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Simon Cowell Bio

Article Overview: He has been a major player in the pop music industry in the United Kingdom since the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the first airing of American Idol on June 11, 2002 that the Simon Cowell bio became a matter of common knowledge throughout the U.S. Since that time, Cowell has gone on to produce various ventures that combine both the television and music industries, and he has become a worldwide celebrity in the process.

Simon Cowell Bio

He has been a major player in the pop music industry in the United Kingdom since the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the first airing of American Idol on June 11, 2002 that the Simon Cowell bio became a matter of common knowledge throughout the U.S. Since that time, Cowell has gone on to produce various ventures that combine both the television and music industries, and he has become a worldwide celebrity in the process.

This life story begins on October 7, 1959, when the current Sony/BMG music executive was born in Brighton, East Sussex in England. He grew up in a wealthy family, with three half-brothers (one of whom is a millionaire business developer), a half-sister, and a younger brother (currently a millionaire property tycoon). Cowell might have dropped out of high school when he was 17 years old, but that didn’t stop him from going on to achieve great things.

Thanks to his father, who was an executive at EMI Music Publishing, Cowell got his first job working in the EMI mail room. However, much like he had grown bored with academics, so too did Cowell grow discouraged with his work at EMI. Again, his father stepped in to get Cowell a job as an assistant to an A&R executive at the company. It was there that Cowell finally began to thrive. He was beginning to leave his mark.

In the early 1980s, Cowell left EMI to form his own music company, E&S Music, but after realizing little success, he was forced to return to EMI after just one year. In 1985, he again left EMI to create Fanfare Records, an independent record label that enjoyed relatively more success than Cowell’s first attempt. However, the Simon Cowell bio would not experience smooth sailing from thereon out. After five years, Fanfare went bankrupt and Cowell was forced to move back home with his parents.

It wouldn’t be long before luck came his way again. That same year, Cowell was hired as an A&R consultant for BMG. It was the beginning of a long string of successes that would long be remembered. In signing such acts as Westlife, 5ive, Il Divo, and Curiosity Killed the Cat, Cowell cemented his reputation as one of the leading spotters and developers of top pop talent in the industry. He didn’t always make the right choices – passing on the auditions of the Spice Girls, Take That, and season five winner of American Idol Taylor Hicks – but the odds are usually in his favour.

After the success of American Idol, which is now in its sixth season, the Simon Cowell bio quickly started becoming something of a legend throughout the entertainment industry. He would go on to create other such successful television shows as The X Factor, America’s Got Talent, American Inventor, and Celebrity Duets, while continuing to work as a top executive for Sony/BMG. He has left a lasting legacy on both the music and television industries with his unique brand of humour and vision.

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Article Tags: 17 years, american idol, brighton east, business developer, common knowledge, east sussex, first job, half brothers, half sister, mail room, millionaire, music executive, music industries, music publishing, pop music industry, property tycoon, simon cowell, sony bmg music, wealthy family, worldwide celebrity



Related Forum Posts
Re: A New Innovative Website Concept – What direction to take? - Dear Simon Congratulations on your business idea. I'm a little confused. Is your invention hardware or software?
You Can Start From Some Where! - I have always found stories like these interesting. When you can see and understand that many famous, successful people like these usually start off in places worse than we're at. It think they brings our goals a little closer and makes them more tangible... * Dan Akroyd was a mail sorter for Canada's national postal service. * Jennifer Aniston was both a telemarketer and waitress before hitting it big. * Halle Berry worked at Higbee's Department store in the children's department. * Sandra Bullock worked as a bartender. * Before his big break, country singer Kenny Chesney worked as a valet attendant, telemarketer and mail sorter. * Chubby Checker plucked chickens at a poultry market named Henry Colt's. * Before Nirvana, the late Kurt Cobain worked as a janitor for Lemons Janitorial Service. * Diddy was an intern at Uptown Records where he did grunt work like washing cars & fetching coffee. * Bill Cosby shined shoes and sold produce when he was young. * Simon Cowell started out as a mail room clerk for EMI Music Publishing where his father worked. * Michael Dell washed dishes at a Chinese restaurant for $2.30 per hour. * Danny DeVito was a formally trained hair stylist before his break on Taxi. * Michael Douglas once worked as a gas station attendant. * Tom Hanks once worked as a hotel bellman and carried bags for a number of celebs. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that everyone starts at the bottom... * So what does this have to do with your business? You can add to the list!
New from UK - Hi Simon, There are only a few active members from the UK. It would be good, if you share this forum site with some of your contacts to come online too. I wish you well in your new venture. If you believe it is a gap in the market, I encourage you NOT to give up. All the obstacles will be worth it all. Regards! Beat "Unlock People's Potentials!"
A New Innovative Website Concept – What direction to take? - Hi Guys, This is my first post, after the likes of Google brought me here. So I’d like to say a quick Hi to all from Simon in the UK:) I’m a keen budding entrepreneur but am still rather new to the game and if possible I’d would be most grateful for some guidance and advice regarding a business concept I have come up with and the best way to take it to market. I have recently developed a new online business concept that fills a very substantial gap in today’s health and fitness market. I come from an IT background and after analysing the project’s requirements and features in detail I have decided that going alone on this one is simply not an option. I have spent time developing the business plan and various other supporting documentation, analysing the competition and designing prototype wireframe’s and detailed technical specifications. I know exactly how I want the site built and how it can make money, I just need to make it happen. The idea is completely scalable and had a massive global market and I could quite neatly see if fitting into Google’s or Microsoft’s online portfolio of products / services. In my mind I have a few options: 1 - Contact the likes of Microsoft / Google / Yahoo and attempt to the license the idea to them (as a sole trader) in exchange for royalties. I have already taken a little step down this road and guess what, it’s a nasty one. Microsoft refuse to sign NDA’s and will basically just run off with your idea, they also tend to partner with business compete with built solutions, rather than just entrepreneurs with business concepts (me ). 2 – Attempt to partner with a local UK based IT firm. Get them to build the site in return for equity and a share in revenues and IPR. Easier said than done I would imagine and id be lucky to find one that will do it for free. 3 – Try to scour the internet and build a team of programmers who are willing to work on the project in return for equity in the product. This could involve working with people in India / Russia etc and I’m rather concerned that an NDA protecting my idea in the initial stages wouldn’t be much use there. Communication would also be very difficult. Sorry for the long post guys I just could use some good old wise words on this one I guess. I’ve spent 3 months working on this concept and know there’s a gap in the market for it, I just need to get it there! Does anybody have any suggestions of options im missing or even better, people they recommend working with? Thanks a lot for your help. Best Regards, Simon
Business Innovation - Hi Simon If you can finish off the Business Plan and think about your strategic direction or how you are going to use your product to convince people it's a great idea, it will set the foundation for your programming project. You see, when you are looking for funding you will need a Business Plan and Strategic Plan that will convince companies to invest into your new idea. Has anyone achieved this idea before using another industry besides health and fitness that you know of? You should also design some mockups as a "preview" for your programming project. This will also help reduce your programming costs as everyone will know exactly what you want if you have detailed mockups already completed including any functionality you require. Starting mockups for websites and software applications on paper is the best way if you're not a guru in graphic editing software.


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