Inquiry: Research into Artist's early career stages. PILOT DATA ANALYSIS

As the question of success became more and more unclear, what was become clearer and clearer was that maybe its not about becoming ‘successful’ maybe it’s about just getting your foot in the door. What I wouldn’t give for my opportunity to come up soon! After struggling to connect with certain aspects of the tasks, I realised though I’d based my question on something reoccurring in my journals, I wasn’t maybe asking the right question. I want to know how to get my foot in the door of the music industry.  Right, so if that’s what I want to know, where do I look? First I look straight to whose already managed it...

 

 

Amy winehouse has come up in conversations in the SIGs on facebook because of all the talk of what ‘success’ is. I will always argue that Amy Winehouse was, though her personal life was not a happy one, musically, massively successful. I really want to look into how she started out as, like Lily Allen, she was a ‘Londoner’ and did it all right here, half an hour away from my door step. It must be possible!

 

·         Taught herself guitar

·         Learnt to sing by listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington etc...

·         Attended Sylvia Young Theatre School

        

"After I left school I wanted to earn a living and I got lucky when a friend of a friend came to see me at a Jazz gig and helped me get a break" Amy Winehouse, pg19

 

·         Friends from Sylvia Young's: Matt Willis of ‘Busted’ and their friends ‘McFly’ are led by singer/songwriter Tom Fletcher

·         She first appeared on 'The fast show' in a sketch as a young girl, before she was famous

·         She then attended the Brit School.

·         Sang regularly with the national Youth Jazz Orchestra and was spotted by people connected with Simon Fuller

·         She was also writing as an entertainment journalist

·         She joined 'Brilliant 19' management, under Nick Godwin

·         She then signed with Universal/ Island.

·         Manager became Raye Cosbert

 

"I figured I'd get a job in an office or as a waitress. I never had a great plan or promoted myself, but in a way I've been working for this for years" Amy Winehouse

 

"Do you want to do some studio time?...If you write songs with your guitar and make a record, you'll get a record deal" Nicky Shermansky to Amy Winehouse,

 

Ref: Amy winehouse The Biography, Chas Newkey-Burden, John Blake Publishing Ltd 2008

 

Jessie J’s autobiography was massively helpful, written fairly frankly she gives details as to all the little things she did to get a step on the ladder.

· Worked in the west end from an early age as a child performer.

· Entered local competitions, bigger competitions such as 'Britain’s Brilliant prodigies' for under 16's.

· Joined The Brit School

· Joined a anti gun campaign girl group called 'Soul Deep'

· Modelled for vidal sassoon

· Started writing her own music

· Played at 'Cottons' in Camden town

· She already had a manager. But got signed by Gut Records after 'Cotton' gig with Soul Deep.

· She left Gut Records after touring with chris brown, sugar babes, girls aloud cyndie lauper and Jools holland.

· Big London scenes: iluvlive, yOyO and Proud Galleries

· Got signed as a song writer to Sony/ATV in America. Wrote for Chris brown and more.

· Did gigs at SOB's in NewYork and The Viper Room in LA.

· Signed with Universal Republic/ Universal Island UK

· Worked with Dr Luke and Claude Kelly.. wrote part in the USA , which ended up going to Miley Cyrus

· Taking risks

· Played Next Big Thing Festival in Camden's Barfly Pub

· YOUTUBE!!- when she'd done all this, she needed youtube to get herself known

Ref: Jessie J, Nice to meet you, My Story, Simon and Schuster UK Ltd, 2012

 

Lily Allen, Another Londoner who made it happen. I wanted to look at her, Amy and Jessie J because they all have similarities to the sort of music that I‘d want to get into and all seem to have made it happen somehow!

· Like Jessie J, Lily had a manager. Slightly different though, she was managed by George Lamb, who she met in Ibiza partying aged 15...

