Harshness to me is giving somebody false hopes and not following through. That’s harsh. Telling some guy or some girl who’ve got zero talent that they have zero talent actually is a kindness.
I love TV. I love being behind the scenes on a TV show but there’s something about, I don’t know there’s something very special when you’ve signed an artist and that first record comes in and it’s a good record. It is an indescribable feeling.
I think the best singers in the world, historically, are American. Britain’s got its fair share, as well, but some of the greatest singers, ever, whether you’re talking about Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey or Aretha Franklin, are from the legacy here.
They understand what their market is and who they should be selling records to, and most importantly, they know the kind of artist that they want to be, but they have to do it themselves. You don’t want a 13-year-old singing some awful song from a musical.
Of course I have an ego, but you have to have an ego. You have to be incredibly competitive. I can get competitive at times, way too much, and it becomes a little bit obsessive.
I love producing shows. And so when you’re on a show where other people are making decisions you don’t necessarily agree with it, after a while you start to feel like a passenger.
Have I got a black book? Yes, it’s called a mobile phone. I do get offers. There is no shortage of people if you want to go on dates – working in TV, living in L.A., it is there if you want it.
