Former musician, now record company executive Feargal Sharkey will be a speaker at SXSW 2010.
Sharkey first made his name as the co-founder of 70’s UK band The Undertones. They cracked the UK chart with ‘Here Comes The Summer’, ‘My Perfect Cousin’, ‘Wednesday Week’ and ‘It’s Going To Happen’.After that he formed The Assembly with Yazoo’s Vince Clarke. The Assembly went to no. 4 on the UK chart in 1983 with ‘Never Never’.
Sharkey recorded his solo album in 1985 and made an immediate number one hit in seven countries. The hits included ‘You Little Thief’ (written by The Heartbreakers Benmont Tench) and ‘A Good Heart’ (written by Maria McKee).
In 1990, Sharkey dropped out of the studio to go behind the scenes as A&R manager initially for Polydor Records.
In 2008, he became head of UK Music, an organization representing the collective interests of the UK’s commercial music industry.
Sharkey will discuss why the music industry, ISPs and tech businesses need to urgently establish new partnerships.
SXSW Music is on from March 18 - 21 in Austin, Texas.
Watch video ‘You Little Thief’
Watch video ‘A Good Heart’
