Paul McGuinness

Paul McGuinness ( born June 16, 1951 in Rinteln in Hannover) is the principal owner and founder of artist agency Principle Management Limited, based in Dublin, Ireland, and the manager of the Irish band U2 since their inception. He also represents the likes of PJ Harvey, Art of Noise, The Rapture, Paddy Casey and Mytownband.

Family, Youth and studies

McGuinness is the eldest son of Philip and Sheila McGuinness. He was born in Germany because his father was stationed as a member of the Royal Air Force there. He grew up in the sequence in Thorney Iceland, Hampshire and later in Cosoford to near Wolverhampton, before the family moved to Malta.

After further station in the English Poole McGuinness attended Clongowes College in Kildare, Ireland. Later he studied at Trinity College, Dublin, philosophy and psychology. Here he met Michael Deeny, who later became manager of Chris de Burgh, know and Kathy Gilfillan, his future wife. McGuiness was excluded in the third year of college attendance. After living in London and France, he returned to Trinity College to be able to return. He did not make a conclusion on there because he got a job as a manager at a film production.

Professional

In his professional start time McGuinness worked as a manager with in the movie " Zardoz " with Sean Connery, which was published in 1974. In addition, he managed a folk-rock group called " Spud " and helped this to a first recording contract.

The musicians of U2 he first met in May 1978 and became its manager. As a " fifth member of the band " he receives 1 /5 of the band revenues.

Principle Management McGuinness founded in 1984. He chose this name because he wanted to hold a stronger line than usual in management practice ( principle, Eng. = Principle, principle of order ). In the late 1980s he founded along with Bill Whelan, a book publisher in the field of music McGuinness / Whelan Publishing, as well as the record label " Celtic Heartbeat".

McGuinness still lives in the Irish capital, of which he was appointed, together with U2 in 2000 an honorary citizen.