extra dates. Various newspapers estimated that the tour grossed in the region of $110 million, split between Fuller and the Spice Girls, not including ancillary revenue from sponsorships and merchandise. The group's greatest hits album has also been a phenomenal success selling an estimated 1.4 million copies in just two weeks of its release.

S Club 7 and Simon's Television Ventures

Fuller first ventured into television in 1999. He auditioned over 10,000 people in order to put together the band S Club 7, a successful pop group that spawned a BBC television series that was seen in over 100 countries around the world. The group has since spawned solo careers including Rachel Stevens, Jon Lee, and Hannah Spearritt, who have all gone on to successful careers in both music and acting, although Jo O'Meara, also formerly of S Club 7, endured tabloid notoriety and accusations of racist bullying while appearing on the reality TV series "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2007. A spin-off band, S Club Juniors (or S Club 8), and its accompanying TV show followed, as well as Fuller's television project, "I Dream," a children's musical television program.

In 1998, Fuller had the idea that would become the musical phenomenon of the 2000s: the television music competition format of "Pop Idol," "American Idol," "World Idol," "Australian Idol," plus numerous spin-offs. "Pop Idol" took the UK by storm as the nation watched Will Young, a talented contestant, become its first winner. Fuller sold the show to Fox Broadcasting Company in the U.S., where "American Idol" quickly became the number-one-rated show. The show has made stars of figures such as Ryan Seacrest, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell, as well as numerous contestants. In Australia, the show was bought by Network Ten, and "Australian Idol" remains one of the country's most popular shows. Versions of "Idol" have since spread far and wide, including "American Idol's" co-production with Russia as "Narodniy Artist" (People's Artist).

As of the seventh season of "American Idol," the television format is said to have generated over $2.5 billion in revenue, including sponsorships, merchandise, telephone voting, music sales, television airtime, and advertising revenue. Over 34 million viewers tuned in to see Jordin Sparks win the sixth season of "American Idol" in May 2007. According to the Sunday Times newspaper, the show has made Simon Fuller one of the most powerful men on American television.

In 2005, Simon co-created another reality show with Nigel Lythgoe, "So You Think You Can Dance," which premiered on Fox in the U.S. After four seasons, the show became a regular feature, claiming top ratings. 2007 saw the launch of another Simon Fuller project, "Little Britain USA." Simon has overseen the career of Annie Lennox. Under his management, she released her multi-platinum album "Diva" in 1991, which won her numerous awards. Lennox has sold over 80 million albums and was crowned "the greatest white soul singer alive" by VH1.

Other Ventures

Fuller has managed a roster of songwriters and producers, including Cathy Dennis, who Fuller met as D Mob in the 1980s. Under Simon's guidance, the multi-talented Dennis became the UK's most successful female songwriter, writing a string of hits for artists including Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Pink, Will Young, and others. Fuller has said that his relationship with Cathy Dennis began in 1968. Fuller's company went on to sign 19-year-old Amy Winehouse in 2002, producing her debut hit album and signing her to Universal Music. Amy left Fuller's management in spring 2006, signing with Ray Kosbert and Metropolis Music.

Simon Fuller's interest in music has led him to become one of the most powerful figures in the global entertainment industry. His 19 Recordings has multi-million-selling artists on its roster including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, Will Young, Emma Bunton, and Gareth Gates, as well as stars from Germany, Australia, Canada, and many other countries. His 19 Recordings label has sold over 50 million records from the "American Idol" series alone since the show's first season. The music of Fuller-managed artists Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Daughtry were the top three best-selling music acts of 2007, 2006, and 2005 in North America.

Simon also created the British pop group S Club 7. In August 2006, Fuller moved into fashion with his company 19 Entertainment Fashion. Fuller and acclaimed London-based couturier Roland Mouret launched their joint venture, 19RM. Mouret is known for his stunning "Galaxy" dress that has been worn by Scarlett Johansson and other A-listers. The first 19RM collection for fall 2007 sold out immediately and received rave reviews. Fuller is also said to be working on a futuristic interior design concept with Mouret, due to launch in 2009. In addition, Fuller has overseen the global branding of supermodel Claudia Schiffer.

Simon is also credited for creating the Beckhams' fashion label, the DVB brand, which includes a fragrance and a denim line. As a result, the Beckhams' fashion line has become one of the most successful in the world, with retail sales estimated to be worth over $200 million. Simon Fuller is also no stranger to sports management, having moved into the world of soccer in the mid-1990s when he began managing Liverpool and England footballer Steve McManaman of Real Madrid. Fuller later formed a joint-venture company with David Beckham and secured him a $250 million deal to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy