Music Business Worldwide in association with Abbey Road Studios will be presenting Chris Blackwell, the man who brought reggae music and Bob Marley to the world with the A&R Icon award at the A&R Awards in central London tomorrow (Tuesday, November 8).
Blackwell, 85, will be accepting the award in front of his music industry peers, including more than 500 executives, artists and entrepreneurs at the sold-out ceremony powered by YouTube Music.
The A&R Awards will be held in the ballroom of De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in Covent Garden U.K. and this year it will pay homage to Blackwell’s unmatched track record of artist development, as well as his lasting influence on the global music business – and on music itself.
Acknowledged as the best at developing artists into long term brands, Bono called him, “an adventurer, an entrepreneur, a buccaneer, a visionary and a gentleman” and Grace Jones said he “knows how to get the very best out of people… he’s a mover and a shaker and a mischief-maker”.
David Geffen says, “I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than Chris. What he did for the music world and reggae in particular is astounding. He is a pioneer.”
Richard Branson with whom Blackwell has had a long relationship told WMB that: “Chris Blackwell had a profound influence on the music industry [and] helped develop some of the most legendary artists of our time. He challenged the music industry, and his contributions to it are immeasurable. To my lifelong dear friend – well done!”
Jimmy Iovine who was last weekend inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame said: “A&R at its most potent is when someone can see something that isn’t mainstream, not have conceptual blindness and see it for what it could be. For Bob Marley alone that A&R instinct and vision of Chris Blackwell stands right alongside John Hammond’s signing of Bob Dylan.”
“I feel blessed and honored to call CB a friend, godfather and trusted keeper of my father’s legacy.”
Cedella Marley
Cedella Marley, Bob and Rita’s daughter and the CEO of the Bob Marley Group of Companies said: “A true visionary, supporting and investing in the longevity of the careers of so many amazing artists, I feel blessed and honored to call CB a friend, godfather and trusted keeper of my father’s legacy.”
With over 60 years in the music industry, Blackwell has not been part of the A&R side of the music since the late 1990s when he left Island Records as an executive. His influence however in developing artist and brands has pushed on into the present Millennium. Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley & The Wailers has been at No. 1 on Reggae Billboard charts for 146 weeks and his acts other acts U2, Steve Winwood, Cat Stevens, Grace Jones, Roxy Music, Nick Drake, John Martyn together have sold more than 300 million albums.
