Without Tony Wilson’s Factory Records label it is possible Joy Division and New Order wouldn’t have been as influential and successful as they’ve been. Hell yeah, maybe even BT would have taken a completely different route and never gotten excited of producing electronic music were it not for New Order, who arguably have been a big influence.
From BBC News:
Hundreds of tributes have been paid to Tony Wilson, the man behind some of Manchester’s most successful bands.
The founder of Factory Records, the label which launched New Order and the Happy Mondays, died of cancer on Friday at the age of 57.
Wilson, dubbed Mr Manchester, was diagnosed during a routine visit to the doctor last year.
TV presenter Terry Christian said: “No Tony Wilson, no Manchester music scene.”
Stephen Morris, from Joy Division and New Order, who were signed to the Factory Records label, said he owed him his career.
“New Order wouldn’t have came to be what they are without Tony and the Factory Record label because he was very passionate about music and he believed the band should have total freedom,” he said.
“He was I think, the only person in the music industry that didn’t believe in contracts.”
“You’d see him do deals with record companies and the whole thing was done on the back of his hand. You could literally do what you want.”
Read more here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6941716.stm
How Tony Wilson changed music:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6941846.stm
