Today, we’d like to introduce you to Tony Michaelides.
Hi Tony, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My first foray into the music industry was in 1974 as a salesman for a label called Transatlantic.
In 1978, I moved from sales to promotion and began working at Island Records with Bob Marley and the Wailers, Robert Palmer, Steve Winwood, etc. From there, I went to Charisma Records to work with Genesis and Peter Gabriel before going back to Island for the opportunity to work with U2 from day one.
I then went on to run my own independent promotion company for the next 20 years, working with some of the world’s leading artists, including Whitney Houston, The Police, New Order, Tom Petty, N Sync, Peter Gabriel, Depeche Mode, and many more. In the late 90s, I toured with David Bowie as his publicist.
As well as running my own PR. company I had my radio show for 12 years on the largest independent radio station outside of London. I chaired and sat on several music industry panels and was a member of The Brits Voting Academy, the UK’s equivalent of The Grammys.
I am now actively involved in speaking engagements, both live and virtual, where I talk about the lessons I learned from Rock and Roll, which involve leadership, culture, turning risk into opportunity, and other topics that act as valuable business lessons. I also host a podcast called “Moments That Rock,” where both artists and music industry insiders share their stories. It is also the title of my second book.
I am a TEDx speaker and author of two books and as of May 2024 actively involved in Atomik PR a company involved in helping emerging artists.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The music industry is full of excitement hinged with inevitable disappointments, mostly when an artist you believe in fails to ‘make it.’
You pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and move on. It bears no comparison to the euphoria you feel when an artist breaks, which is exactly how I felt after securing U2, their first network TV and national radio session in the early 80’s.
There’s no business model in the music industry. You stand or fall by your ability to forge relationships built on trust and integrity. Every day brings with it different challenges, obstacles, and situations that, at times, come out of nowhere. You’re dealing with personalities, egos, and insecurities whilst at the same time establishing relationships that last forever.
It’s understanding that artists are unique and, at the same time, all are different. There was always excitement in it for me, waking up every day and having no idea what might happen!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
Working in the music industry is unique. It’s not a how-to business. No two artists are alike, no two managers are alike, and no two record labels are alike.
In saying that, you need to spend time getting to know who you are working with, whether it’s artists or your staff. I learned from some of the greatest artists that ever lived and what separated them from the rest. What was it that helped to make them successful, and what flaws were apparent in others?
I think I was able to bring the best out of my staff. I never micromanaged them or threatened them with their jobs. I empowered them in the same way that people like David Bowie did with his band. He left them to it, and the fact that you were considered good enough to be a part of that inner circle gave you a sense of belonging and ultimately brought out the best version of yourself.
Many setbacks occur in any line of business, and that is when people see if you can or can’t deal with it. Some panic, others roll with it and learn. I consider myself the latter. I also felt grateful that I was allowed to make a living out of my hobby. It was the job I never expected that I would never let go.
What makes you happy?
Happiness is surrounding yourself with the people who bring out the best in you. That creates a comfort in knowing you are in the company of people who genuinely value you. Doing what you love is the best advice I could share. I didn’t learn that from anyone, and as previously mentioned, my hobby became my job.
There were no ‘Monday morning blues’ or waiting til Friday and the thought of the weekend looming. That just wasn’t me. I like to think I have a positive attitude, allowing you to gravitate towards like-minded people. We make mistakes along the way but as James Joyce so rightly said, Mistakes are the portals of discovery. I did my best to avoid bringing any toxicity into my life.
Negative people bring… Negativity! That in itself slows down your growth, and to be honest, the only person who can prevent that is you. Who doesn’t want to be around people who bring you happiness, both personally and professionally?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tonymichaelides.com
- Instagram: tonyigram
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonymichaelidesmomentsthatrock
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/tonymichaelides
