Most Recent Role: Judge on The X Factor
Gender: Male
Birthplace: Brighton, England, UK
Birthday: 10-7-1959
Birth Name: Simon Phillip Cowell
Gender: Male
Birthplace: Brighton, England, UK
Birthday: 10-7-1959
Birth Name: Simon Phillip Cowell
More Pictures Simon began his career in the music industry back in 1979, when he joined EMI Music Publishing. Having learnt what it took to make a hit record, he was quick to set up his own label, ‘Fanfare’ with partner Iain Burton. Proving that he had an ear for a hit, BMG offered Simon the position of A&R Consultant in 1989. His time at BMG saw him pioneer some of the biggest selling hits in the... Full Biography »
Simon began his career in the music industry back in 1979, when he joined EMI Music Publishing. Having learnt what it took to make a hit record, he was quick to set up his own label, ‘Fanfare’ with partner Iain Burton.
Proving that he had an ear for a hit, BMG offered Simon the position of A&R Consultant in 1989. His time at BMG saw him pioneer some of the biggest selling hits in the industry, including bands 'Five' and 'Westlife'. He can also be credited with the emergence of TV hits from the likes of cartoon puppets 'Zig & Zag', 'The Teletubbies' and 'Robson & Jerome'.
Not only has Simon made records, he also breaks them: over a ten year period, via his company ‘S Records’, he has achieved sales of over 25 million albums, over 70 top 30 records, and 17 Number 1 singles. His band 'Westlife' has achieved an impressive 10 Number 1 hits alone.
Following the success of the 'Popstars' TV series, Simon joined forces with Simon Fuller to produce a ‘talent’ show where the public decides who wins. This show became the TV phenomenon, ‘Pop Idol’.
‘Pop Idol’ became compulsive viewing, attracting over 11 million viewers. The first ever winner, Will Young, picked up 4.6 million votes in a live final. Despite Simon favouring the runner-up, Gareth Gates, Will Young’s debut release 'Evergreen'/'Anything Is Possible', broke the record for the biggest selling debut single ever - reaching 1.8 million sales. Thanks to Simon cropping up in the ‘production’ credits of most of his artists' records, he has cleverly managed to secure himself a share of the royalties.
Despite his successes, Simon has also turned down many bands that went on to find success elsewhere – most notably ‘The Spice Girls’ and ‘Take That’, simply because he thought Gary Barlow was too fat to be a star!
Simon has now become a celebrity in his own right, serving as a judge on both the UK and US version of the ‘Pop Idol’ show. He spends his time between the UK and America, and has set up his own production company, Syco TV, which co-produced the latest breed of talent show – ‘The X Factor'.
Life appears to very sweet indeed for Simon Cowell. The Sunday Times Rich List recently estimated that he earned £33.5m in one year alone, thanks to the global success of the 'Pop Idol' brand.
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Simon began his career in the music industry back in 1979, when he joined EMI Music Publishing. Having learnt what it took to make a hit record, he was quick to set up his own label, ‘Fanfare’ with partner Iain Burton.
Proving that he had an ear for a hit, BMG offered Simon the position of A&R Consultant in 1989. His time at BMG saw him pioneer some of the biggest selling hits in the industry, including bands 'Five' and 'Westlife'. He can also be credited with the emergence of TV hits from the likes of cartoon puppets 'Zig & Zag', 'The Teletubbies' and 'Robson & Jerome'.
Not only has Simon made records, he also breaks them: over a ten year period, via his company ‘S Records’, he has achieved sales of over 25 million albums, over 70 top 30 records, and 17 Number 1 singles. His band 'Westlife' has achieved an impressive 10 Number 1 hits alone.
Following the success of the 'Popstars' TV series, Simon joined forces with Simon Fuller to produce a ‘talent’ show where the public decides who wins. This show became the TV phenomenon, ‘Pop Idol’.
‘Pop Idol’ became compulsive viewing, attracting over 11 million viewers. The first ever winner, Will Young, picked up 4.6 million votes in a live final. Despite Simon favouring the runner-up, Gareth Gates, Will Young’s debut release 'Evergreen'/'Anything Is Possible', broke the record for the biggest selling debut single ever - reaching 1.8 million sales. Thanks to Simon cropping up in the ‘production’ credits of most of his artists' records, he has cleverly managed to secure himself a share of the royalties.
Despite his successes, Simon has also turned down many bands that went on to find success elsewhere – most notably ‘The Spice Girls’ and ‘Take That’, simply because he thought Gary Barlow was too fat to be a star!
Simon has now become a celebrity in his own right, serving as a judge on both the UK and US version of the ‘Pop Idol’ show. He spends his time between the UK and America, and has set up his own production company, Syco TV, which co-produced the latest breed of talent show – ‘The X Factor'.
Life appears to very sweet indeed for Simon Cowell. The Sunday Times Rich List recently estimated that he earned £33.5m in one year alone, thanks to the global success of the 'Pop Idol' brand.
