MY MUSIC STORY.co.uk

                                                     Lee Williams

I have been involved in Country Music for most of my working life starting as a singer in the late 60’s touring the UK & Europe with my own group. This was the early start for Country Music in Europe, many of the venues were US Military Bases with a few Country Music Clubs, Social Clubs & Pubs who held regular Country Nights. In 1974 I decided that after the touring, recordings, TV & Radio appearances that I had a limited chance of making a serious living on the road. I retired from live performing and started working as an agent and manager for other acts from both here in the UK and touring US Acts around Europe. In the early 80’s I was recognised as the leading agent and promoter for UK Country acts and helpful in breaking new American & Canadian Country artists. This continued until 1991 with many trips to Nashville and other parts of America building up useful contacts in the Industry.

My Current artists under management include, Matt Elwood and Brianie Reed.

My radio involvement started in 1976 in Reading at Radio 210. When they launched that year I suggested to them as I lived in the area, I could help them with their Country Music programme because of my knowledge of Country Music and experience. I co-presented a four hour weekly show and learned a lot about the radio business from DJ’s of the time who also started at 210 such as Steve Wright, Mike Read, Paul Hollindale and others. Other radio stations I have worked on include GWR, BBC Radio Oxford, BBC Wiltshire Sound, Premier Radio and launched the first CMR – Country Music Radio in 1993. From 1998, I became the Country Genre manager at Music Choice( Sky TV) and continued working with various stations in both the UK and USA. Last year I re-launched CMR Nashville online and it is currently Europe’s #1 24/7 Country Radio Station with a world-wide audience of over 200,000 at www.cmrnashville.net. I still programme the Country Channel on Music Choice and host the midday show on Sundays in Zante, Geece on Island 88.6 FM.

Me with George Hamilton IV

Please check me out in the PATRONS section, Lee.

Jonathan Shalit
Shalit Global Jonathan Shalit, 45, is regarded as one of the most exciting music managers in the UK - working in all areas of the entertainment industry as both a highly regarded Manager of talent in Music and Television, and running his own Music Production and Publishing company.

Jonathan has recorded some of the greatest artists in the world. The pivotal moment of Jonathan’s entertainment career was when he re-discovered the late legendary harmonica player Larry Adler, with who he produced a multi platinum Gershwin tribute album with Sir George ‘Beatles’ Martin recording artists such Cher, Elton John, Jon Bon Jovi, Peter Gabriel, Sinead O’Connor and Sting.

Charlotte Church is the artist Jonathan is best known for discovering in 1997, from where he guided her to being the biggest selling British singer in the world, selling over 7 million CDs - achieving 2 double platinum CDs in America. Jonathan’s association with Charlotte took her from local school concerts to starring at the Hollywood Bowl, TV shows across America, the world and into the Guinness Book of Records.

Jonathan’s careerthen flipped to Urban black music for which he has been the British music manager with most international success in recent years - first with Big Brovaz (4 MOBOs, Disney and Capital Radio Awards) and more lately ‘Superstar’ Jamelia. Currently Jonathan’s client ‘Javine’ is starring in the West End’s Boney M Tribute Musical ‘Daddy Cool’ and ‘Myleene Klass’ one of the UK’s biggest TV Stars and a new global face of CNN in recent weeks having interviewed Robert de Niro, Johnny Depp and George Clooney. Recently his stable has been joined by the Queen of Children’s TV Konnie Huq from Blue Peter Blue Peter presenter and UK Opera Star, Jonathan Ansell from G4.

In America Jonathan is currently recording Linda Kiraly with Rodney Jerkins for Universal Republic in New York who he signed to Doug Morris and Monte Lipman - after Andrew Lloyd Webber introduced Jonathan to Linda who was starring in the Hungarian production of Phantom of the Opera.

Following on from Gershwin, Jonathan has recorded The Royal National Theatre’s award winning musical production of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music with Dame Judi Dench and is now auditioning for Broadway 4 with Sony BMG.

Jonathan also works in television on both sides of the Atlantic having co-produced television specials for both LWT and the BBC, and developed programmes for PBS in America. In recent years Jonathan has also started developing a second career writing newspaper articles and appearing on the BBC, GMTV and ITV as a well respected media pundit.

Jonathan’s entrance into the entertainment industry followed a highly successful career in marketing - working at the world’s then most successful advertising agency, Saatchi and Saatchi, then running his own international marketing consultancy with clients such as Airbus, Benetton, British Aerospace, L’Oreal, Procter and Gamble and Volvo. His financial acumen having evolved from a brief stint in the City, as Broker at Lloyd’s of London.

Jonathan is a trustee of The Chicken Shed Theatre Company, Regain - The Trust for Sports Tetraplegics and a Trustee and Vice President of The Variety Club.