( Photo: “A rare photo of the Queen Exec ! In Melbourne during a break from WWRY auditions. photo by Mike Dixon reprinted by kind permission!” Bri
MUSIC WEEK
27 Mar 2015 by Rhian Jones
Queen’s Roger Taylor and Brian May (pictured) paid tribute to their long-serving manager, Jim Beach, for “being the glue that’s held the band together for 40 years” at last night’s Artist and Manager Awards.
The duo presented Beach with the Peter Grant award, named after the late Yardbirds and Led Zeppelin manager, and awarded for outstanding achievement.
Said Taylor: “Jim Beach has been the glue that’s kept the band of Queen together for 40 years now. Without his tireless terrier like machiavellian plotting, we wouldn’t really be around these days.”
May agreed, adding that without Beach the band wouldn’t be “anything like we are”.
“I don’t think we’re without talent, but without a manager like Jim, it wouldn’t have been able to find its fruition, and we certainly wouldn’t be here in the state that we are today, still alive!” he added.
Paying tribute to Queen’s frontman Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, and bass guitarist John Deacon, who retired at the same time, May said: “Freddie and John would be as enormously proud as we are.
“Jim is such a worthy honoree of the Peter Grant award and we are incredibly happy to present this award to our illustrious manager and inimitable manager, Mr Jim Beach.”
Beach used his acceptance speech to highlight the work both Taylor and May have done over the last 20 years to keep the band alive, including their latest worldwide tour that saw them perform 67 sold-out gigs with US singer/songwriter Adam Lambert. The MMF, Queen’s “incredibly dedicated” team, and his wife were also on his thank you list.
“In 1991, when Freddie died and John Deacon decided to retire, fortunately for me, Brian and Roger decided to continue with the music of Queen and they’ve worked tirelessly in that ever since. I take my hat off to them for pulling off [their latest tour], both musically and physically.
“Secondly, [I thank] the Queen team, some of whom have been with us for 30 years, for their incredible dedication and their perfectionist attitude, I could never have done what I’ve done without them.
“Finally, when Queen approached me in 1977 to ask if I’d over from [former manager] John Reid, I spoke to my wife who said that she hadn’t married me to watch me walking up the same pavement for 30 years and walking into the offices of [law firm] Harbottle & Lewis.
“It was those words that pushed me into giving up my day job and entering the real world. I thank her very personally for quite frankly being one of the most wonderful partners you could ever have.”
Other winners on the night included Hozier (Breakthrough Artist), Sam Denniston (Breakthrough Manager), Ed Sheeran and Stuart Camp (Artist & Manager Achievement) and Imogen Heap (Pioneer).
Previously announced awards went to Jackie Davidson (Writer/Producer Manager), Henry Village (Entrepreneur), Paul Fenn (Industry Champion) and Placebo (Artists’ Artist).