Simon dropped out of high school at age 16. (edit) Says that the first time he gave a criticism was at age four when he looked at his mother's white fuzzy pillbox hat and remarked, "Mum, you look like a poodle" (edit) During auditions for The X Factor, he made a bet with auditionee Paul Holt that he would pay him £50,000 if he got a #1 single. Holt was quickly signed by a record label - and backed by X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne - to release "50 Grand for Christmas" in December 2004, which only charted at #35 in the UK. (edit) Simon is a vegetarian. (edit) Paula, Randy, and Ryan all have their own stars on the "Walk of Fame", and Simon is the only American Idol judge/host to not have a star. (edit) His western astrological sign is Libra. (edit) His chinese astrological sign is Pig. (edit) Is 25 percent Scottish on his mothers side. He first said this on the X Factor, and the following week claimed he was 50 percent. His mother then confirmed in the Sunday newspapers that he was only 25 percent Scottish. (edit) Simon was once the fastest Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, on BBC's motoring show Top Gear, driving a Suzuki Liana around the show's test track in a time of 1:47.1. When Top Gear retired the Liana along with the Liana's driver rankings after the eighth series, Simon was the eighth fastest overall and the third fastest non-professional driver. (edit) Simon's company, E&S Music, imploded and Simon was forced to return to EMI. Along with fellow EMI clerk Iain Burton, Simon left EMI a short time later. They formed an independent record label called Fanfare Records. (edit) Simon worked his way up to record producer at EMI Music Publishing, but left during the early 1980s to form E&S Music, an independent music company. (edit) Simon started out in 1979 as a mail room clerk for EMI Music Publishing, where his father was an executive. (edit) Simon had to transfer schools several times as a result of misbehaviour and bad conduct. Simon had been to a total of 16 schools before leaving at the age of sixteen. (edit) Simon was raised by nannies throughout his early childhood before he was sent to boarding school. (edit) Simon's parents are Eric (real estate agent and music industry executive) and Julie Cowell (socialite). Simon has three half-brothers (John, Michael and Tony) and a half-sister (June), as well as sister Lindsay Elizabeth and younger brother Nicholas who is now a millionaire property magnate. (edit) Simon was brought up in Elstree, Hertfordshire. (edit) Simon is an artist and repertoire ("A&R") executive for BMG in the UK. (edit) Simon was on Scary Movie 3 where he played a judge of a rap contest. (edit) In the DVD release of Shrek 2, Simon was featured as an animated character judging the movie characters in a show similar to American Idol. (edit) Simon pays more than £21.7m per year in income tax, suggesting that his taxable income is over £54.25m per year with income tax at the time approx 40%. (edit) In 2006, Simon, as well as American Idol, were satirised in the film American Dreamz in which Hugh Grant played an essentially useless host and obnoxious judge of an American Idol-type show. In the same year, they were parodied in the Nickelodeon television episode "Fairy Idol" from The Fairly Odd Parents produced by Butch Hartman. (edit) Simon maintains a lavish lifestyle with several houses in San Francisco, California and one in London, England, a Ferrari and a Rolls Royce Phantom. (edit) After Simon was "Punk'd" by Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson on the season Five premiere, he became the seventh resident of a country outside of North America to get "Punk'd". (edit) Simon occasionally comments on already-established pop icons, for example, opining in Esquire magazine that Beyoncé Knowles was overrated, or on the more positive side, saying that Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" was one of the best pop records ever made. (edit) He is 5'9" (1.75 m). (edit) In 2006, Simon was ranked #29 on Forbes "Top 100 Celebrities." He was ranked #21 in 2007. (edit) He is well known for his high waisted trousers. (edit) Alicia Douvall, a notorious kiss and tell "glamour" model, has stated that Simon was the best of her many lovers (edit) Has 2 nieces and a nephew: Tanyette Chantel (b. October 18, 1981) Melissa Lee (b. July 10, 1984) and Joshua Aaron (b. April 15, 1986) from his sister. (edit) HIs sister's husband is a cousin of singer Robbie Williams. (edit) Has a girlfriend named Terri Seymour. [2004] (edit) Salary for American Idol in 2002-2003 season: $2,000,000 (edit)
Simon: (on Britney Spears' apparent break-down) From where I sit, you could see it coming a long time ago. I said six months ago that she should go home. I'd have said, 'Stay with your mother, don't go out with your stupid friends, just live normally.' You'd be amazed - you live normally and suddenly everything becomes normal. (edit) Simon: For me, Il Divo was the best thing I had ever heard. (edit) Simon: (claiming he deserves to be paid more than Bruce Springsteen) I sell more records than Bruce Springsteen... If he got 100, I should have got 500. In the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records.By doing Idol I signed the biggest artist on the planet and it's called Idol because every single Idol winner is now signed through Sony BMG. (edit) Simon: If I tape an 11 hour day, guess which parts end up on air. Not the bits when I'm pleasant but the parts when I'm obnoxious. (edit) Simon: Normally, they want me to be rude to them. People come up to me and sing, and I say 'That was great. Thank you.' And they're like 'Well, aren't you