Robert Stigwood

Vocation

Notable

Australian music entrepreneur and impresario, a producer who was instrumental in establishing the careers of recording artists such as Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart and David Bowie. Stigwood became the first independent record producer in the United Kingdom when he released the John Leyton hit, "Johnny Remember Me." After completing his education at Sacred Heart College, he began his career as a copywriter. At the age of 21, however, he left Australia and headed for England. He opened a theatrical agency in London and began casting commercials, but during the mid-1960s, he teamed up with Brian Epstein, manager of the "Beatles," to co-manage NEMS Enterprises. After Epstein’s death, Stigwood formed his own company and moved into the world of theater production in 1968. His first musical, "Hair," was well-received, and he followed this success with others including "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Evita." Eventually he turned to film production. He produced the films "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease," the movies that made John Travolta a superstar. Stigwood’s career continued to thrive through the 1990s, and in 1997, he won the Golden Globe for Best Film for "Evita." Stigwood died on 4 January 2016, aged 81. Link to Wikipedia biography