Island Records Man Named "Most Influential" Music Biz Figure
U2 and Bob Marley mentor Chris Blackwell has been honoured in London...
Island Records founder Chris Blackwell has been named the "most influential UK-based industry executive of the past five decades", according to the magazine Music Week. The industry mag held its annual awards last night (April 9) and gave the accolade to Blackwell, whose work with artists such as U2, Bob Marley, Pulp and Nick Drake has built the label into one of the world's greatest, which is now home to The Killers, Keane and Amy Winehouse.
Blackwell beat off competition from other music industry greats, such as Beatles producer Sir George Martin and, er, Simon Cowell. The ceremony, which marked 50 years of the magazine, also honoured XL (home of The White Stripes and Vampire Weekend) as Independent Label Of The Year and Elbow for their marketing campaign for 'The Seldom Seen Kid'.
Who do you think is the most influential music industry figure of the last fifty years? Paul McCartney? Geoff Travis? Morrissey? Cliff? Let us know your thoughts - leave a comment here.
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