Jazz Summers had died aged 71.
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The Big Life Management website paid tribute to Summers, describing him as one of the music industry’s “most vibrant, most notorious and most brilliant characters”. “A champion of newest music, a non-conformist & a visionary, Jazz Summers shall be considerably missed”. “His ability to hear a song and recognize its power and potential brought him huge success across several decades”.
The artists that Summers managed sold more than 60 million albums and 72 million singles worldwide including more than 100 Top 40 hits.
“Jazz was a one-off – they broke the mould after his creation”, reads a statement from the Music Mangers Forum.
Legendary manager Jazz Summers passed away last night after battling a long-term illness.
Along with manager Simon Napier-Bell, Jazz helped Wham! break America in 1985 and become the first western pop group to tour China.
Summers joined the army at the age of15 before turning to music.
He released his autobiography – titled Big Life – in September 2013 and helped set up the Featured Artists’ Coalition, which campaigns for the protection of UK performers’ and musicians’ rights.
“In 2003, Jazz was awarded the prestigious Peter Grant Award and in 2007, the Strat Award at the Music Week Awards”.
The Charltan’s Tim Burgess added: “A sad farewell to Jazz Summers – music legend and good friend of The Charlatans”. The Official Charts Company’s Martin Talbot said he was “genuinely humble, appreciated by artists and respected by labels”. He believed in Snow Patrol when few did & was a huge reason for our success.
British band The Futureheads tweeted: “Jazz Summers meant the world to the four of us. RIP Jazz”.
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He is survived by his wife Dianna and his three daughters.
