Artist Management 101 with Joe Mulvihill

On May 20, 2011, I got to chat with Joe Mulvihill, artist manager at LiveWire Entertainment in Orlando, Florida. After starting out as a performer himself at Universal Studios, Joe worked his way up in the entertainment industry to now managing great performers like Boyz II Men, En Vogue, Salt-N-Pepa, Wayne Brady and Joey Fatone. He’s a very busy man with a large artist roster to manage, and here is what he had to share about being an artist manager when I was fortunate enough to snag a little bit of his time.

Allyson: You have a pretty good bunch to manage, how do you juggle them all?

Joe: Well, I get a little bit of help. The key to the whole thing is connecting dots and keeping a plan on course. There’s no real science to it. A good manager is somebody who keeps the focus of the long-term vision of the artist’s brand. You’ve got to keep it all in check. I probably talk to each one of my acts every day even if it’s just for two or three minutes. Some are more hands on than others - some are more self-sufficient while others have a lot going on. Boyz II Men for instance have something going on everyday. There’s always something to juggle and manage.

Allyson: How did you become an artist manager?

Joe: I worked at Universal Studios for a long time and loved the entertainment business. Then I started working for the Orlando Magic in entertainment, then NBA teams, NFL teams, and MLB teams with entertainment across the board, from in between innings to in between time-outs – all sorts of stuff. At the time the group ‘N SYNC was just starting and I had worked with all those guys at Universal Studios. On a number of occasions they said ‘come work for us,’ but I was too busy doing my own thing. Then I saw a video from them in Europe with people chasing the bus and things when no one had heard of them yet in the United States. They called me again and said ‘hey, we want you to come work for us,’ and I said ‘you know what, maybe I’ll just start helping you out a little bit.’ Then I got caught up in that whole circle with ‘N SYNC and, next thing you know, I was their road manager and six or seven years flew by.  They became the hottest thing going, and when you’re with the hottest thing going, everyone looks at you like, ‘oh you must be smart because you’re with the hottest group.’ From there I started getting calls from other acts because they got to know me.

Allyson: You talked a little bit already about how you stay in touch with your artists on a day-to-day basis, but what are some of your other daily tasks as an artist manager?

Joe: I wake up and try to think of a new position for the artist. For example, I probably take an hour to think about Joey Fatone’s future – where do I want to go with him; where does he want to go; what goals is he not accomplishing. Same thing with Boyz II Men, same thing with Wayne, etc. I treat it just like I’m selling a computer, only difference is it’s a person, or a brand or music.  I feel like this business never really sleeps. I give [my acts] my home phone number so they can get ahold of me when they’re in Europe, Japan or Australia. I’ve gotten 3am phone calls before - it’s just part of the business.

Allyson: What would you say is the most important thing about being an artist manager?

Joe: I’ve learned that you’ve got to tell [the artist] the truth. I’ve noticed in this business nobody wants to give an artist bad news, but I’ve learned to give them the bad news [when it comes up] because it’s not going to change. You need to deliver that bad news fast and it should never come from anyone else but you [as the manager]. Also, you and the artist have to have fun or there’s no reason to work together. I stress to all my crew that ‘if you’re not having fun, let’s think about what we have to do to have fun,’ because this all could end tomorrow. You can’t entertain and make people happy if you’re miserable.

Joe Mulvihill (2nd from the right) having fun with some of his artists (Joey Fatone and Nathan Morris from Boyz II Men) and the owners of Animal Kingdom at the 2011 Kentucky Derby, as they all celebrate their stake in the winning horse.

Allyson: What has been your greatest challenge as an artist manager so far?

Joe: The greatest challenge is doing the right thing for the brand, even though it may be stressful for the artist or they don’t want to do it, or the artist doesn’t feel like it’s the right move. I have to keep them focused on the long-term. In this business everyone is surrounded by ‘yes’ men. Even though you do have to stroke artist egos sometimes, you can’t always say ‘oh ok, nevermind’ and let them get out of something they might not be crazy about if it is ultimately going to better their brand. You have to get them to know they’re doing the right thing.

Allyson: If you were to give advice to someone trying to get into artist management, what would it be?

Joe: Do it because you want to see the act win, not because of yourself. As soon as you start doing things for yourself you lose focus. You have to do everything for the act; the right thing for the act. You have to earn their trust in this business.  Also, keep it simple (don’t over think things), and don’t be afraid to make a mistake because we’re all only human.