WMA Makes London Moves

William Morris Agency is ramping up its efforts to establish a London base by signing Solomon Parker from Concorde International Artistes and David Levy from ITB.

Both are expected to start working alongside former Dire Straits manager Ed Bicknell when the company opens its new offices in the city’s Centre Point Tower in the middle of January.

The long-rumored moves come within weeks of Creative Artists Agency hiring Emma Banks and Mike Greek away from Helter Skelter.

Both U.S. agencies are determined to take more money out of the European touring pot – the sort of expansion U.K. agents have resisted for a couple of decades.

Parker’s move, which has already been inked, will not, as many expected, mean the end of the company he inherited from his father Louis in 2000.

Louise Parker, his stepmother, will move over from her role as chairman to ensure that one of London’s few remaining live music industry “family” businesses will continue.

“I have a spare desk and will be happy to talk to any agents interested in filling it. From what I’ve been reading over the last few months, I understand we’re not the only agency in that position,” she told Pollstar.

Louis Parker, her late husband, started Concorde International Artistes in the late ’70s, building the agency on the back of the British jazz funk boom.

Both he and his son resisted several takeover bids, including some from other U.K.-based agencies, and built a company with a powerful pop roster.

Speaking of his decision to move, Solomon said, “I don’t like to put it in football terms but it really is a bit like being given the chance to play in the Premiership with Manchester United.

“I’ve headed a boutique agency for over five years and, as well as I think we’ve done, our achievements have primarily been at the pop end of the market,” he said. “I see this as a chance to work in a wider field.”

Moving with him will be assistant Sheraz “Shaz” Qureshi and a roster that includes Jamelia, Simon Webbe, Prodigy, Take That, Girls Aloud, Shayne Ward, and All Saints.

Two months ago, Paul Fitzgerald – another Concorde director – left to join Creative Entertainment Group, a corporate talent buying company.

Steve Hogan, Kevin Moss and Sean Quinn will continue at Concorde and a revised roster will be published by the end of the year. It’s expected to include Liberty X, Mica Paris, Alesha, Billy Crawford, Lulu, Soul II Soul, Jocelyn Brown, Adeva, and a revamped Bananarama.

Levy wasn’t available for comment at press time, and WMA’s Marc Geiger – who’s overseeing the company’s U.K. launch – said he felt it was too soon to make any statements as there will be further developments in the new year.

Bicknell also declined to comment on the latest moves or whether his own deal with WMA has been inked.

Ironically, the latest changes reunite Parker and Levy. The ITB agent spent time at Concorde in the 1980s, as did Paul Bolton (now with Helter Skelter) and Russell Warby (The Agency).

— John Gammon