Simon Fuller, Idol Maker;
The creator of 'American Idol' - the other Simon of the talent-hunt phenomenon -
offers stardom. But at what cost?
Simon Fuller is no professional singer. He does not dance, and he doesn't
play an instrument. Yet, there he is - collecting a fortune at the top of the
pop charts.
As creator of the "American Idol" franchise, Fuller manages every
aspect of the careers of Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Kelly Clarkson and all
other instant "Idol" celebrities.
But Fuller earns far more than the typical 15 to 20 percent that most managers
keep from their clients' gross earnings. As the "American Idol" hit
series launches its third season Monday on Fox/5, Fuller's franchise is raising
questions about exploitation and the price of fame.
Fuller says that as the primary imaginative force behind these artists and the
one with the connections to transform Clarkson from struggling Texas waitress to
pop diva, he deserves a larger percentage of their earnings.
In an interview in the summer, he described many of his "Idol"
relationships as "partnerships" in which he receives from 25 to 50
percent of all earnings. The Sunday Times of London estimated that Fuller earned
about $44 million in 2002 and $60 million in 2003, second to Paul McCartney's
$67 million on last year's list of highest-paid entertainment figures.
It's unclear how much the "American Idol" stars have taken home for
their work. But in 2002, the first "Pop Idol" winner, Will Young,
collected an estimated $750,000, according to the Sunday Times.
Fuller's company, 19 Entertainment, oversees not just the recording deal for
"American Idol" stars but also controls merchandising, touring,
sponsorship and movie deals.
Fuller promises top "American Idol" contestants a management contract
with 19 Entertainment and a prearranged recording contract: with RCA Records in
the case of Clarkson and Aiken, and J Records for Studdard. Both RCA and J are
Bertelsmann Music Group companies run by Clive Davis, an industry legend who
engineered the creation of Whitney Houston, the Grammy-winning comeback of
Santana and the breakthrough of Alicia Keys, among others.
"Most artists working on the old-fashioned model, how do you keep track of
your publisher, your record company, your merchandise, your sponsorship agent,
your touring agent? There could be 10 different people dealing with different
areas of your life," Fuller says. "This is one-stop shopping."
But Gary Fine, a Los Angeles-based entertainment attorney, advised one client
not to participate in the first "Idol" series after examining the
contestant's contract. Fine does not condemn Fuller's deals but said he would
not recommend them for everyone.
"If I had an artist whose music was quirky and might take time to develop,
then Simon's organization is not the one I would recommend getting involved
with," he says. "On the other hand, if I have a client whose primary
interest is fame and fortune, then Simon's organization is certainly worth
considering." The deal Fine saw also required "Idol" winners to
participate against their international counterparts in the "World
Idol" show - for $1,400.
Another section of the "American Idol" contract Fine disclosed
described the aggressive image manipulation the performers must agree to,
stating that the show "may reveal and/or relate information about me of a
personal, private, intimate, surprising, defamatory, disparaging, embarrassing
or unfavorable nature, that may be factual and/or fictional." More
independent-minded performers might balk at the way Fuller fashions a
performer's image (such as Aiken's metamorphosis from geeky gawker to slim
slickster). Fuller also tells them what to perform and where, like Clarkson
and "Idol" runner-up Justin Guarini's movie flop,
"From Justin to Kelly." (That film, like 1997's "Spice
World," was written by Fuller's brother Kim.)
The final contracts between Fuller and his current batch of "Idol"
stars have not been disclosed, and Fuller refused to discuss specific details of
the arrangements. He said performers are free to hire their own lawyers to
oversee the deals.
Fine isn't sure that would make much difference. The contract he saw was
non-negotiable and "gave so much power and control to Simon and his
organizations that there would be little a lawyer could do to prevent certain
things from happening." Is there a way for the performers to get better
deals? Maybe.
They could work their way up through small clubs, make contact with talent
scouts and spend years trying to get the attention of managers who have far less
clout than Fuller.
Yet, when a manager takes such a huge piece of a novice performer's earnings,
it's hard for some not to view that deal with skepticism.
"It unfortunately takes two for exploitation," said Jayne Wallace,
spokeswoman for the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
"And in the U.S. music business, people are so desperate to get in they're
willing to sign everything away." She would not comment specifically on
Fuller's practices but said generally, "most artists would sign a bad deal
to get the break." When it came to the Spice Girls, Fuller sees himself as
the one holding the short end of the stick, insisting that his work made them a
success.
The Spice Girls broke in 1996 after being recruited by an audition ad that read,
"No singing or dancing experience necessary." Fuller was fired in late
1997 amid a power struggle with the singers. Six months later, the group fell
apart.
"I'd be lying if I didn't say there was an element of satisfaction about
it," Fuller says now. He has made peace, however, with Emma "Baby
Spice" Bunton and Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, who have
rejoined his management firm to launch their solo careers.
"With the Spice Girls, I was the partner, I was the sixth member of the
group," he said. "More than that, I was the leading light in the
group, but it was never reflected contractually because I was just the
manager." The "partnerships" he forges with talent now, he said,
prevent him from being dumped.
Studdard told The Associated Press in the summer that he had no complaints with
Fuller and described him as a helpful career-shaping force who watched out for
his well-being.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, however, Studdard wondered if "American
Idol" had taken advantage of the contestants, citing commercials they
filmed for free as part of the broadcast.
"Without the show, we wouldn't be recording artists," he said.
"But we did a lot of commercials, dawg. ... We were exploited but not
exploited. It just taught us a lot about the business.
"'American Idol' is what we like to call a crash course on the
entertainment industry."