Impact International: UK/Euro 2024 Cover Honoree Charly Beedell-Tuck

“I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY JOB,
WHICH IS A BLESSING AND A CURSE“

Charly Beedell-Tuck has taken on the role of head of one of the UK’s longest-standing and successful booking agencies: Solo Agency, effective as of late September. Solo was founded in 1986 by John Giddings, who has worked with just about every great artist in rock music history at some point in his career. Some are still on Solo’s roster (Blondie, Phil Collins, The Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, Genesis, James); new ones have joined. Being tasked with continuing such a legacy can seem daunting at first but, as Beedell-Tuck says, “It is the natural progression I have been seeking in my career, and an opportunity I feel so honored to have been given.”

Her vision not only revitalized the agency’s identity, but also its mission to support emerging talent – the foundation on which any future growth is built. Current success stories include Chinchilla, who achieved incredible success with “Little Girl Gone,” which she released independently after parting ways with Columbia Records. The song, which has amassed over 122 million streams, is described by Beedell-Tuck as “a powerful female rage anthem resonating with abuse victims channeling empowerment and independence.”

Another example is The K’s, who achieved over 15,000 sales, and charted at No. 3 on the official UK album charts with their debut album I Wonder If The World Knows, ahead of acts like Vampire Weekend, J. Cole and The Black Keys, falling behind only Beyoncé and Libertines. “They struggled to get a record deal for several years, but we continued to develop and build them organically through live; they stayed true to their music and loyal fans, and finally secured a No. 3 album,” Beedell-Tuck says. “They sold out their entire UK tour including Manchester Victoria Warehouse, Leeds Academy, Nottingham Rock City and London’s Electric Ballroom, selling over 17,000 tickets across their tour, alongside key festival plays and big broadcast moments at Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, Reading and Leeds festivals.”

Like any good agency, Solo’s entire business is centered around the artists it represents. “I have been fortunate enough to learn from the best in that respect,” says Beedell-Tuck, adding that “nothing is ever too much for John [Giddings]. He will get his hands dirty, go above and beyond the call of duty in every way. Something that has shaped me into the agent that I have become. John has always been very clear about the order of business, which I think is sometimes forgotten in this industry, particularly with a lot of big egos dominating our ecosystem. Being artist-focused is the heartbeat of our company, something that we have built a reputation on, which now precedes us. Providing a bespoke, fully tailored service, centered around our clients’ individual needs, with artist and manager satisfaction at the heart of all operations which fosters loyalty and drives growth.”

Key qualities of a leader, she says, are “to inspire and empower employees, and foster a positive company culture. I couldn’t be more proud of the fact that Solo isn’t a company that has a quick turnover of staff. Our loyal and longstanding workforce is definitely an important fiber of our company’s DNA that I want to carry forward into the future.”

Navigating the business through the various storms it has had to face over the past few years required some tough decisions on Beedell-Tuck’s part, who admits that she’s a workaholic. “Career-wise, it has been a real highlight to have worked with my mentor John Giddings for the past eight years, and now being promoted to run the company alongside him. It is what I have always wanted,” she says, “but as with anything in this line of work, the balance is hard to find. I need to know what is going on at all times, to the point where I even struggled to let go when I had my second baby, and barely took any time off – out of choice, and despite everyone around me, John included, telling me to. I’m not saying that is the right way to be, but unfortunately it’s who I am. I absolutely love my job, something I think is a blessing and a curse sometimes.”

Knowing how hard Beedell-Tuck has worked to get to where she is today, her family is very supportive, including her mother, who she calls her “hero and biggest inspiration.” Beedell-Tuck explains, “She raised me alone. It’s always been the two of us, so to say we are close would be a huge understatement.”

Beedell-Tuck’s mother was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the year and she shares that “she is not out of the woods yet, but we have had some big wins along the way and are still fighting this together.”

Experiences like these shape one’s entire being, as we’re forced to find light in the dark.
“I have had to learn to be more resilient, to try to deal with things more pragmatically and less emotionally,” Beedell-Tuck says. “With age and experience comes wisdom and patience, something I am embracing. It’s also forced me to accept that I can’t always do everything, which has pushed me to let go a bit more than I used to, and delegate more to my team. Something that has been instrumental in their growth and progression.” And, by the looks of it, her own growth, as well.

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