Simon Cowell - The judge people love to hate
By now everyone knows who Simon Cowell is. If you don’t, you must have been living under a rock for the last few years! We all know Simon Cowell from American Idol, the mega-sensation tv show that has launched the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Reuben Studdard, Clay Aiken, and Carrie Underwood, among others. Harsh, rude, egotistical, judgmental—these are all words that can be used to describe him; however he must be given some credit for telling the truth.
Simon Cowell hails from London where he was born in 1959. He worked for EMI Music Publishing and soon became a record producer. He later worked as a consultant for BMG during which time he signed a number of musical acts that gained success, especially in England, such as Curiosity Killed the Cat, Sonia, and Westlife. He soon started his own record label, S Records.
Simon Cowell became a judge on the first season of the UK version of American Idol, Pop Idol. When American Idol debuted in the United States in 2002, he was joined by judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. He can probably take a lot of credit for the show being the success that it has become, because a lot of people tune in just to hear what he has to say about each contestant’s performance. It is also entertaining to watch the banter between him and Paula. The phrase “I don’t mean to be rude, but . . .” has become his signature phrase.
With the success of Pop Idol, Simon Cowell signed the first season’s top two finishers, both whom went on to have number one hits in the UK. In 2003, his share in S Records to BMG, becoming a multi-millionaire in the process.
In 2004, Simon Cowell discovered the opera-pop group Il Divo, composed of four young opera singers of different nationalities, and very handsome to boot. He also became a judge on the new British television talent show The X Factor co-starring Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. Soon afterward, he signed a five year contract to continue to appear on American Idol.
In March of this year, Simon Cowell launched the new show American Inventor. Fledgling entrepreneurs from across America compete to see who can come up with the best new invention or product. The winner will receive One million dollars and the opportunity to develop the idea into a business. The finale show announcing the winner is set to air May 18, 2006.
Love him or hate him, Simon Cowell has become a household name and will continue to be for several years to come. For more information and latest news about Simon Cowell, American Idol, or American Inventor, do some searching online.