Merck Mercuriadis

Merck Mercuriadis
Background information
Born October 2, 1963
Schefferville, Quebec, Canada
Genres Pop, hard rock
Occupation(s) CEo, founder and managing partner at hipgnosis music ltd.
Years active 34
Labels Hipgnosis Music, Sanctuary Group
Associated acts Guns N' Roses, Iron Maiden, Elton John, Morrissey, Kiss, Pet Shop Boys, Destiny's Child, Beyoncé, Black Sabbath, Semi Precious Weapons, Robert Plant, Nelly, Jane's Addiction, Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone, Diane Warren, The-Dream, Ghost Town, Lou Reed, Bruce Dickinson, and Antony and the Johnsons.[1][2][3]
Website www.allmusic.com/artist

Merck Mercuriadis (born October 2, 1963, in Schefferville, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian–American music executive and a music manager. He is the current CEO, Founder and managing partner of Hipgnosis Music Ltd., an artist management firm, publisher and record label based in London and Los Angeles. Mercuriadis is also known as the former manager of several notable rock and pop bands and musicians including Guns N' Roses,[4][5] Iron Maiden,[6][7][8] Elton John,[9] Morrissey, Pet Shop Boys, Macy Gray, Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone and Jane's Addiction.[10] Mercuriadis is notable for serving from October1986 to June 2007, as director and CEO of the Sanctuary Group PLC, a major management company, an independent record label, a merchandise company, and a booking agency based in London, New York and Los Angeles.[11]

Life

At the age of 12, Mercuriadis traveled 100 miles from his home town to watch a Kiss concert. According to him, this event was the defining moment that led him to embrace a career in music.[12]

Career

Mercuriadis is the current CEO, Founder and managing partner at Hipgnosis Music Ltd. He was the CEO of The Sanctuary Group PLC from October1986 to June 2007. Earlier, he was an A&R and marketing director at Virgin Records where he started his career at the age of 19. Mercuriadis is known for his contributions to several well ranked albums and singles including Ringleader of the Tormentors (number 1 album) and You Are the Quarry (number 2 album) by Morrissey,[13] Changes (number 1 single) with Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne,[14] number 2 single Elton John's Electricity, and several number 1 albums with Iron Maiden.[10] He was also part of the Mercury Music Prize with Antony and the Johnsons's I Am a Bird Now.[15] In addition, Mercuriadis was the first music manager to feature on the cover of Billboard magazine with Elton John on September 10, 2005.[9]

In October 1986, Mercuriadis joined Rod Smallwood and Andy Taylor, the founders, at Sanctuary Music (Overseas) Limited, a management company based in the United Kingdom. Over 20 years, he helped build The Sanctuary Group PLC encompassing Sanctuary Artist Management, Sanctuary Records Group Limited, Rough Trade Records, Helter Skelter Agency and Bravado Merchandise, Twenty First Artists and Trinifold Management.[3] During this time, Mercuriadis moved from London to New York to build the North American base in 2000.[16] In addition, Mercuriadis and Sanctuary Group relaunched Rough Trade Records with founder Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee in 2001.[17] This initiative included several artists such as The Strokes, The Moldy Peaches, The Libertines, Arcade Fire Antony And The Johnsons, and The Kills.[3] In New York, Mercuriadis served as chief executive officer of Sanctuary Group North America until December 2004. Then, Sanctuary reorganized its management team and named Mercuriadis CEO of the entire group for his substantial contribution in the global revenues overseas.[18][19] During his tenure at Sanctuary Group, Mercuriadis oversaw the management of Destiny's Child, Beyoncé,[2] Nelly, Mick Fleetwood, Tommy Lee, The Who, and Robert Plant. He also managed the recordings of Megadeth,[20] Kiss, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Blue Nile, Simple Minds and Lou Reed. With its list of notable artists, intellectual property rights collection, record labels, integrated services style, Sanctuary Group created a unique position in the music industry.[10][21][22] Mercuriadis resigned from Sanctuary Music Group on October 31, 2006, after 20 years of service. He brought along with him Guns N' Roses and Morrissey while Elton John stayed with the company.[23]

Mercuriadis's collaboration with Guns N' Roses span over several years during which he contributed to the long time anticipated album Chinese Democracy.[4][5][24][25][26]

