Helping a talented young singer!

[Drops of Jupiter]

I recently agreed to be my friend's manager and I need some advice from my fellow Jubbers.

Diego Alvarez, 22, is a very gifted singer who made it to the Top 32 in the Canadian Idol singing competition last year.
He was the top male singer from the Province of Quebec at the competition. When he was just 16, he won a national competition in his native Columbia.

I have agreed to help him in any way I can, until he gets to the next step when he would require a professional management team.

He can sing like a bird in English, French and Spanish. He has a super personality, is very attractive, and lights up any room he walks into. And yes... he's gay.

Any suggestions or advice you have would be most appreciated.

 

[Andreus]

do a private porn video that is "stolen" and then released on the internet.

then make a recording and compare himself to madonna, collin, pamela and paris

other than that?

hard work and shameless self promotion

 

[Nonimus]

I'll pass on this one yeah? Last thing you want is Nonimus being a cunt at 1:35am

 

[Andreus]

I'll pass on this one yeah? Last thing you want is Nonimus being a cunt at 1:35am

ehh

its only 830 in boston

go ahead

nudge

nudge

 

[bj____]

Maybe setup a My Space/Facebook/etc. webpage to start off with. Release a few songs of his over any torrent or P2P website (Legit ones prefereably) and let the fans judge for themselves. More people are willing to give an artist a chance if they can hear them for free. A person doesn't have to hear a whole CD to know they like an artist and will support them. Also maybe see how much an Itunes feature would be. Also if he's a gay artist maybe start by targeting a gay audience before the general audience. If he gets a strong backing from fans of one group he's bound to spill over through friends and family who enjoy similar tastes. Also look for any local media outlets to feature a quick bio of him and his music in. These are the quickest ways I can think of to get an artist out to the masses without much radioplay or touring. I hope he does well!

 

[Andreus]

having a ghood site is only half the battle..btw

you have to get linked to all of the search engines

that doesnt happen automatically as some people assume

 

[Nonimus]

ehh

its only 830 in boston

go ahead

nudge

nudge

Ok, ok - cunt coming up - He looks like a dirty Eastern European porn star - nothing wrong with that - I'd pay $30 a month to watch him get his cock sucked on MP3!

How's that?

 

[Andreus]

haha

well you make a good point

in the age of the internet, sex sells faster than anything else

 

[Drops of Jupiter]

Maybe setup a My Space/Facebook/etc. webpage to start off with. Release a few songs of his over any torrent or P2P website (Legit ones prefereably) and let the fans judge for themselves. More people are willing to give an artist a chance if they can hear them for free. A person doesn't have to hear a whole CD to know they like an artist and will support them. Also maybe see how much an Itunes feature would be. Also if he's a gay artist maybe start by targeting a gay audience before the general audience. If he gets a strong backing from fans of one group he's bound to spill over through friends and family who enjoy similar tastes. Also look for any local media outlets to feature a quick bio of him and his music in. These are the quickest ways I can think of to get an artist out to the masses without much radioplay or touring. I hope he does well!

Thanks a lot, bj... some great advice there!

 

[Elwood]

He is a very talented young man I wish him all the best in his carreer.

 

[MadeUpName27]

My advice to Diego:

If you write your own songs:
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER sign away the Publishing Rights!!!
Once lost, they will NEVER be regained.
Just ask Paul McCartney...

If you decide to go with a "Professional Management Team":
Hire a lawyer and READ THE CONTRACT FIRST!!!
Unless you enjoy getting screwed out of all your earnings.
Just ask N*SYNC...

Also:
You should set up a website to promote your career.
You should also consider starting your own private record label.
You could sell your first album online and at concerts.

GOOD LUCK, DIEGO!!!
:thewave: :thewave:

 

[Andreus]

Just out of curiosity...

and please dont read any insult into this, because none is intended

why would you ask the members of JUB about how to promote a recording artist?

Its neat that you know him, and I'm happy that he has you to help, because you seem liek a sweetheart, but...

what would we all know about the recording industry?

Just trying to figure out what you are asking about...

are you asking us what we as consumers would liek to see ?

or....

 

[Drops of Jupiter]

Just out of curiosity...

and please dont read any insult into this, because none is intended

why would you ask the members of JUB about how to promote a recording artist?

Its neat that you know him, and I'm happy that he has you to help, because you seem liek a sweetheart, but...

what would we all know about the recording industry?

Just trying to figure out what you are asking about...

are you asking us what we as consumers would liek to see ?

or....

