Patrick Meehan (producer)
Patrick Meehan is a record producer who worked with Black Sabbath. He was also their manager until 1975.
In 1970 Patrick Joseph Meehan (Pat Snr), Patrick Anthony Meehan (Jnr), Wilf Pine, Malcolm Koss, first Ian Nagl then Quintin Rozario made up the office of Worldwide Artiste Management, managers of Black Sabbath, Gentle Giant (remnants of 60's pop band Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, the Shulman Brothers), Freedom (former Procol Harum drummer Bobby Harrison), Black Widow, Dutch band Cobra, Catapilla (Jo Anne Meek?), Redbone and Mama Lion (both American Bands) at No.4 Leicester Street (Next to the Swiss centre) above a coffee shop.
In 1973 Meehan launched the World Wide Artists (WWA) record label, which issued records by such bands as Black Sabbath, Gentle Giant, Snafu and The Groundhogs, distributed by Phonogram After 36 releases, the company closed in 1975.[1]
Meehan was 23 years old at the time, and had the support of his father Meehan Sr, a former stuntman in the successful British TV series Danger Man. Meehan Snr was also briefly Gene Vincent's roadie and broke into the business with one Don Arden handling the Small Faces, the Animals and other bands in the 1960s.
In late 1970 and on the advice of Roger Meyers, when the company was making significant profits from the Black Sabbath phenomenon, it listed on the London Stock Exchange. English blues rock trio The Groundhogs was later acquired by Worldwide Artiste Management after a brief courtship with Wilf Pine.
The company then around 1971 merged with the interests of Hemdale Ltd (named after their founders actor David Hemmings and John Daley) and moved into Mayfair adding to its growing stable of artistes, child actors Mark Lester and Jack Wild of Oliver! fame and another English music phenomenon of its time the band Yes.[2]
Meehan immersed himself in the broader music and entertainment industry whilst the fortunes of Black Sabbath began to fade. They parted company on acrimonious terms not long after.[3]
In the late 1990s Meehan acquired HandMade Films [4] and became its Executive Chairman.[5]
References
External links
- report on theft from his home
- Times article