· Encouraged to record demos, aged 15/16

· “There's no money in it if you don't write your own songs” George Lamb

· Warner Brother's Imprint London Records, gave her a short contract

· dropped by record company

· Changed managers, got a new deal with EMI/Parlophone offshoot Regal Recordings ( a small development deal)

· Kept co writing outside of the record company and reocrded in small bedroom studios using 'logic' software for producing their own music

· She started getting airplay of her music

Ref: Smile, The Story of Lily Allen, Bella Wolfson, Omnibus Press 2010

 

Beyonce Knowles is a super star, and far from the ‘early stages’ i’m trying to understand. Her Hollywood lifestyle seems far too far away to ever be realised by me which is why so far I’ve looked mostly at local artists. But Beyonce did have to start somewhere... and I figured a bit of variety into my inquiry wouldn’t go a miss.

"Miss Darlette had a unique gift...she taught me self esteem, confidence, a positive attitude and, most importantly, discipline" Beyonce Knowles.

 

·         Joined a local church choir

·         She entered loads of contests and beauty pageants and won them all.

·         She won the Houston arts award, 'The Sammy'.

·         Had vocal coaching at Houston Original Music Magnet School

·         Then went on to Houston's HighSchool of Visual and Performing Arts

·         Here she got spotted by Andrette Tillman, who asked her to audition for a girl band she was putting together, 'Girl's Tyme'

·         Beyonce's parents would push them 'Girl's Tyme' to rehearse, always encouraging feedback and critiques from friends and family members, to keep them improving.

·         Kelly Rowland joined Girl's Tyme.

·         Kelly Rowland moved in with the Knowles'.

·         Beyonce's dad became a part time co manager of 'Girl's Tyme' and got them performing at every opportunity

·         Local Producer, Alonzo Jackson started working with them and they appeared in a feature in the 'Houston Chronicle'

·         Producer Arne Frager took them to The Record Plant Studios in Sausalito where they recorded demos for nationwide exposure

·         Girl's Tyme appeared on TV show 'Star Search', Orlando, Florida

·         Alonzo jackson co-wrote songs for them to sing

·         Knowles quit his job to co-manage the girls full time

·         The group cut down to four, auditioned for Columbia management

·         Knowles had set up MWE (Music world Entertainment) to produce the music his daughters were making

·         They were signed and then dropped by Elektra Records

·         They changed their name to Destiny's Child and then re-auditioned for Columbia, and were signed...

 

Ref: Crazy In Love, Beyonce, The Beyonce Knowles Biography, Daryl Easlea, Omnibus Press 2011

 

The Kings of Leon were from a really religious family and only allowed to listen to gospel music. When their parents divorced and they were experimental teenagers, they started listening to rock and roll. They met a man who got paid $2000 for writing a cheesy country song, and they decided to write their own songs to make money. Though the Kings are obviously not solo artists, they have always struck me as very earthy and I was interested to see if finding a way in as a band is the same as finding your way in on your own.

·         They started touring pubs and clubs in Nashville as a duo and writing.

·         Bluebird Cafe in Nashville- they went and met a singer/songwriter and asked for his advice on getting a gig there.

·          They’d jam with the singer/ songwriter and his girlfriend, and ended up doing gigs in Nashville with him.

·         As a duo Nathan and Caleb joined Pistol Creek Productions (a small record label/management company), and played mostly rodeos.

·         Members of the West Tennessee Mass Choir for a short period, singing falsettos and harmonies.

·         They met Kent Marcus, an entertainment lawyer for Zulmwalt Almon and Hayes who had music connections.

·         They then toured Music Row, playing to massive labels such as Sony and Dreamworks

·         Through Kent Marcus, they met Ken Levitan (manager, entertainment lawyer, producer, publisher and booking agent, president and founder of Vector Management)

·         They were introduced to other music writers/singers (with connections) who taught them all about the history of music.

·         The two brothers, Ken levitan and Angelo Petraglia flew to NewYork and played for 9 labels in two days and got 4 offers.

·         Labels wanted to team the duo up with a backing band, and they said no. They auditioned their cousin, Matthew, over the phone for guitar. They took on their baby brother Jared as a bass player (even though he had never played)

·         Label came to see them one month later and they had 4 songs ready.

·         They became the 'Kings of leon' and opened for the Skeeters at 'Smith's Olde Bar' in Atlanta

·         They joined record company RCA. They were developing as they began and made their first record in 2002...

Ref: Kings of Leon, Sex on Fire, Micheal and Drew Heatley, Reynolds and Hearn Ltd 2009