After Elton John sold Twenty-First Artists to Sanctuary Group for $30.1 million, he turned to Mercuriadis to manage the creative side of his career.[9] Mercuriadis was the manager of several of Elton John's albums including Elton John's Christmas Party and The Captain & the Kid. He was also the executive producer of the Elton John's TV show The Red Piano from 2004 to 2006. However, in October 2006, Mercuriadis stepped down from the creative duties related to the artist.[27][28]

During their collaboration that span over 5 years, Mercuriadis managed several of Morrissey's albums including You Are the Quarry, First of the Gang to Die, Ringleader of the Tormentors, and Greatest Hits.[10][13][29] which had notable rankings on the record charts. In addition, this collaboration produced ten top 20 singles together with numerous international concerts from Earls Court Exhibition Centre (London) to the Hollywood Bowl.[30]

Works

Mercuriadis collaborated with several notable music artists and also contributed to well known films including the following:

References

  1. Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein (July 5, 2010). "A gown for a Brown". Boston.com.
  2. 1 2 "Beyonce finds Sanctuary". The Guardian. October 1, 2003.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Sanctuary Group PLC". Reference for Business.
  4. 1 2 "The Most Expensive Album Never Made". New York Times. March 6, 2005.
  5. 1 2 "Is "Chinese Democracy" Close? Axl Rose Gets Top Management Team". Rolling Stone. March 28, 2008.
  6. 1 2 "Iron Maiden: Rock in Rio (2002 Video) – Full Cast & Crew". IMDb.
  7. Brave New World (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. May 29, 2000.
  8. nickderiso (June 18, 2015). "Iron Maiden Announces First-Ever Double Album, 'The Book of Souls'". Ultimate Classic Rock.
  9. 1 2 3 Staff writer (September 10, 2005). "At Sanctuary The Heat is on to Improve Performance". Billboard. Vol. 117 no. 37. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 24.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Merck Mercuriadis". AllMusic.
  11. "Pop goes the label". The Guardian. August 24, 2005.
  12. Staff writer (August 9, 2003). "Special Report: Kiss 30th Anniversary". Billboard. Vol. 115 no. 32. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 32.
  13. 1 2 "Morrissey set to sign new record deal". NME. December 16, 2004.
  14. "Kelly Osbourne Signs With Sanctuary". Billboard Magazine. September 11, 2003.
  15. "Antony and Johnsons win Mercury". BBC. September 7, 2005.
  16. Staff writer (September 23, 2000). "An Interview with Merck Mercuriadis: CEO of the Sanctuary Music Group U.S. & Sanctuary Music Management". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. S8.
  17. Taylor, Neil (2010). Document and Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade. London: Orion Books.
  18. Wallop, Harry (February 16, 2006). "Sanctuary pay rises queried by auditors". The Daily Telegraph.
  19. "Mercuriadis Upped in Sanctuary Revamp". Billboard. December 16, 2004.
  20. Kazmaier, Daina (November 11, 2000). "Sanctuary Group Signs Megadeth to a Five Album Deal". Dish Music.
  21. Goldsmith, Charles (May 28, 2003). "U.K. Music Firm Sets a New Beat By Moving Beyond Record Sales". The Wall Street Journal. p. B6.
  22. "KISS Announce Formation of KISS RECORDS, Prepare To Release 'Kiss Symphony: Alive IV'". Babblermouth.com. May 9, 2003.
  23. Wallop, Harry (November 4, 2006). "Sanctuary co-founder walks taking rock icons with him". The Daily Telegraph.
  24. "Guns N' Roses Leaks Excite Fans". Mercuriadis, Merck. December 15, 2006.
  25. "Arts, Briefly". New York Times. December 16, 2006.
  26. "Axl Rose Address Guns N' Roses Turmoil in an Open Letter to Fans". MTV News. December 15, 2008.
  27. "Mercuriadis Splits With Elton". Billboard. October 31, 2006.
  28. "Mercuriadis Splits With Elton". The Times of Israel. May 2, 2012.
  29. Cohen, Jonathan (November 28, 2007). "Billboard Bits: Morrissey, Seal, Noise Pop Festival". Billboard.
  30. "Morrissey to perform in Middle East". Irish Examiner. January 8, 2008.
  31. "Pet Shop Boys: Montage – The Nightlife Tour (2001 Video) – Full Crew". IMDb.
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