One of the World’s Greatest Music Agents and Promoters, Paul Charles – Launches his Memoir – “Adventures in Wonderland”

Irishman Paul Charles is one of the leading music agents on the planet.

Over the past 40 years, he has worked with some of the biggest names in music, at different times managing the careers of Van Morrison, Ray Davies of The Kinks, Gerry Rafferty, The Waterboys and Dexy’s Midnight Runners, and launching Tanita Tikaram – the teenage female Elvis lookalike whose debut album sold almost 5 million copies – into the world.

In addition, he has been agent and confidante along the way to The Kinks, Robert Plant, Tom Waits, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Don McLean, Lonnie Donegan, Rory Gallagher, Marianne Faithfull, John Prine, Carly Simon, Jackson Browne, The Hothouse Flowers, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Christy Moore, Taj Mahal, Buzzcocks, The Undertones, The Blue Nile, Shakespeare’s Sister, Ronnie Spector – and dozens more of modern music’s brightest stars.

In his role with the Asgard agency, he has also promoted shows featuring many of the leading artists in the world, including The Police, U2, Van Morrison, Dire Straits, Carole King, Meatloaf, David Gilmour, BB King, Emmylou Harris and John Lee Hooker.

Paul has also been involved since the early days with Glastonbury Festival, with his artists topping the bill on more than one occasion, before he was invited by Glasto founder Michael Eavis to take on the daunting – and inspiring – task of booking the Acoustic Stage at the festival every year, a role he has carried out for the past 30 years. Oh, and he is also a successful crime writer; and a songwriter, whose work has ended up on albums by Kendrick Lamar (in his K.Dot guise), Talib Kweli and Norah Jones – as well as on the four original albums released by the Northern Irish band he started out with, Fruupp, and with whom he enjoyed the kind of mad adventures which only bands that fall just short of the big time have the very dubious pleasure of experiencing.

All of these extraordinary escapades – as well as his encounters with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Police, U2 and more – are brought together brilliantly in his marvellous new book Adventures In Wonderland. A riveting memoir, it is the story of a music-mad kid from Magherafelt in Co. Derry, Northern Ireland who went on to work, and become friends, with many of his rock and roll idols.

Paul Charles says: “There are times when I have to stop and think – did all of that really happen to me? And the frightening answer is: yes, it did! There have been incredible highs and devastating lows along the way. I have tasted extraordinary success – and on more than one occasion feared for my life. It’s been a proper rollercoaster ride. But I hope readers of Adventures in Wonderland will also recognise how much I have enjoyed being involved in so many different aspects of music – and working closely with artists of outstanding creative ability. It has been an incredible privilege – and wonderfully exciting. So far!”

Packed with wonderful stories, including the time when he was almost burned alive along with his precious record collection, and pen pictures of the kind of stars we all want to know more about, Adventures In Wonderland is also one of the most complete insights into the world – and the business – of music that you will ever encounter. It is a must-read for every music fan – and for students of how the world of rock ’n’ roll works alike.

PAUL CHARLES will be doing a BOOK SIGNING following his interview here at the ICC;
Here is a link to Order “ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND”: The book will also be on sale on the night at The ICC