It is so good to hear that the legendary BB King looks like he is back on the mend after going into hospital, I was lucky enough to work with him and the experience of touching such greatness has certainly helped me and the guys who work at Quite Great to understand how to work with all levels of talent and the understanding of how to represent them correctly. Although it was back in my label days when I headed up the PR teams at Polydor, MCA etc covering the likes of Geffen through to Motown and many more imprints, it was not just the feeling of being in the presence of a legend like BB King, but the small details of those around him.

His manager has always left an impression on me for the small details of how he operated, not only perfectly understanding how to represent such talent but also the tiny details like every time he met someone new – certainly when I was with him meeting label executives – he would always reach into his pocket and pull out a BB King button badge and pin it on the person he met , it had the feeling of being initiated into a club and was a great bonding exercise and it is a tip to all managers to focus on drawing people into what you wish them to do and make them part of your team. This feeling of joining the club when working with a major act was multiplied by the caring factor of Cher, who really knew – and I am sure still does –  how to make a person feel like part of her team. I remember her coming into a company meeting when we hit Number 1 and thanking everyone there for their help then spending a long time signing mementos for all the staff, this simple act bonded us to her for an incredibly successful period in her career, so much so that I still have a wonderful signed poster which she made out to my son , who had not even been born at the time but was a few weeks away from being born hence a totally unique and memorable thing that will live with us for many years to come.

The point being, it doesn’t matter what stage you are in your career people who work for you need to feel part of the team and needed so by giving them a pat on the back or leaving them with something they cannot throw away too easily means you have them on your side and that as an act or a manager is really where you need your team through the tough times and the good times.