October 29th, 2011 9:32 pm
Colin Lester is a British artisan manager of R&B, Pop and Rock Music acts. He was born May, 26 1960 in Hampstead, London, England.
Lester has managed the careers for a good deal of commercially successful British and global artists. He was awarded ‘The Peter Grant Award’ for outstanding accomplishment from the United Kingdom’s Music Manager Forum in 2002.
In 2007, Lester was awarded the esteemed ‘Gold Badge Award’ by BASCA (The British Academy of Songwriters and Composers Association) for his work with UK songwriters. The following year, in 2008, Lester was made a ‘Visiting Fellow’ of Southampton Solent University where he likewise lectures on topics of the ‘Music Industry’.
Lester owned a substantial stake in the recording company Wildstar Records for which he likewise acted as co-director and co-owned artisan management Wildlife Entertainment.
Colin Lester is a British artisan manager of R&B, Pop and Rock Music acts. He was born May, 26 1960 in Hampstead, London, England.
Lester has managed the careers for a lot of commercially successful British and international artists. He was awarded ‘The Peter Grant Award’ for great accomplishment from the United Kingdom’s Music Manager Forum in 2002.
In 2007, Lester was awarded the honored ‘Gold Badge Award’ by BASCA (The British Academy of Songwriters and Composers Association) for his work with UK songwriters. The following year, in 2008, Lester was made a ‘Visiting Fellow’ of Southampton Solent University where he also lectures on topics of the ‘Music Industry’.
Lester owned a significant stake in the recording company Wildstar Records for which he likewise acted as co-director and co-owned artisan management Wildlife Entertainment.
Professional Life
Management:
Lester begun his career in the music business as a guitarist with London Glam Rock outfit ‘The Eyes’. At the young age of 19, Lester and ‘The Eyes’ signed their introductory recording contract in 1979 with Don Arden’s Jet Records. Following the demise of ‘The Eyes’ 2 years later, Lester decisive to enter into artisan management. His original major signing was the substitute UK indie band Daisy Chainsaw followed by signings of singer/songwriter Martyn Joseph and Manchester duo, JJ, both of whom he with great success negotiated recording contracts for with ‘CBS Records’ now known as ‘Sony Records’.
In 1994, Lester formed the management company ‘Wildlife Entertainment’ in cooperative relationship with Ian McAndrew, who had antecedently managed Tasmin Archer and Bomb The Bass to manage London Funksters ‘The Brand New Heavies’. Under Wildlife’s guidance, The Brand New Heavies invented their album, ‘Brother Sister’ which achieved multi-Platinum success around the world. Lester’s Wildlife Entertainment also managed Carleen Anderson who followed her success with the Young Disciples with an acclaimed solo career.
In 1996 Wildlife Entertainment took charge of the career of Scottish four-piece Travis which Lester signed to Andy MacDonald’s Independiente Records after the release of their debut album. ‘Travis’ second album, ‘The Man Who’ was freed in 1999 and traditionalisti Travis as one of the greatest retail UK acts amongst 1999 and 2009. In 1997, Lester together with McAndrew formed the UK Record Label ‘Wildstar Records’ in cooperative relationship with Capital Radio and Telstar Records. Wildstar Records enjoyed prompt success with South London soul singer ‘Connor Reeves’ before scoring top 5 hits with ‘Lutricia McNeal’, ‘Alda’ and ‘Fierce’.
In 1999, Lester came upon and signed 18 year old Craig David. His Wildstar debut ‘Fill Me In’ made Craig David the youngest male solo artisan ever to achieve a number one single, and his subsequent hits, ’7 Days’ and ‘Walking Away’, boosted sales of Craig David’s debut album ‘Born To Do It’ to over 7 million copies including 1.8 million sales in North America. To date Craig David, under Lester’s management, has sold in excess of 13 million records. In 2003 Lester and McAndrew signed Sheffield four-piece Arctic Monkeys. Their debut album ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s what I’m Not’ was freed in January 2006, and was the biggest selling debut album by a band in the UK of all time. It entered the UK charts at #1 where it remained for 5 weeks and has so far sold in excess of 2 million copies around the world.
In 2005 Wildlife took singer/songwriter Stephen Fretwell under their umbrella whose debut album, ‘Magpie’ attained Gold status in the UK. As Wildlife Entertainment, in cooperative relationship with Ian McAndrew, Lester has overseen international record sales in excess of 25 million records. In October 2008, Lester demerged Wildlife Entertainment and formed CLM Entertainment, a UK company with a focus on creating more inviolable artisan brands and generating dandier revenue streams for artists.
Lester’s vision for CLM Entertainment is that the company will be specified by the artists it signs.
Management History – Artists antecedently signed by Colin Lester:
Craig David
Travis
Arctic Monkeys
Daisy Chainsaw
The Brand New Heavies
Remi Nicole
Julian Velard
The Alfonz
James Owen Fender
Dan Priddy
Awards:
The Peter Grant Award – 2002 – by UK Music Manager Forum
Gold Badge Award – 2007 by BASCA (The British Academy of Songwriters and Composers Association)
Visiting Fellow – 2008 by Southampton Solent University, UK
Tags: ballads, Disco, Indie Rock, pop, Progressive Rock, R&B, rock and roll, Soul