All you need to know about the music business – one man’s view
I saw the email below quoted earlier today in Bob Lefsetz’s Mailbag round-up.
This isn’t on his site – you get it if you are on the mailing list. You know I love Bob’s perspective on the state of the industry and I often tweet his posts (I strongly recommend that you sign up to his list whether you agree with everything he says or not.)
But, this email that he had received from a senior industry figure from the UK really caught my attention as it set out the fundamental view about what you need to succeed that we bang on about here – the message that we want to get across.
The writer is Richard Griffiths, whose bio you can read through that link. Richard is very well respected throughout the industry and has very many years of experience. Our paths had crossed a few years ago when an artist I managed was signed to Sony/BMG and I found him to be honourable and great to deal with. His many successes qualify him to make these kind of observations.
Richard graciously said that I could reproduce his email to Bob here – it’s short and to the point but sums up perfectly what it takes to succeed as an artist in the music business.
Take the advice on board.
His email to Bob said:
It’s all about the 5 pieces of the jigsaw to get the perfect picture.
- You need talent
- You need ambition
- You need work ethic
- You need luck
- You need business taken care of
Have all those and you have the perfect picture. You’re Paul McCartney or Elton John, etc.
Its possible to be successful without any 1 or 2 of these pieces even the talent one. Madonna showed what an initial small talent could do with all the other pieces.
I’ve worked with many very talented artists who didn’t have ambition and-or work ethic and therefore failed.
I’ve seen brilliant managers/label heads make the most of little talent.
I’ve seen lousy managers/label heads fuck up brilliant artists.
Over the years I’ve come to realise that actually as long as there is SOME talent the other pieces of the puzzle are far more important to having success.
Obviously with GREAT talent the other pieces have a lesser role except the business partner.
Look at all the GREAT talent and how they nearly all had a great manager.
Sometimes they fall out with them like Bowie or Elton but without Tony DeFries and John Reid those icons would have had a different career path.
The problem in today’s world is that too many new artists think that with exposure and a bit of talent they can have careers.
They don’t realise that it takes a lot of work and the ambition to succeed to last.
