Robert Stigwood

Producer

Robert Stigwood (left) discussing a scene with Dee Anthony.

In the past few years, Robert Stigwood has become one of the most influential figures in show business and heads a group of companies that encompass films, theatre, television, recordings, personal management, concert tours and music publishing.

Born in Adelaide, Australia in 1934 and educated at Sacred Heart College, Robert Stigwood began his career as a copywrighter for a local advertising agency and then, at 21, left his home on a ship bound for England. A series of first jobs led to his opening a London theatrical agency. He began casting commercials for television and soon was producing records for many of his clients. In time, he became the first independent record producer in Great Britain.

During the middle 1960's, Stigwood joined forces for a while with Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles, to become co-manager of NEMS Enterprises. After Epstein's death, Stigwood went on to form his own company and launched the careers of, among others, The Bee Gees and Cream.

Moving into the world of theatre in 1968, Robert chose for his first venture the American rock musical "Hair," a great success which ran for more than five years on London's West End. He followed with highly successful productions of "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Pippin" and "Oh Calcutta."

Robert then entered into film production and produced the motion picture version of "Jesus Christ Superstar," in association with the film's director, Norman Jewison. The Stigwood film production of "Tommy," directed by Ken Russell and starring Ann Margret and Roger Daltrey was one of 1975's most popular films and marked the first truly successful merger of rock music and film to tell a story.

RSO Records, which Stigwood founded in 1973, records the music of The Bee Gees, Eric Clapton, Yvonne Elliman, Paul Nicholas, Player and Andy Gibb, as well as the many other new artists Robert continually adds to te successful label. In addition, the RSO label releases all motion picture soundtrack albums of Stigwood's productions.

Stigwood's most recent dazzler with John Travolta, "Saturday Night Fever," has proved to be one of the biggest all-time money makers in movie history. "Grease" -- which he produced in association with Allan Carr and again starring Travolta -- is yet another winner. Now, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

There are many more Stigwood projects in the works: a stage project titled "Evita" and based on the life of Eva Peron, expansion into television films and series, a motion picture based on the extraordinary life of Uri Gelle, and a new film starring John Travolta and Lily Tomlin called "Moment By Moment."

Dee Anthony

Executive Producer

In recent years, the entertainment world at large has come to recognize the talents of a man known in the music industry as a manager's manager. Dee Anthony has, in over twenty-six years in show business, developed the careers of great pop and rock performers from both the United States and Europe. His personal warmth, artistic conviction and professional versatility have made him one of the most successful personal managers in the entertainment world today.

Today Dee Anthony is best known as Peter Frampton's manager. Their relationship goes back eight years when Anthony brought Humble Pie to the United States. The group disbanded in 1971 and Peter went out on his own. Together Anthony and Frampton weathered five years of artistic growth and countless personal appearances. In 1976 they met with astounding success. The double album, "Frampton Comes Alive," broke record-selling history that year and has, to date, sold over fourteen million copies.

Anthony began his career as a manager working weekends with a young singer and neighborhood friend, Jerry Vale. The first artist he signed was Tony Bennett, whom he managed over ten years. During that time he learned everything from stage management, press promotion and agency relationships, to contract negotiations. He learned to build the self-confidence of his artists and to refine their showmanship while he simultaneously attended to their business affairs -- assuring their freedom and their survival. In short, he perfected the art of good management.

In the mid-60's, at the same time Robert Stigwood was launching The Bee Gees and Cream, Dee also sensed a great change in the music business. He became involved in the British wave of rock 'n' roll by assuming the American management of King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Traffic, Ten Years After and many others. He built a formidable reputation with these artists, monitoring every aspect of their performance and won the respect and friendship of everyone tied to his acts from record company presidents to concert promoters. "He relates to how an artist handles himself on stage," says promoter Bill Graham.

By 1968, Dee and his brother, Bill Anthony, had founded their own exclusive personal management company, Bandana Enterprises. With the success of such clients as The J Geils Band, Humble Pie, Steve Marriott, Joe Cocker, and Emerson Lake and Palmer, Bandana expanded into the realm of publishing, merchandising and management consultation. Currently, the company's clients include Peter Frampton, Gary Wright, Peter Allen and the brilliant young guitarist Al Di Meola.

For two consecutive years ('76 & '77) Anthony was awarded the "Billboard Manager of the Year" award and was recently voted "Manager of the Year" by the readers of Performance Magazine.

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