Veteran artist manager Jazz Summers has been elected chairman of the U.K.’s Music
Manager’s Forum for a one-year term. He succeeds John Glover, who stepped down from the role.
Following his appointment yesterday (Dec. 2) at the trade body’s 11th annual meeting, Summers pledged to help boost membership and improve training and education for its members. “The MMF is going to mobilize the management community to create a more dynamic era centred on the artist, benefiting all sectors of the industry,” he said.
Summers was the recipient of the prestigious Peter Grant Award at the 2003 MMF British Music Roll of Honour. During his career, he has worked with Wham!, the Verve, Lisa Stansfield, Yazz and others. As president of Big Life Management, he currently manages acts that include Badly Drawn Boy, Snow Patrol, the Futureheads and the Warlocks.
In other news from the meeting, Potential Development director Gary McClarnan was elected as vice chair of MMF U.K. Soho Artists founder Paul Burger (former president of Sony Music Europe) was elected as a director.
