Kirk M. Sommer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1977 New York, New York |
| Alma mater | New York University |
| Occupation | Talent agent |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Employer | WME |
| Title | Partner and global co-head of music |
| Spouse | Chloe Sommer (m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Billboard Power 100 Variety 500 Pollstar Impact 50 |
Kirk M. Sommer is an American entertainment industry executive and talent agent. Based in New York and Los Angeles, he is partner and global co-head of music at WME.
Sommer was born in New York. A music fan since childhood, he briefly played several instruments, but other interests kept him from practicing regularly. He liked to work, and in grade school went door-to-door in his neighborhood to pick up jobs such as shoveling snow, washing cars, and raking leaves. [1] He was also an athlete, and played basketball and soccer. [2] He attended New York University. [3]
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Sommer began booking small concerts during his freshman year at NYU. The first show he booked was successful, and for the next four years, he created, booked, and promoted events ranging from open mic nights and small parties to large bridge and tunnel events at diverse venues throughout Manhattan. He also interned for an independent concert promotion company, Delsener/Slater. [1] During the internship, he realized that he was more interested in being an agent than in being a promoter; in an interview with Pollstar, he said he wanted to be more involved in artist development and "the decisions that help artists grow." [4] He decided to pursue a career as a talent agent, and in 2000 he was hired as an agent trainee at William Morris in Los Angeles. [1]
Sommer started in the mailroom, [3] and was promoted to partner when William Morris merged with Endeavor in 2009. [5] He was appointed global co-head of music in 2015. [6]
Sommer's first signing was The Killers, who he began working with in 2003, just as their debut, Hot Fuss, was released. The band toured heavily in support of the album, and while their audience grew significantly, they continued to play in small venues. The demand for tickets increased and the buzz intensified, and eight months after playing the 1200-capacity 9:30 Club in DC, they sold out the 16,000+ capacity Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland. [7] As of 2024, the Killers had performed in more than 50 countries on six continents. [8] [9]
In addition to booking concerts and tours, Sommer focused on scouting new artists in the US and the UK. In 2006, he signed Amy Winehouse. [10] In January 2007—prior the North American release of Back to Black—Winehouse played her first US dates, selling out two nights at Joe's Pub in New York. Music Week reported that the shows were "stellar, and that "everybody in New York was talking about Amy Winehouse after she left." [11] A month after Back to Black came out in the US, she played Coachella. A story in The Times was headlined: "Amy Winehouse Finds Fame at Coachella." [12]
Sommer signed Adele in 2007, prior to the release of 19 . [13] She played shows in Los Angeles and New York at very small clubs In March 2008, [14] and returned in May for a string of sold-out theater dates. [15] In 2015, rather than using a national promoter such as AEG or Live Nation, Sommer booked her tour market-to-market, in part to support the independent companies who promoted Adele dates earlier in her career. [16] In 2022, he booked her 100-date residency at The Coliseum at Caesars Palace. Billboard estimated that Adele was paid more than $2 million per show. [17] [18]
Among others, Sommer signed Sam Smith, Arctic Monkeys, and Hozier in 2013. [19] Arctic Monkeys broke in the US in 2014 and moved up to arenas such as Madison Square Garden and upper lineup slots at festivals including Summerfest and Lollapalooza. [20] Arctic Monkeys, Sam Smith, and Hozier each generated $30 million in touring revenue in 2023. [21]
In addition to the Killers, Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Smith, and Hozier, Sommer represents artists including Steve Aoki, Benson Boone, Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish, Morrissey, Teddy Swims and Weezer. [22] [23] [24] WME booked an estimated 40,000 shows globally in 2023. [25]
In 2005, Sommer was named to Billboard's "30 Under 30"; ten years later, he was included in the magazine's "40 Under 40." [6] He appeared on the Billboard Power 100 for 10 consecutive years, beginning in 2014. [26] [27] [28] [29] Sommer has also appeared on the Billboard Touring Power Players list. [30]
In 2021, 2022, and 2023, Sommer was included in the Variety 500, Variety's annual list of the most influential people in the global entertainment industry. [31] He was named to Pollstar's "Impact 50" in 2022 [32] and 2023, [33] and was nominated for the Pollstar Agent of the Year/Bobby Brooks Award every year that the award was presented from 2010 through 2024. [34] [21] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] He was inducted into the NYU Hall of Fame in 2024. [41] [42]
Sommer and his wife, Chloe—a jewelry designer and former journalist—were married in 2006. They have two daughters. [43]
Coachella is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. It was co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, and is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Presents. The event features musical artists from many genres of music, including rock, pop, indie, hip hop and electronic dance music, as well as art installations and sculptures. Across the grounds, several stages continuously host live music.
