Marion Massey (born Marian Gordon, c.1930 – 1 March 2014) "Marian Massey", ''hitsdailydouble.com'', 3 March 2014
Retrieved 18 December 2018 was a British

talent manager A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-da ...

. She discovered singer

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

, at the age of fourteen, and managed her for twenty-five years thereafter.

Career

Marian Gordon married Gerald Massey in 1951, and lived in the Holland Park area of London, England. She discovered Lulu at a

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

discothèque A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

, The Lindella Club, in 1962, when Lulu, then known as Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, was fourteen. The club was owned by Marian Massey's brother, Tony Gordon, who introduced Lulu to Massey. It was Massey who changed Marie Lawrie's name to Lulu and that of her band from The Gleneagles to The Luvvers. Deany Judd
My mentor: Lulu recalls the manager who kept her singing career on the rails
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', August 2, 2008. Retrieved 2011-09-02. Massey thereafter was able to obtain a first recording contract for Lulu and The Luvvers at Decca Records. Massey is distinctive for becoming a music manager in the early 1960s, while at the same time raising three young children. Female music managers were particularly rare during this period. The only female contemporary to Massey during this period was

Eve Taylor Eve Taylor (born Evelyn Henshall, 28 February 1915 – 31 August 1983) was a British talent manager, notable as one of the early female music managers. She managed singers Adam Faith, Sandie Shaw and Val Doonican, and composer John Barry, ...

, manager of singer

Sandie Shaw Sandie may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Sandie Clair (born 1988), French professional racing cyclist * Sandie Fitzgibbon, Irish former camogie player * Sandie Jones (1950/1951–2019), Irish singer * Sandie Lindsay, 1st Baron Lindsay of Birker (187 ...

. During the commencement of Lulu's career, Massey invited Lulu to live with Massey's family in her London home. Massey's second marriage was to

Mark London Mark London (born 30 January 1940) is a Canadian-born British soundtrack composer, songwriter and music producer. He is perhaps best known as composer of the song "To Sir with Love". History Mark London was born in Montreal, Quebec, and initial ...

, the composer of the melody to " To Sir With Love", from the movie of the same name, which became Lulu's biggest hit in the 1960s. During Massey's management of Lulu, London wrote and produced much of Lulu's music. During their twenty-five year association, Massey and Lulu were equal partners, as a business enterprise, but encouraged by husband John Frieda, Lulu ended their business association in 1989 as she was frustrated that she was no longer seen as a recording artist and Massey was unable to further her recording career.Lulu Kennedy Cairns. Lulu: I Don't Want To Fight. Sphere (2 Dec 2010).

Personal life

Massey's son is David Massey, a music business executive.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Massey, Marion English music managers English businesspeople 2014 deaths Year of birth uncertain