Name Jazz Summers | Died August 14, 2015, England | |
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Gordon "Jazz" Summers (15 March 1944 – 14 August 2015) was a British music manager. He managed acts such as Snow Patrol, The Verve, Scissor Sisters and Klaxons. With Simon Napier-Bell, he co-managed Wham! and is credited with having enabled them to break into the United States market in 1985 and to go onto become the first western pop group to tour China.
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Early years
Summers was sent to Gordon Boys (a military school in Woking) at the age of 12 and enlisted in the army at the age of 15. He served as a radiographer in Hong Kong and Malaysia. In 1986, he and Tim Parry founded Big Life, a music management company. The two men also operated Big Life Records. Among his other music-related interests was his role as chairman of the Music Managers Forum.
Personal life
Summers was married on at least two occasions, with the pop singer Yazz, whom he also managed, being a former wife. He was survived by Dianna, his wife, as well as three daughters. He refuted allegations about his conduct, saying "I’ve never burned a venue to the ground. I've never even hit an A&R man. I locked one in a cupboard once, as punishment for some racism and sexism."
His autobiography, Big Life, was published in September 2013.
Posthumous tributes
Summers died on 14 August 2015 after suffering from lung cancer for two years. Married four times, he was survived by his wife Dianna, and three daughters. After his death, tributes were made on Twitter by Tim Burgess, The Futureheads, Boy George and Zane Lowe