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Ian Copeland

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Ian Adie Copeland(April 25, 1949 – May 23, 2006) was a British-Americanmusic promoterand booking agent who helped launch thenew wavemovement in the United States.

Ian Copeland
Born
Ian Adie Copeland

April 25, 1949
Rif Dimashq Governorate,Syria
DiedMay 23, 2006(2006-05-23)(aged 57)
NationalityBritish-American
Other namesLeroy Coolbreeze
Occupation(s)Music promoter, booking agent
SpouseConstance Walden
Children2
Parents
FamilyMiles Copeland III(brother)
Stewart Copeland(brother)

Early life[edit]

Copeland was born inRif DimashqnearDamascus,Syria,the second of four children born to American CIA officerMiles Copeland Jr.and his British wifeLorraine Copeland(née Adie), an archaeologist. His older brotherMiles Copeland IIIfoundedI.R.S. Recordsand his younger brotherStewart Copelandis the drummer inThe Police.His younger sister Lorraine (nicknamed "Lennie" ) is a writer and producer.

After a wayward youth growing up in the Middle East, where he was part of a gang involved in petty crime,[1]Copeland enlisted in theU.S. Armyin 1967 at the height of theVietnam War.He was assigned to the1st Infantry Divisionand was promoted to the rank ofsergeantat age 19. He served with distinction and was awarded theBronze Star Medalamongst other decorations.[2]It was during his tour of duty in Vietnam that he earned the nickname "Leroy Coolbreeze". Although Copeland later had misgivings about the Vietnam War, he was proud to have fought for his country.[3]

Music industry[edit]

Copeland began his career in the music industry with the help of his brother Miles, first as a tour manager forWishbone Ash,and then as a booking agent in London at John Sherry Enterprises, where he discovered theAverage White Bandand other artists. In 1977, he moved toMacon, Georgia,to work for theParagon Booking Agencybooking tours for rock groups.[4]Ian and Miles developed a strategy of using small venues and clubs to break the British bandSqueezein the North American market, a formula they would repeat with other bands. Around this time he also helped his brother Stewart write the lyrics of the song "Nothing Achieving", which became the B-side of The Police's first single "Fall Out".Although officially uncredited, Copeland also contributed lyrics to Stewart Copeland's single" Too Kool to Kalypso "and The Police's" Dead End Job ".[5]

In 1979, Copeland founded Frontier Booking International (FBI) in New York, a talent agency that represented many of the premier new wave acts of the 1980s, includingthe B-52's,The Cure,The Police,Simple Minds,The Beat (UK),andThe Go-Go's.[6]The agency grew to include hundreds of diverse musical performers on its roster (including theBuzzcocks,Nine Inch Nails,Concrete Blonde,The Mission,Iggy Pop,General Public,Charlie Peacock,Let's Active,R.E.M.,Sting,andMorrissey), as well as representing actors. The music division of FBI was merged into InterTalent Agency in 1992, and Copeland moved toLos Angelessoon thereafter.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Copeland married Constance "Connie" Walden of Macon, and they had two daughters (Chandra and Barbara) before divorcing.

Copeland's other romantic partners included FBI clientMarianne Faithfulland step-cousinCourteney Cox,with whom he had a three-year relationship in the 1980s after his divorce from Connie.[6]

Along with his brothers, Stewart and Miles, Ian was honoree and recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the AMC Cancer Research Center in 1985. The awards program noted:

Seventeen years ago, the first AMC Humanitarian Award went to Judy Holliday, a brilliant musical star and actress. Tonight, we are proud to continue the tradition and honor Miles, Ian, and Stewart Copeland and their famous, and oftentimes infamous, contributions to the music and entertainment industry. Early in each of their individual careers, the Copeland Brothers were considered mavericks – the new frontiersman. Miles, attending to music management; Ian, involved as a music agent; and, Stewart, a talented composer, engaged as a drummer in The Police – all were iconoclasts. While they were bucking the established institution, practices and attitudes of the music industry, they were on the cutting edge of pioneering "new music"  into the United States. Their methods, once scorned, are now imitated. It is fitting that we pay tribute to the Copeland Brothers and their pioneering spirit.[8]

Copeland published an autobiography,Wild Thingin 1995.[9]In 1997 he opened the Backstage Cafe bar and restaurant inBeverly Hillswhich he owned and operated until his death frommelanomaat age 57.[10][11]His funeral was held at House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.

References[edit]

  1. ^Nelson, Valerie J. (May 25, 2006)."Ian Copeland, 57; Booking Agent for New Wave, Punk Bands, Including the Police".Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^[1]ArchivedOctober 12, 2011, at theWayback Machine
  3. ^"Ian Copeland".The Daily Telegraph.London. June 3, 2006.
  4. ^"Ian Copeland, 57, Music Agent".The New York Times.May 26, 2006.
  5. ^Sutcliffe, Phil & Fielder, Hugh (1981).L'Historia Bandido.London and New York: Proteus Books.ISBN0-906071-66-6.page 41.
  6. ^abSweeting, Adam (May 31, 2006)."Obituary: Ian Copeland".The Guardian.London.
  7. ^Eller, Claudia (October 5, 1992),"Copeland's FBI, ITA parting ways",Daily Variety,retrievedDecember 31,2010
  8. ^Billboard – Google Books.November 9, 1985.RetrievedOctober 15,2012.
  9. ^"Metroactive Books | Wild Thing".Metroactive.com. November 22, 1995.RetrievedOctober 15,2012.
  10. ^"Ian Copeland: Biography".IMDb.com.RetrievedJune 30,2014.
  11. ^"Ian Copeland, at 57; promoter helped bring 'New Wave' music to US".The Boston Globe.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Copeland, Ian.Wild Thing: The Backstage, On the Road, In the Studio, Off the Charts Memoirs of Ian Copeland.Simon & Schuster, 1995.ISBN978-0684815084.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ian_Copeland&oldid=1231931887"