User:Bigbillyclark

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While in New York working as Manager of A&R/A&R Research for music industry mammoth Island Def Jam, Big Billy Clark got an offer he couldn’t refuse from platinum rockers Hoobastank. “Why don’t you come on the road with us and be our tour manager?” recalls Clark, who worked in the studio with the group on its first album. “I didn’t really take it seriously, but then all four guys called me with their manager on the phone and they told me how much they liked my work ethic and personality. They had everything planned out for me to be on the road with them for the next year and a half.” Clark then jumped at the opportunity to learn a new facet of the business. He relocated to his native Los Angeles and days later hit the road with Hoobastank. Grammy-nominated singer and rising actress Christina Milian, whose breakthrough single (“Dip It Low”) was found by Clark, reached out to Clark a year later to be her tour manager for a cross-continental jaunt that included stops in Germany, France and Japan, and later included a run in late 2004 on Usher and Kanye West’s “The Truth Tour.” By January 2006, Clark was consulting for 2 major labels Island Def Jam, and Atlantic, working on 3 different albums, and was still being pursued by numerous labels for his exclusive services. By June 1st, Clark accepted an exclusive Exec A&R job at Sony Epic where he is working with such great artists as J.Lo and Jessica Simpson. As well as signing new artists to the label. “ The Energy here at Epic is great! And I’m excited to be part of the team!” Born and raised in Los Angeles, Clark is living his dream. Music has been Clark’s primary passion since he was a child listening to classic soul and rock music, as well as hip-hop. After an invitation from a high school friend, Clark made a trip to New York and landed an internship in Def Jam’s LA office. In short order, he was essentially running the legendary label’s West Coast office – as an intern. “The office was so small that I worked with the executives everyday,” he says. Impressed by Clark’s work ethic and his ability to work with rock, rap and pop acts, Island Def Jam officially hired him as A&R / Office Manager of the West Coast Office. “They gave me the responsibilities of running the day to day operations for the West Coast office,” Clark says. “I basically was in charge of keeping everything running smoothly. Every issue in the office I dealt with, and any artists that came to LA I was the point person to take care of them. They were all like family!” Clark also brought in a wealth of talented artists which proved he was up on talent early and was able to establish relationships with unsigned artists. It wasn’t long before then CEO Lyor Cohen realized billy’s great ears for talent in all genres of music. The New York based company then relocated Billy to New York where he was named Manager of A&R / A&R Research for the Island Def Jam Music Group, the title he held before leaving to join Hoobastank. Now, as one of the most versatile tastemakers in the music industry, Clark is in high demand for his diverse talents and his ability to work in a number of genres. “I’m all across the board,” he says. “I’m just a music lover. I can do rock A&R, hip-hop A&R, pop A&R.” Billy is one of the only A&R’s in the business that do all genres of music and can easily adapt to his surroundings…..