Louis Walsh (born
Michael Louis Vincent 5 August 1952, in
KiltimaghKiltimagh is a town in County Mayo, Ireland.-Transport:The rail link is closed, but is pending re-opening as part of the Western Railway Corridor...
,
County MayoCounty Mayo is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Connacht. It was named after the village of Mayo . Mayo is the secondlargest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 15th largest in terms of population...
) is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show
The X FactorThe X Factor is a British television music talent show, contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and on TV3 in Ireland, with spin-off "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3...
.
As of July 2009, his acts have totalled 30 UK Number 1 singles, the first being
Words by
BoyzoneBoyzone are an Irish boy band that had popular mainstream success during the 1990s. The group were most successful in Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand; they also had differing levels of success in parts of Europe. The group have released six #1 UK hit singles and four #1 albums, with...
and the 30th being
Beat Again by JLS.
Band manager
While working for a record label in Ipswich, Walsh spotted the talents of singer/songwriter
Johnny LoganJohnny Logan , is an Irish singer and composer.-Early life and career:Logan was born in Frankston near Melbourne, Australia. His father was an Irish tenor, Patrick O'Hagan, who performed three times at The White House, for John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon...
. Walsh persuaded Logan to enter the 1980 Irish National Song Contest, which he won. This meant automatic inclusion in the 25th
Eurovision Song ContestThe Eurovision Song Contest 1980 was the 25th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on April 19, 1980 in The Hague. The presenter was Marlous Fluitsma....
, which Logan won in front of 500 million TV viewers.
Louis Walsh then decided to create an Irish version of
Take ThatTake That are a BRIT Award-winning English pop band consisting of members Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen. Barlow is the group's main songwriter. All of them perform primarily on vocals though each have some instrumental talent/song-writing capability. The band achieved major...
, which the papers picked up on when Walsh advertised the open auditions. The band created was
BoyzoneBoyzone are an Irish boy band that had popular mainstream success during the 1990s. The group were most successful in Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand; they also had differing levels of success in parts of Europe. The group have released six #1 UK hit singles and four #1 albums, with...
whom Walsh managed to international success achieving 16 top three singles, six of which were Number 1s, as well as four Number 1 albums selling over 12 million copies worldwide.
When
Ronan KeatingRonan Patrick John Keating is an Irish Pop artist who has had hits with boyband Boyzone and as a solo artist.-Personal life:Ronan Patrick John Keating was born on March 3, 1977 and grew up in both Bayside, Dublin and Swords, Dublin...
announced he wanted to take a break from
Boyzone, Walsh continued to manage his career. Keating achieved a Number 1 hit with
Life is a Rollercoaster in 1999 while his album sold 40.4 million copies. Keating and Walsh later agreed to part company and then had a bitter falling out. Walsh told the press:
"He (Keating) wasn't the most talented one - he's not a great singer and he's got no personality." Keating later told
Closer magazine:
"That man absolutely tried to ruin me and if he thinks we can ever hug and make up he can forget it. I haven't heard from him in three years and I wouldn't have a problem if I never saw him again. He's not a nice character."
Walsh then went back to the boy band formula to create
WestlifeWestlife is an Irish boy band formed on July 3, 1998.The group's original lineup comprised Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Brian McFadden...
. Walsh had his choice of record companies but eventually signed them to RCA after being impressed by executive
Simon CowellSimon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, A&R executive, television producer, and entrepreneur. He is famous in the United Kingdom and in the United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, American Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent...
. Their first seven singles from the debut
"Swear it Again" reached Number 1 in the UK charts, which still stands as the record for most consecutive number 1 singles from debut. Walsh continues to manage the band with Westlife having accumulated 14 UK number 1s and 6 number 1 selling albums.
Walsh has also managed groups who enjoyed success such as Darren Holden and
BellefireBellefire was an Irish girl group, best known for their 2002 cover of the U2 song "All I Want Is You". They originally consisted of Kelly Kilfeather , Tara Lee , Cathy Newell and Ciara Newell and a fifth-member named Paula O Neill...
