Carl Leighton-Pope

Carl Leighton-Pope began his music career over 55 years ago in 1964, at the age of 18 when he was working at the Marquee Club in London, alongside top performers like Rod Stewart, The Who, and Eric Clapton. Constantly learning and adapting to current trends, Carl later took his experiences from this Soho club and opened a recording studio in Cardiff, South Wales, in 1972. There, he managed the band Sassafras on Chrysalis Records, helping them release three albums and tour Europe and the USA. It wasn't until 1976 that Carl truly started his agency career when he moved back to London.

From that point on, Leighton-Pope's career in the music industry soared with his early signings including The Motors, Patti Smith, and several major US bands like Styx, Journey, and Huey Lewis. By 1978, Carl had added UFO, Simple Minds, Wishbone Ash, and Dire Straits to his client list, rapidly becoming one of the top agents in Europe. His impressive roster of stars continued to grow in the 1980s and 90s with the addition of Van Morrison, Bonnie Tyler, and The Chippendales, and even further in the new century with Chris Rea, Billy Ocean, Jeff Healey, Keith Urban, and Michael Bublé. Moreover, his roster didn't just include music and dance acts, with WWE wrestling and the Harlem Globetrotters quickly joining his client list.

Theatre has also greatly contributed to this entertainment mogul's story. Carl not only wrote and produced Carnaby Street the Musical, but his newest production "Love" is hitting the West End in 2023.