Paul Gorman
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Paul Gorman is a London-based journalist, writer and pop culture historian with his own fashion label.
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[edit] Early life
Gorman was born in 1959 in north west London to Phillip and Alicia Gorman, the youngest of six.
[edit] Journalism
Gorman worked on weekly news for a number of trade publications and freelanced for United States national newspapers before taking up the post of west coast bureau chief for Screen International in 1990.
Based in Los Angeles, he interviewed leading executives, directors, producers and stars, including Jerry Bruckheimer, Don Simpson, Oliver Stone, and Nicolas Cage and worked at Cannes, the Oscars and other international events.
Between 1993 and 1998 Gorman was contributing editor at Music Week, where he came into contact with and reported on leading executives and artists such as Madonna's manager Freddy de Mann, Creation Records founder Alan McGee and U2 manager Paul McGuinness, as well as artists from David Bowie,Iggy Pop, Elvis Costello, the Sex Pistols and the Spice Girls (conducting their first ever interview). Pieces he wrote during this period for Music Week as well as for magazines such as Mojo can be found at the music writing resource Rock's Back Pages[1].
Between 1994 and 1999 Gorman was also contributing editor at Music Business International, and travelled the world covering developments in the international entertainment business writing on the music businesses in the US, south east Asia, Australia, Scandinavia, Spain, Israel and South Africa, attending and covering such international events as the MTV Awards, the Grammys, the Brits and the VH1 Divas.
[edit] Books
In 2001 he published In Their Own Write: Adventures In The Music Press, foreword by Charles Shaar Murray (Sanctuary Publishing), which Tony Parsons described as “the definitive account of the collective madness known as the music press”[2]. This featured, among others, Chris Salewicz, Vivien Goldman, Nick Kent, Nick Logan, Chris Welch, Barney Hoskyns, Jon Savage, Lester Bangs, Jann Wenner,Julie Burchill and Caroline Coon, covering the history and development of such papers as NME, Sounds, Melody Maker, Rolling Stone, Creem, Sniffin Glue, The Face, Q, Mojo and Select.
In 2002 Gorman collaborated with DJ/actor/producer Goldie on the book Nine Lives (Hodder & Stoughton), which included interviews with Noel Gallagher and David Bowie. Lynn Barber wrote in The Independent: "Fascinating. Paul Gorman has done a good job in making sense of Goldie's Nine Lives."[3]
In 2004 Gorman spent time in New York working on the book Straight with Boy George oliver o'gorman(Century), which was published in March 2005 and, said the Daily Telegraph, "never fails to entertain or provide food for thought”[4]. The paperback version was published March 2007.
October 2005 saw the publication of Blood & Fire: The Story Of UB40's Ali & Robin Campbell with Tim Abbot (Century).
In May 2006, Adelita published Gorman’s The Look: Adventures In Rock & Pop Fashion with an introduction by Paul Smith and foreword by Malcolm McLaren. “This is the book,” wrote Robert Elms in The Times[5]. The Look includes 300-plus illustrations, 120,000 words and a CD featuring such artists as Elvis Presley, David Bowie and Boy George. Among the contributors were Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones, Ian McLagan of the Small Faces, Boy George, Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols, Kevin Rowland of Dexy’s and Nancy Sinatra as well as designers such as Malcolm McLaren, Paul Smith, Hedi Slimane of Dior Homme, Lloyd Johnson, Alex Michon and Krystyna Kolowska, Mark Powell, Pam Hogg, Gordon Millings and Betsey Johnson.
The Look has also been accompanied by events under The Look Presents banner including appearances at the Port Eliot LitFest, Borders in Brighton, Bristol and London, the V&A, London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins. It was launched in Japan to coincide with the opening of Paul Smith’s flagship store, Space, in Tokyo in April 2006, and has an active online presence at www.rockpopfashion.com/blog.
In 2007 Arrow Books published Cry Salty Tears, a story of surviving a life of spousal abuse which Gorman ghostwrote for Boy George’s mother Dinah O’Dowd. This appeared in the Sunday Times Top Ten selling non-fiction hardbacks list.
The Measure, which was published in February 2008 for the centenary of the London College Of Fashion, includes an essay celebrating Soho by Gorman entitled There's A Place For You.
Autumn 2008 sees the publication of two new books: Rebel Rebel with Keanan Duffty, to be published in the USA by Rizzoli and in the UK by Adelita, and Reasons To Be Cheerful, a celebration of the life and work of the pioneering graphic artist and album sleeve designer Barney Bubbles. The latter book, also published by Adelita, will be accompanied by an exhibition at Paul Smith in London, the US and elsewhere.
[edit] Bibliography
- Gorman, P (2001) In Their Own Write: Adventures In The Music Press, London: Sanctuary Publishing
- Goldie & Gorman, P (2002) Nine Lives London: Hodder & Stoughton
- O'Dowd, G & Gorman, P (2005) Straight London: Century
- Abbott, T & Gorman, P (2005) Blood & Fire: The Story Of UB40's Ali & Robin Campbell London: Century
- Gorman, P (2006) The Look: Adventures in Rock and Pop Fashion, Adelita
- O'Dowd, D (2007) Cry Salty Tears London, Arrow Books
[edit] Creative consultancy
In 1994 he was recruited by Anthea Norman-Taylor to the creative think tank she ran with her husband Brian Eno on behalf of the charity War Child, resulting in such events as Little Pieces From Big Stars held at the Whitechapel Gallery, which featured auctioned artwork by musicians such as Paul McCartney, Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Shane MacGowan, in October 1994, and Pagan FunWear, held at the Saatchi Gallery in June 1995 featuring contributions from Lou Reed, David Bowie, Jarvis Cocker, 3D from Massive Attack, Damien Hirst, Stella McCartney and many others.
In 1999 Gorman made his directorial debut with the Channel 4 documentary Las Vegas Grind and in 2000 signed Mexican artist El Vez to Alan McGee’s Poptones label.
In 2003 Gorman was creative consultant on the reformed Dexy's Midnight Runners, which included leader Kevin Rowland re-signing the group to EMI for a greatest hits compilation. Gorman advised on visual and other creative elements on an acclaimed series of performances in the UK.
[edit] Fashion label
Gorman launches his own fashion label The Look Presents through Topman in the UK on May 2008 with a range of -shirts by 70s rock brand Wonder Workshop. In July 2008 The Look Presents unveils a separate collaboration with Nigel Waymouth - founder of Granny Takes a Trip - based on a series of t-shirt designs including the shopfronts of the 60s boutique.
In November 2008 The Look Presents will introduce Priceless at Topman, a new range of ready-to-wear suits and other menswear by designer Antony Price, designer for Roxy Music, Bryan Ferry, and Duran Duran.
