In a press release issued June 13, 2011, it was unveiled that Simon Fuller, creator of American Idol, and Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, are forming a revolutionary joint venture called Blackwell Fuller Inc. It’s almost so revolutionary that although it was strategically and formally announced, so far it seems more top secret than concrete. Not many details have been confirmed, so the business plan is up for a lot of speculation.
What we do know is this: Fuller and Blackwell are two of the most influential people in the music and entertainment industry and the career accomplishments of them each individually almost guarantee that their collaborative work is going to be just as successful or more. In this venture, Fuller and Blackwell plan on representing artists by allowing them and the content owners in the music and entertainment industries the ability to expand their audience. We know that they plan on taking advantage of all of the recent and continuous changes in the new digital age. They plan to create new media partnerships and opportunities and aim to put artists and content owners in full control of their careers and their businesses for the first time. Sam Thielman of Variety explains that these partnerships will “bypass the traditional, stage-managed relationship between artist and fan.” Billboard explains they want “to give artists the freedom and financing ‘to explore new paths to the market’”. The LA Times calls it a “digital media consulting firm for musicians and artists”, and the Financial Times says the venture aims to bypass traditional record labels by giving the artists more power to profit from their work.
To me, even when considering all of these statements, the Blackwell Fuller business plan still seems extremely ambiguous. All I can truly gather is that they plan on offering opportunities for artists to benefit from their work in ways they never have before and that they are going to have the creative freedom to do that however they please. I have to imagine artists must be salivating at the thought. Blackwell himself told the Wall Street Journal that they aren’t competing with management companies, but rather with major record companies. However, Fuller began his career as a manager, representing the Spice Girls in the 1990s, and still represents them today under XIX Entertainment, a company he recently created and heads, which represents big name athletes and artists including David Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, and Carrie Underwood. He left the company that produces American Idol last year, but remains executive producer, to manage his list of clients. Blackwell, on the other hand, introduced the U.S. and Britain to Bob Marley and reggae, and guided such artists such as Cat Stevens, Melissa Etheridge, and U2 for decades.
I can’t help but think that Blackwell Fuller Inc. has the potential to develop into an all-powerful management firm, despite their claims, due to the founders’ experience as managers, their business plan, and the fact that the company has hundreds of millions of dollars worth of financing. With Fuller and Blackwell’s clout in Hollywood, they can basically do whatever they want. And what successful artist wouldn’t dream of having the opportunities these two can supposedly offer?
Although I am anxious to learn more about this venture as new details are released, as a talent manager myself, I am left wondering what kind of effect Blackwell Fuller will have on the industry, and if it will benefit smaller managers like myself, or negatively impact us if it begins to overpower its competitors. I am hopeful that with the constant advances in digital media, we will all be able to find and succeed in our own niche, since battling the Goliath might prove deadly.
I reached out to XIX Entertainment’s media contacts for comment, explaining that I am a graduate student in Entertainment Business, and after a few brief email exchanges, Kelly Mullens left me with this: “You will never learn - nor will you succeed in the entertainment business - if you don’t do the work yourself.” Considering she is the media rep for Simon Fuller, I’ll accept her words of wisdom knowing they are coming from a reputable and established person in the industry. As much as it would be nice to think that Simon Fuller gave me that advice directly considering how much I admire him, I still plan on following it and will hopefully benefit personally and professionally by doing so.
I leave you now, not as much with the fear of Fuller and Blackwell swallowing me up, but with inspiration from a lesson from which I think we can all learn: If you work hard, and pursue your dreams, you can and will prosper. Simon Fuller and Chris Blackwell are true testaments to that. As I uncover more detail about the developments and plans of Blackwell Fuller and how it is influencing the industry, I will be posting it here, so make sure to check back!
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