Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English reality television judge, entrepreneur, philanthropist, film, record, and television producer. He is most recognized as a judge on the British TV talent competition series Pop Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent, and the American TV talent competition shows American Idol, The X Factor, and America's Got Talent. Cowell owns the television production and music publishing house Syco...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionEntrepreneur
Date of Birth7 October 1959
CityLondon, England
I think you're the first artist we've had on the show who's refused to compromise.
I love TV. I love being behind the scenes on a TV show but there's something about, I don't know there's something very special when you've signed an artist and that first record comes in and it's a good record. It is an indescribable feeling.
If I go into a relationship with an artist, which at most is going to last five years, we have a 100-page contract covering every eventuality. Whereas with marriage you go into it with no contract, with laws that date back hundreds of years, and I don't think that's right.
I grew up when the whole Motown thing was huge. The charts in those days were dominated by groups more than solo artists at one point.
The artists who endure are the ones who stay focused even after they have reached the top of their profession.
I do see a big difference in the American work ethic compared to the British work ethic in a lot of artists.
My proudest achievement has been the success of the shows and artists I have been involved with, because they were made in Britain.
Thank God kids love following an artist. When you get a group who pop, it's the best thing in the world.
They understand what their market is and who they should be selling records to, and most importantly, they know the kind of artist that they want to be, but they have to do it themselves. You don't want a 13-year-old singing some awful song from a musical.
They all hate each other deep down, but they're not gonna say it on camera. Ask Kelly how many congratulation e-mails she got from the other contestants. Probably zero. But that's the music business. In a positive way, I like that. I like the fact that people enter the show because they might win.
Personally, I hope to find the next Siegfried and Roy.
Everything's open this year, isn't it? There are four, five, six people who could win.
The Super Bowl's a good analogy. You've got to make people look forward to it once a year.
Ryan, with respect, I do this for a living. I don't play at it like you.