Tom Watkins (music manager)
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Tom Watkins is a pop impresario, writer, composer, designer and fine art collector.
Early career
Watkins studied at the London College Of Furniture and worked as a designer for Terence Conran.[1] Later he was partner in a design company with Royston Edwards, XL Design set out as a small graphic/interior design practice with Watkins assisted by Steve Lucas ,[2] and employed graphic designer Mark Farrow who designed the minimalist Pet Shop Boys album covers including Please, Actually and Introspective.[3]
Music Management
In the 1980s and early 1990s Watkins managed three successful pop bands: Pet Shop Boys, Bros and East 17.[4][5] He managed the Pet Shop Boys from 1984 until 1989, when he was replaced by Jill Carrington.[6] He was the manager of Bros from 1987 to 1991 and East 17 from 1992 to 1997. Watkins also worked with a large number of other artists including Billie Piper; Art of Noise; Faith, Hope & Charity; 2wo Third3; Martine McCutcheon; North and South; and Grace Jones.
Design
Watkins is a prolific fine art collector, specialising in works from Memphis Group, which was an influential Italian design and architecture movement of the 1980s.[1] In 2003 he designed and built The Big White House in Pett Level, East Sussex, which was featured on the Grand Designs television show.[7][8]