, as well as masterminding
LuluLulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, actress, model and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
's duet album, being her most successful and reaching Number 4 in the UK charts. Walsh's career as a pop group manager has not been all success, with failed acts such as The Carter Twins. His notoriety has even led to his own song
Louis Walsh by Co. Donegal band
The RevsThe Revs are an indie rock band from Kilcar, Donegal, Ireland. The group consists of three childhood friends: Rory Gallagher on bass guitar and vocals, John McIntyre and Michael O' Donnell...
.
In a recent interview on RTE's Late Late Show,
BonoPaul David Hewson, KBE , most commonly known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer and musician, best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife,...
revealed that in 1980,
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
were chatting in a bar in Dublin about firing their manager
Paul McGuinnessPaul McGuinness is the main shareholder and founder of Principle Management Limited: an artist management company based in Dublin, Ireland, which has managed U2 from the start of their successful career...
due to his inability to find a van for the band. A stranger sitting nearby then came over to their table and said
"Guys, I couldn't help but overhear your problems. I actually know the person you're talking about and this is a really big mistake, he's a great guy, he's the right manager for U2, you should really work it out!" Bono concluded this story saying:
"Well, that guy was Louis Walsh".
Television career
Walsh's first television work was in 2001, in the Irish version of
PopstarsPopstars is an international reality television program and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
. The following year Walsh appeared as a judge on the UK ITV show
Popstars: The Rivals with
Pete WatermanPeter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast...
and
Geri HalliwellGeraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English recording artist, author and philanthropist. After coming to international prominence as a member of the girl group, the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career and released her debut album Schizophonic...
. Walsh went head to head with Waterman on the show with his all girl band
Girls AloudGirls Aloud are a UK girl group that were created on the ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The group, consisting of Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh have been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles , two UK...
battling it out with Waterman's boy band
One True VoiceOne True Voice were a British boyband created on the ITV television series Popstars: The Rivals, which also produced girl group Girls Aloud. The band was created by the public, who voted for their favourite hopefuls each week...
.
Girls AloudGirls Aloud are a UK girl group that were created on the ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The group, consisting of Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh have been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles , two UK...
won and their debut single
"Sound of the Underground" reached Number 1 in the UK. Walsh managed the band to achieve a million single sales while their debut album went platinum.
Walsh also regularly appears on various talent shows on RTÉ in Ireland, the latest being
You're A StarYou're a Star was a singing contest in Ireland, created by Screentime ShinAwiL and Radio Telefís Éireann. It was shown weekly on RTÉ One over the winter months of each year. The show was broadcast live from The Helix theatre in Dublin City University....
.
Popstars
Walsh started his career as a judge on various talent shows on the UK version of the
PopstarsPopstars is an international reality television program and a precursor to the Idol series. The series first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the five member all-girl group TrueBliss...
series; a precursor to the
Idol seriesThe British talent search television series Pop Idol has spawned spin-offs in 42 territories, in what is now referred to as the "Idols" format, as described by FremantleMedia...
, along with
Pete WatermanPeter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast...
and
Geri HalliwellGeraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell is an English recording artist, author and philanthropist. After coming to international prominence as a member of the girl group, the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career and released her debut album Schizophonic...
. The show was dedicated to groups rather than solo performers, and Walsh was responsible for
Girls AloudGirls Aloud are a UK girl group that were created on the ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The group, consisting of Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh have been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles , two UK...
who won series 2 of the competition in 2002. The show was axed in 2002.
The X Factor
- See also: The X Factor
The X Factor is a British television music talent show, contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is broadcast on the ITV network in the United Kingdom and on TV3 in Ireland, with spin-off "behind-the-scenes" shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3...
Walsh appeared from 2004 as a judge, along with
Simon CowellSimon Phillip Cowell is an English television personality, A&R executive, television producer, and entrepreneur. He is famous in the United Kingdom and in the United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, American Idol, The X Factor, and Britain's Got Talent...
and
Sharon OsbourneSharon Rachel Osbourne is an English music manager and promoter, television personality and presenter. She is the wife of singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
on the ITV talent show,
The X Factor. In 2004 Walsh found chart success with
G4G4 were a four-piece British vocal troupe who first came to prominence when they finished second in ITV's talent show The X Factor in 2004. The members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives. The original members were Jonathan...