going to be rude to me?' No! When I miss auditions, contestants get upset that I'm not there, because they expect me to be cruel to them--it's some sort of badge of honor. That's how crazy everything is. (edit) Simon (on Michael Jackson): The guy is off his rocker. (edit) Simon: If you would have asked me what I thought of America before I came over here I would have used the word 'corny'. And then you come over here and you find that it's not corny at all. British people are very cynical, they cannot bear someone else's success. Americans embrace other people's success. Everything in America is larger than life. (edit) Simon: I don't want babies the same way I wouldn't want a puppy. It's too much responsibility. (edit) Simon: I don't take myself seriously and I don't consider myself a star. (edit) Simon (when asked if he felt guilty about what he says to the "American Idol" contestants): No, what I am doing is kind by telling people who are useless 'Do something that you're good at'. So I would only feel guilt if I misled somebody who was terrible. (edit) Simon (on being Knighted): I'd accept an honour but I don't think I'm likely to get one. The Queen once described me as a dreadful man. (edit) Simon Cowell: We've done three seasons of American Idol and by now it is safe to assume that most people know that you have to be able to sing. But people turn up who can't sing a note and yet they believe they are the Second Coming. (edit) Simon: Let me tell you who's gonna be in the finals... the guy with the gray hair (on Taylor Hicks) (edit) Simon: Being romantic is being insincere, or you're guilty. (edit) Simon (about N'Sync): It would be true to say that two of them are really ugly. (edit) Simon: They all hate each other deep down, but they're not gonna say it on camera. Ask Kelly how many congratulation e-mails she got from the other contestants. Probably zero. But that's the music business. In a positive way, I like that. I like the fact that people enter the show because they might win. (edit) Simon: That process works very well, in that you've got a very clear A to Z path. But you've also got a sense of responsibility from the judges, who actually try to help the contestants. (edit) Simon: Not everybody is perfect, and I don't think we should be looking for perfect people. (edit) Simon: It is a personal thrill for me to play a role in giving the best young singers in America a shot at realizing their dreams. I'm also happy to be working with my good friend Simon Fuller for the foreseeable future and I look forward to continuing to be a part of the Fox network and the phenomenal success that is American Idol. (edit) Simon: I think you have to judge everything based on your personal taste. And if that means being critical, so be it. I hate political correctness. I absolutely loathe it. (edit) Simon: I think we've got better talent than last year. There are two or three contestants, even without the competition, we would take seriously as a record label. If I don't find an international artist this year, then I will have failed. That is the one thing that interests me. (edit) Simon: I like the fact that they're cocky now from the age of four. (edit) Simon: I haven’t done anything particularly harsh. Harshness to me is giving somebody false hopes and not following through. That’s harsh. Telling some guy or some girl who’ve got zero talent that they have zero talent actually is a kindness. (edit) Simon: I am happy that we have been able to sort out our differences and find an amicable solution to our problems. (edit) Simon: Big Brother is not reality anymore. You don't get 10 normal people to do it. You get 10 cr*p actors in the house. (edit) Simon: If you've got a big mouth and you're controversial, you're going to get attention. (edit) Simon: I can't bear political correctness. I don't like a rule driven life and I hate the fact that you can't criticise a fat person. (edit) Simon: The end of the animal trade would leave more time to trap or beat to death pop star wannabes. (edit) Simon: We (the English) have hated the French for years. Now you have just joined the club. It makes you much more likable. (edit) Simon: We told the judges that we would rather you were human about the approach rather than completely scientific, otherwise it turns into a gadget show. The show has a lot of similarities to Idol in that you can relate to the person coming into the room and form an opinion early on. (edit) Simon: Women say hello and then put their hands down my trousers. I thought it was my hand they were supposed to shake. (edit) Simon (on American Idol): Sit in these auditions for three weeks and hear I Believe I Can Fly out of tune for the millionth time, YOU try and be nice (edit) Simon: I met someone the other night who's 28 years old, and he hasn't worked a day since he left college because he's pursuing a dream he'll never, ever realize: He thinks he's a great singer. Actually, he's cr*p. But nobody has said to him, 'Why have you been wasting your time for eight years?' (edit) Simon: The object of this competition is not to be mean to the losers but to find a winner. The process makes you mean because you get frustrated. Kids turn up unrehearsed, wearing the wrong clothes, singing out of tune and you can either say, 'Good job,' and patronize them or tell them the truth, and sometimes the truth is perceived as mean. (edit) Simon: If I said to most of the people who auditioned, 'Good job, awesome, well done,' it would have made me actually look and feel ridiculous. It's quite obvious most of the people who turned up for this audition were hopeless. (edit)
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