Robert Stigwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Stigwood
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Photo by Allan Warren in 1972
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Robert Colin Stigwood
16 April 1934 Port Pirie, South Australia, Australia
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| Died | 4 January 2016 (aged 81) London, England
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| Occupation | Impresario, producer |
| Years active | 1954–2016 |
| Known for | Manager of: |
Robert Colin Stigwood (born April 16, 1934 – died January 4, 2016) was a very successful Australian-born British businessman. He was known for managing famous music groups like Cream and the Bee Gees. He also produced popular musicals such as Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. On top of that, he produced blockbuster movies like Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Robert Stigwood was a major figure in the entertainment world for many years.
Contents
Early Life and Start
Robert Stigwood was born in 1934 in Port Pirie, a town in South Australia. His father, Gordon Stigwood, was an electrical engineer. Robert went to Sacred Heart College in Adelaide for his education.
In 1955, he traveled to England. He worked several different jobs when he first arrived. He even worked for a short time at a theater in Portsmouth before it closed down.
Building a Career in Entertainment
Managing Pop Stars in the 1960s
Robert Stigwood soon met a businessman named Stephen Komlosy. Together, they started a small company called Robert Stigwood Associates Ltd. This company helped actors and performers. One of the first people they signed was actor John Leyton.
John Leyton became very popular in 1960 after appearing in a TV show. He wanted to sing, but big record companies weren't interested. So, Stigwood took him to a producer named Joe Meek. They worked together on songs like "Johnny Remember Me". Stigwood helped Leyton perform this song on a TV drama, which made it a number one hit in the UK in 1961. This made Stigwood and Meek some of the first independent record producers in the UK.
Stigwood also worked with other artists like Mike Sarne and Mike Berry. In the mid-1960s, he promoted tours for famous musicians like Chuck Berry.
In 1966, Stigwood began managing the rock band Cream. This band included Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker. Cream became very famous by 1967, especially after touring in the U.S. with The Who. Stigwood also made a better deal for his artists with Polydor Records.
Expanding into New Areas
In 1967, Robert Stigwood joined forces with Brian Epstein's company, NEMS. Epstein was the manager of The Beatles. Soon after joining, Stigwood started managing the Bee Gees. This was a teenage vocal group that had just returned to the UK from Australia.
Within months, the Bee Gees had a big international hit with "New York Mining Disaster 1941". Their song "Massachusetts" then reached number one in the UK. This started a long series of hits for the Bee Gees. When Brian Epstein sadly passed away in 1967, Stigwood left NEMS. He started his own company, the Robert Stigwood Organisation, and the Bee Gees came with him.
Also in 1967, Stigwood bought a large part of Associated London Scripts. This was a company that helped writers. Many famous British comedy writers had worked there. This company helped sell TV show ideas to American producers. For example, the British shows Till Death Us Do Part and Steptoe and Son became the American hits All in the Family and Sanford and Son.
Stigwood also started producing Broadway shows. He brought Hair to the West End stage in London in 1968. In 1971, he produced the first stage version of Jesus Christ Superstar. This began a successful partnership with famous composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. They later worked together on Evita.
The 1970s and Beyond
In the early 1970s, Stigwood also began producing films and TV shows. At this time, both the Bee Gees and Eric Clapton were not doing as well. The Bee Gees even broke up for a short time in 1970.
Eric Clapton, a guitarist from Cream, was still under contract with Stigwood's company. After some time, Clapton made a very successful comeback album called 461 Ocean Boulevard in 1974. This album included his number one hit song "I Shot The Sheriff".
Clapton suggested that the Bee Gees might also benefit from a change. So, they moved to the same house in Miami to record their album Main Course. Stigwood encouraged them to change their music style from ballads. They started making disco music, which brought them huge success. Their song "Jive Talking" became a number one hit in the U.S. in 1975. These songs were released on Stigwood's own record label, RSO Records, which he started in 1973.
Stigwood had great success in film production. His first major film was Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973. He then produced Tommy in 1975, which was one of the most popular films that year.
In 1976, Stigwood signed actor John Travolta to a big movie deal. Many people in the film industry were unsure about this, as Travolta was mainly known for TV. However, Stigwood's next film, Saturday Night Fever, made Travolta a huge movie star. The film's soundtrack, featuring the Bee Gees, became the best-selling soundtrack album ever. Stigwood followed this with the incredibly successful movie Grease in 1978. This film starred John Travolta and Australian singer Olivia Newton-John.
Not all of Stigwood's films were hits. Moment by Moment and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band were not popular with critics.
However, in 1978, RSO Records had amazing success. Eight of the 19 songs that reached number one on the Billboard charts that year were from RSO. On one chart date in March 1978, five songs written by the Bee Gees were in the top 10 at the same time! The Bee Gees had six number one singles in a row, continuing into 1979. RSO Records also had successful soundtracks for Fame and The Empire Strikes Back. Stigwood later sold his record label to Polygram.
Other notable films produced by Stigwood include Gallipoli (1981), Grease 2 (1982), Staying Alive (1983), and Evita (1996), which starred Madonna and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Film.
Later Years and Legacy
In his later years, Robert Stigwood continued to work, mainly in musical theater. He was involved in new stage versions of Grease and Saturday Night Fever. In 2005, he sold his home, the Barton Manor estate, on the Isle of Wight.
Robert Stigwood passed away in London on January 4, 2016, at the age of 81.
Major Productions
Robert Stigwood was involved in many famous productions.
Stage Musicals
- Hair
- Oh! Calcutta!
- Jesus Christ Superstar
- Evita (This musical won a Tony Award in the US in 1980!)
- Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
- Saturday Night Fever
Films
- Jesus Christ Superstar (co-producer)
- Tommy
- Bugsy Malone (executive producer)
- Saturday Night Fever
- Grease
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Times Square
- Fame (soundtrack producer)
- The Empire Strikes Back (soundtrack producer)
- Gallipoli
- Grease 2
- Staying Alive
- Evita
Other Projects
- Music for UNICEF Concert (He helped organize and produce this special concert.)
Images for kids
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Photo by Allan Warren in 1972
See also
In Spanish: Robert Stigwood para niños