, who have gone on to have two chart topping platinum selling albums, and completed two tours of the UK. In 2005 Walsh managed the winner
Shayne WardShayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer, who was discovered on the second series of UK television talent contest The X Factor...
, whose debut single
"That's My Goal"That's My Goal" is a popular song, released as the first single by the second United Kingdom X Factor winner Shayne Ward. The song was first heard in the final of the aforementioned series, where it was performed by both Ward and X Factor runner up, Andy Abraham.The single was rush-released on...
" spent four weeks at UK number one.
In November 2005 it was reported that Walsh quit the show mid-series out of protest regarding his treatment on the show; the most explicit example being a contestant drenching him with drinking water during a live recording. Walsh returned on the Saturday evening's live show, stating that he could not abandon his remaining competitor and eventual winner,
Shayne WardShayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer, who was discovered on the second series of UK television talent contest The X Factor...
. Ward went on to win the competition with over 10 million votes in the final. Walsh then went on to win
The X Factor: Battle of the StarsThe X Factor: Battle of the Stars was a UK celebrity special edition of The X Factor, which screened on ITV, starting on 29 May 2006 and lasting for eight consecutive nights...
with actress
Lucy Benjamin-Career:Born Lucy Jane Baker in Reading, Berkshire, England, she took the stage name of Benjamin after her brother. Her first acting role was as a child actor in Doctor Who in 1983 playing a young version of the character Nyssa. In 1989 she starred in the hit children's television programme...
.
ITV announced in March 2007 that Walsh would not return as a judge on
The X Factor, but would remain behind the scenes managing some acts from the show. According to UK tabloid newspaper
The SunThe Sun may refer to -* The Sun a tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and Ireland* Sun, the star at the center of the Solar System...
, the decision to be replaced with two other judges came as a shock to him. However, on 22 June 2007, it was confirmed by Walsh that he would be returning as a judge on the fourth series of
The X Factor.
Simon Cowell reportedly told off Louis Walsh for his comments about the
Spice GirlsThe Spice Girls were an English pop girl group formed in 1994. They consist of Victoria Beckham , Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Geri Halliwell. They are the most successful girl group of all time....
. Walsh had said that the girl group were "past their sell-by date" and lacking in talent, but Cowell already had plans to book the girls on the show.
In 2008, Walsh returned for the fifth series along with Simon Cowell,
Dannii MinogueDanielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer, occasional actress, and TV Personality. Minogue rose to prominence in the early 1980s for her roles in the Australian television talent show, Young Talent Time and the soap opera Home and Away, before commencing her career as a pop singer in...
and
Cheryl ColeCheryl Ann Cole is an English singer, songwriter, dancer, fashion designer, author, and television personality. Cole rose to fame in the 2000s after becoming a member of pop group Girls Aloud through ITV's reality television programme Popstars: The Rivals...
who replaced Sharon Osbourne after Osbourne quit in June. In this series, Walsh mentored the groups. He chose JLS, Girlband and Bad Lashes to represent him in the live shows. Bad Lashes and Girlband were the first two acts to be eliminated over the first two weeks. JLS finished the show in second place. Walsh returned to the show in 2009, again mentoring the groups for the fourth year of six. Walsh took Kandy Rain, Miss Frank and John & Edward to the live shows. Kandy Rain were eliminated in the first live results show, which Walsh was absent from due to the sudden death of Boyzone member
Stephen GatelyStephen Patrick David Gately was an Irish pop singer, songwriter and actor, who, with Ronan Keating, was one of two lead singers of the pop group Boyzone. All of Boyzone's studio albums hit number one in the United Kingdom, their third and last being their most successful internationally...
and was absent again due to Stephen Gately Funeral on the 17th of October 2009.
