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Founder and chair of Westbury is
Caroline Robertson
Caroline Robertson worked for eight years at the UK’s Mechanical Copyright Society, MCPS, after abandoning a modern languages PhD. At MCPS, she’d headed almost every department in the corporation; the next natural progression would be into a director’s chair. The fiercely independent Caroline, however, couldn’t become ‘corporate’. So in 1984 she set up Westbury Music with her first signing, ‘Rubber Band Music’ the catalogue of Bootsy Collins. Some twenty five years later, the company now controls in excess of 70,000 titles over some 230 catalogues including those of Bunny Lee, Niney The Observer and Oscar Peterson, all legends in their fields. Caroline regularly gives lectures and is on a government advisory board on the music business. In 2007, after running things for more than twenty three years, Caroline decided the time was right to start handing over to the next generation. She gave a small share of the company to its three long-term staff members...
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...and handed the reigns to
Felix Hines
...who was at that time in his ninth year at Westbury, in 2007. Whilst Felix’s roles continue to be focused on the areas of A&R, synchronisation and international co-ordination, as Managing Director Felix is guiding the good ship Westbury into its next twenty five years (believe it we‘re here for the long haul) of creative, intelligent, enthusiastic and future-thinking publishing. Drawing on his seventeen years DJing experience, Felix has made signings in many genres of music. His signings include Amp Fiddler, Sophie Barker, Robert Svensson, Andrew Horley (co-writer and producer with Ty), the Hospital Records catalogue, Corker Conboy, Spacek, Bugz In The Attic, the Brazilian catalogue of Far Out Recordings, and the Gypsy catalogue Asphalt Tango. Felix was once a half decent goalkeeper (when 5’9” was considered tall), has a media degree, worked in the MCPS dance department, has had a pension since he was 21 and plans to retire at 75.
With him all the way will be co-director
Jon Handle
...who in a way feels married to Felix (and the feeling is mutual) as they have worked together since the early 90s when Jon made his splash into the music industry at MCPS as a team co-ordinator in their specialist dance music area, with Felix as one of his team. After four years, Jon left the increasingly corporate MCPS to run React Records’ music publishing arm. He did the same at Drum n Bass label Lucky Spin/Deejay Recordings until 1997, when he was poached by Westbury for his expertise. Over the years Jon has developed into a specialist in royalties whilst also firmly steering the business affairs element of Westbury proving that you shouldn’t overspecialise in a real independent company. Jon’s signings include leading British folk label Reveal Records as well as the Definite Records catalogue, which contains some of the World’s finest....
Richard Nelson
2010 saw Westbury entering into its 26th year of business accompanied by many familiar faces and a couple of new ones. One of which Richard started the year as the newest in a long line of established Westbury A&R consultants that proceeded him. He has worked in the Music industry for over 16 years, in many of the industry’s different facets.
Since the tender age of 16 has worked for several independent records stores, including the legendary Liberty Groove and currently If Music. His first introduction to Westbury Music was while working for Kiss FM, being exposed to Westbury artists such as 4hero and Ray Hayden. He continued working for various other Radio stations and newspapers plus hosting and organising a range of successful events throughout London.
Later in life he decided to put all his musical knowledge to good use and pursue a Media and Music Management degree at London Metropolitan. While studying he developed an interest for all things publishing and copyright related; fused with his musical knowledge, music publishing was his destined path.
Richard has brought to Westbury a selection of contemporary dance catalogues including Black Acre Records and Eglo Recordings. He is constantly looking for new and interesting projects for Westbury including interesting collaborations and covers. He still regularly Dj’s at a selection of bars and clubs through London plus hosts a weekly radio show on Solar Radio, and his love for music is still as vibrant as ever.
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Paulette Long is the 3rd and final long termer at Wesbury
Paulette Long is the 3rd and final long termer at Westbury
She is a long termer in this wonderful industry of music, having worked within it since leaving college in 1984. Beginning her career at Alan Edwards’ Modern Publicity company, she specialised in regional press for urban and contemporary artists as diverse (there’s that word again!) as Smiley Culture, Luther Vandross, Ozzy Osbourne and Mick Jagger. Paulette also worked for their parent artist management company Grant Edwards Management who then looked after Big Country and The Cult. Whilst there she met Caroline and in 1988 joined Westbury, staying for four years working within all areas of publishing from business affairs to royalty accounts to client liaison to creative consulting.
Continuing in a consultancy capacity for Westbury, Paulette worked for an advertising agency on their music accounts before, in 1993, setting up her own company, Long Term Management. Always having worked closely with Westbury Music, she was invited to rejoin in early 2000 when it was undergoing a major expansion. Three years later, she was offered a directorship.
Originally Paulette’s expertise at Westbury was with its extensive reggae catalogue but as the company expanded she moved into A&R, focussing particularly on UK urban writers and producers. It is this independent UK scene that has been and continues to be very close to Paulette’s heart.
In May 2002 Paulette completed and passed her Masters in Music Business Management at Westminster University and in July 2004 became a Director on the Board of the MPA, the first black person to be a board director in the company’s 123 year history. And there’s more! In 2008 Paulette became the first black human on the PRS Board at her 5th time of trying. Now we know the voice of independents and independence will be properly heard. Paulette is also on the Board of the PRSF where she is has instigated the MOBO tour for established and up and coming artists, which is something to look out for in 2009.
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Tegan Simms
2008 and the music business is in turmoil, sales are at -1000%, the end is nigh! What better time to expand! Enter the new breed of Westbury and first up is Tegan Sims. Tegan entered music publishing by the rather obscure route of book publishing. A graduate of mathematics and music from Royal Holloway University and a keen pianist Tegan, has brought with her a keen eye for detail and figures and, in less than a year, she has gone from intern to senior copyright assistant at Westbury. Her pernickety nature is just what we need, what with 70,000+ copyrights to keep a watchful eye on.
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Saira Raza
And keeping a watchful eye on the desk of Felix is Saira Raza his assistant, the newest member of the Westbury family. Having worked at Blow Up Records a club on Oxford Street London, Saira had already indirectly worked for Westbury as we published the Blow Up catalogue for many years, and, although she probably didn’t know it, the first step of a roundabout journey to Westbury’s door had begun. I say roundabout journey as, in between Blow Up and Westbury, Saira has lived in Libya, Pakistan, Indonesia, Hackney and Ealing, learnt to speak Spanish and French, and completed a mechanical engineering degree at UCL.
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Tetsu Fujisawa
Tetsu Fujisawa is a keen intern at Westbury, bringing with him invaluable skills that only a law graduate can. Tetsu also has a masters degree in Media Law. Whilst studying languages in London, Tetsu is learning the publishing business in the best way possible by getting right into it as a hands-on publisher. Tetsu hit his drum set for the first time when he was 16 and became an enthusiast in “rhythm” ever since (he has very tolerant neighbours). Over twenty five years we have had some wonderful staff members and interns come and go, and this feels like the right time to thank them, so thanks to Lorraine Wonham, Lawson Higgins, Kennedy Mensah, Yumi Mashiki, Claire Hecamp, Amanda Murphy, Jason Birkwood, Charles Khumalo, Toritse Eyetsemian and David Decker.
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