Those are fair questions Andreus... but as you know JUB is made up of hundreds of thousands of members from all over the world.
There have already been good suggestions already from the likes of Madeupname27 and bj... and I'm hoping that more JUB members might have some good ideas.
I'm just getting into this and will take all the advice I can get from a variety of sources...

 

[Andreus]

Ahh

well I worked for the Associated press for a few years before recently changing my profession.

You ought to get a press release together and get it out to the entertaiment and music editors of all the major papers in all the major cities. There are industry standards for that kind of thing, and you need to collaborate with a PR person to get a handle on the current trends and where your guy fits in. The editors will want a few questions answered, but nowadays that is usually done in E-mails and presented as if it were a real face to face interview.... what the reader infers is not the responsibility of the editor.

Keep a strong leash on what info gets out

I.E... no more threads about him with names until you are sure you don't mind some reporter doing a search and associating him with a site that carries alot of porn and porn links.

JUb is really well linked into search engines

back out and do a Google search and see what happens

heres what happens when you google the word Andreus...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Andreus

four of the top ten were linked to my posts here or my blog outside of JUB. I tried to say a little of this jokingly, but i apparently was a bit too obtuse

My jokes are rarely random

oh ...

Goodluck!!!

 

[Drops of Jupiter]

Thanks Andreus. Some very good advice there.

 

[Drops of Jupiter]

Diego and I thank you guys for all the advice so far.
We have already been in touch with a songwriter and musician in Los Angeles that wants him to record some R & B tunes. It is a good start.

 

[Soilwork]

OK, I'm going to be viciously honest here.

Tell him to give it up.

He's not even remotely attrative.. in fact.. he's kinda ugly. That smile makes me think of the short one in Killer Clowns from Outer Space. Pop stars have to be hot. Just ask Christopher Cross what happens when people find out what you REALLY look like. And if he can't even get a haircut that makes him look like something other than Marie Osmond after a bad Acid trip...

If he's got a good voice, he should get into doing session work, singing jingles or doing voice overs and recording work but give up the dream of being famous. Being a pop star pays nothing, especailly in Canada, but if he can get jobs singing commercials, he'll be able to live well.

Sorry. Nobody else has the guts to say it, and maybe someone should.

 

[quasar]

...Pop stars have to be hot. Just ask Christopher Cross what happens when people find out what you REALLY look like...

And I'd love to be a dollar or two behind Christopher Cross, Barry Manilow, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler, Liza Minelli, Meatloaf, half the Country and Western 'stars' in the USA and most of the heavy metal and AOR groups! These people are wonderful examples of being butt ugly or strange looking, yet successful.

Looks alone can sell a product, but as people gradually get to know more about the person behind the look and discover that there isn't much talent and personality there, well, they lose interest (as I'm sure you're aware with the interest and feedback that your company gets about your models).

But anyway, 'Drops of Jupiter', if the guys voice is strong, then with the right people behind him he can go places - he actually reminds me of Josh Groban in looks.

Having worked in Management, PR & Marketing for the last 20 years, I'll be happy to give you some pointers, and I'll be in touch over the next couple of days, however, for the time being please don't use the word gay and his name in the same phrase until you know how you're playing things. As has already been pointed out, there are numerous 'spiders' out there that are pulling material for search engines!

 

[Soilwork]

And I'd love to be a dollar or two behind Christopher Cross, Barry Manilow, Barbara Streisand, Bette Midler, Liza Minelli, Meatloaf, half the Country and Western 'stars' in the USA and most of the heavy metal and AOR groups!

OK... but every example is a star from the pre-video days.

Christopher Cross was a HUGE star until he showed up at the Grammys to accept his 9 awards and people were shocked to see that he resembled Porky Pig. His career was soon over.

The rest of those artists you've mentioned were all icons by the time videos became the main way to market music, and I think if you take a look at the list again, you'll see that none of them had many big hits after about 1981. I can't think of more than one or two for any of them.

If you can come up with a modern day example of an ugly pop star (and Kelly Osbourne doesn't count) I may change my stance. But the sad fact that is that if you're not beautiful, your chances of becoming a pop star are pretty bleak. Metal? Sure. Hardcore? Sure. Thrash? Sure.

Pop?

Hell no.

 

[quasar]

What makes you say he's looking at being a 'pop' singer?

Either way, if he has the voice, he can be marketed - it may mean greater success in Europe rather than the States, but there's always a market for a great voice.

I don't even know why I'm justifying my opinion with you. You have your expertise in your area, and I have mine.