List of groups and performers managed by Walsh
Walsh manages and has managed many singers and groups, including:
- Westlife
Westlife is an Irish boy band formed on July 3, 1998.The group's original lineup comprised Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Brian McFadden...
- 1998-present
- JLS - 2008 (Only mentored in the X Factor)
- Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band that had popular mainstream success during the 1990s. The group were most successful in Ireland, the UK, Australia and New Zealand; they also had differing levels of success in parts of Europe. The group have released six #1 UK hit singles and four #1 albums, with...
- 1993-2000, 2007-present
- Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating is an Irish Pop artist who has had hits with boyband Boyzone and as a solo artist.-Personal life:Ronan Patrick John Keating was born on March 3, 1977 and grew up in both Bayside, Dublin and Swords, Dublin...
- 2000-present
- Bellefire
Bellefire was an Irish girl group, best known for their 2002 cover of the U2 song "All I Want Is You". They originally consisted of Kelly Kilfeather , Tara Lee , Cathy Newell and Ciara Newell and a fifth-member named Paula O Neill...
- 2000-2004 (Now defunct)
- Six
Six are an Irish pop group who formed on the television programme Irish Popstars in 2002. The programme aired on RTÉ One on Sunday nights in the autumn and winter of 2001-02...
- 2001-2002 (Now defunct)
- Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a UK girl group that were created on the ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. The group, consisting of Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh have been successful in achieving a string of 20 consecutive UK Top 10 singles , two UK...
- 2002-2006 (No longer managed by Walsh)
- G4
G4 were a four-piece British vocal troupe who first came to prominence when they finished second in ITV's talent show The X Factor in 2004. The members met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which the name G4, standing for "Guildhall 4", derives. The original members were Jonathan...
- 2004-2007 (Now Defunct)
- Shayne Ward
Shayne Thomas Ward is an English pop singer, who was discovered on the second series of UK television talent contest The X Factor...
- 2005-present
- The MacDonald Brothers
The MacDonald Brothers are a singing duo from Ayrshire in Scotland, consisting of brothers Brian and Craig MacDonald. They first rose to prominence in the third UK series of television talent show The X Factor in 2006, and have since gone on to release four albums and tour the country to sell-out...
- 2006 (No longer managed by Walsh)
- Samantha Mumba
Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba is an Irish singer and actress.Her first album was released in 2000. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.-Biography:Mumba was born at Palmer Street Hospital in Dublin,...
- (No longer managed by Walsh)
- Eton Road - 2006-present
- Bubbel G - 2009-present
- The Carter Twins - (Now defunct)
- Kerri Ann - (Now defunct)
Personal views
He is on record as saying to
The Irish TimesThe Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet news paper launched on 29 March 1859. The current editor is Geraldine Kennedy, who succeeded Conor Brady in 2002. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
that, in his opinion, "it wasn't cool to have a gay guy in [a] band". He has said he was unaware of Stephen Gately's sexuality when he selected him for Boyzone and had he known, he would have thought twice about picking him. Walsh only discovered the truth two months after the band's formation. Neither did Walsh realise
Mark FeehilyMark Michael Patrick Feehily , better known as Mark Feehily, is a member of the popular Irish vocal pop group, Westlife....
of Westlife was gay.
Reconciliations with Boyzone
Despite the bitter feud mentioned previously, Louis Walsh had a public reconciliation with Boyzone, including Ronan Keating, on the
ITV2ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms...
programme
Ghosthunting with Louis Walsh and Boyzone in which they explored a network of subterranean streets beneath Edinburgh.
On 10 October 2009
Stephen GatelyStephen Patrick David Gately was an Irish pop singer, songwriter and actor, who, with Ronan Keating, was one of two lead singers of the pop group Boyzone. All of Boyzone's studio albums hit number one in the United Kingdom, their third and last being their most successful internationally...
died in his sleep at the age of 33. Walsh commented:
"I'm in complete shock. I was only with him on Monday at an awards ceremony. We don't know much about what's happened yet.
I only heard after The X Factor and we will rally around each other this week. He was a great man."
External links
- Louis Walsh at itv.com
itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's biggest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers online streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
/xfactor