Simon Napier-Bell

Simon Napier-Bell (born 22 April 1939, Ealing Common, West London, England) has undertaken many jobs in the music industry, including bandboy, manager, producer, songwriter, journalist, author, and gourmet. But he is best known as manager, and at different times has managed artists as diverse as The Yardbirds, John's Children, Marc Bolan, Japan, London, Asia, Ultravox, Boney M, Sinitta, Wham!, Blue Mercedes, Alsou and Candi Staton.
Early years
He went to both an independent prep school, Durston House in Ealing, and to a state primary school at Perivale. Then to both a grammar school (Harrow County, later attended by Michael Portillo) and to an independent secondary school (Bryanston in Dorset). At Bryanston he formed the school's first jazz band, much frowned on by the authorities. When he left school at the age of seventeen it was with the idea of becoming a professional musician, preferably in America. A year later, unable to get a visa for the...