Amy Jade Winehouse was a British singer and songwriter. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she is known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, reggae, and jazz.
Coran Capshaw is an American music industry executive, entrepreneur and founder of Red Light Management, a company that represents recording artists.
Frank is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse. It was released on 20 October 2003 by Island Records. Production for the album took place during 2002 to 2003 and was handled by Winehouse, Salaam Remi, Commissioner Gordon, Jimmy Hogarth and Matt Rowe. Its title alludes to the nature and tone of Winehouse's lyrics on the album, as well as one of her influences, Frank Sinatra.
NX Newcastle, formerly known as the Carling Academy and the O2 Academy Newcastle, is a music venue in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It opened in the former Majestic Ballroom building on 14 October 2005 as the Carling Academy, and was renamed the O2 Academy for sponsorship reasons in 2008. The venue was managed by Academy Music Group until early 2022, when Electric Group took over the operation of the site. Following a complete refurbishment, it reopened as NX Newcastle in September 2022.
Back to Black is the second and final studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with then-ex-boyfriend and future husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who temporarily left her to pursue his previous ex-girlfriend. Their short-lived separation spurred her to create an album that explores themes of guilt, grief, infidelity, heartbreak and trauma in a relationship.
"Rehab" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, from her second and final studio album Back to Black (2006). Produced by Mark Ronson, the lyrics are autobiographical and address Winehouse's refusal to enter a rehabilitation clinic for alcohol. "Rehab" was released as the lead single from Back to Black in 2006, and it peaked at number 7 in the United Kingdom on its Singles Chart and number 9 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Winehouse's only top 10 hit in the US.
"You Know I'm No Good" is a song written and performed by English singer Amy Winehouse from her second and final studio album, Back to Black (2006). "You Know I'm No Good" was released as the second single from Back to Black on 8 January 2007. Originally recorded as a solo track, it was remixed with guest vocals from the Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah. The original appeared on Winehouse's album, while the version with Ghostface Killah appears on his album More Fish. On the recap of The Best Songs of 2007 by Entertainment Weekly magazine, this song ranked at number two.
British singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse released two studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, five extended plays, 15 singles, three video albums and 14 music videos. Winehouse has sold over 30 million records worldwide, including 1.75 million singles and over 3.98 million albums in the United Kingdom. She has also sold approximately 3.4 million songs and 2.7 million albums in the United States.
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, known mononymously as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She is known for her mezzo-soprano vocals and sentimental songwriting. Her accolades include 16 Grammy Awards, 12 Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award.
The Billboard Live Music Awards is an annual meeting sponsored by Billboard magazine that honors the top international live entertainment industry artists and professionals. Established in 2004, it has thus been described as "part industry conference, part awards show".
Popular music of the United Kingdom in the 21st century continued to expand and develop new subgenres and fusions. While talent show contestants were one of the major forces in pop music, British soul maintained and even extended its high-profile with figures like Joss Stone, Estelle, Duffy and Adele, while a new group of singer-songwriters led by Amy Winehouse and Westlife achieved international success. New forms of dance music emerged, including grime and dubstep. There was also a revival of garage rock and post-punk, which when mixed with electronic music produced new rave.
Alexander George Clare is a British singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Lateness of the Hour, was released in the UK on 11 July 2011 on Island Records and was produced by Mike Spencer and Major Lazer.
Marc Geiger is an American music executive and entrepreneur. The CEO and co-founder of SAVELIVE, a platform created in 2020 to help live music venues recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Geiger co-founded Lollapalooza and ARTISTdirect. He was the global head of the William Morris Endeavor Music Division from 2003 until 2020.
Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, known professionally as Hozier, is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. His music primarily draws from folk, soul and blues, often using religious and literary themes and taking political or social justice stances.
Amy is a 2015 British documentary film directed by Asif Kapadia and produced by James Gay-Rees. The film covers British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse's life and her struggle with substance abuse, both before and after her career blossomed, and which eventually caused her death. In February 2015, a teaser trailer based on the life of Winehouse debuted at a pre-Grammys event. David Joseph, CEO of Universal Music UK, announced that the documentary titled Amy would be released later that year. He further stated: "About two years ago we decided to make a movie about her—her career and her life. It's a very complicated and tender movie. It tackles lots of things about family and media, fame, addiction, but most importantly, it captures the very heart of what she was about, which is an amazing person and a true musical genius."
For music from a year in the 2020s, go to 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24
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