Roger Davies

Roger is without doubt one of the greatest success stories to emerge from the Australian music industry. He is famed within the music industry for his incredible career – working with artists ranging from Sherbert to Pink.

After leaving school Roger worked his way up from the very bottom rung of the industry. He progressed from roadie to agent, to manager of a local band; eventually becoming one of the most successful and respected artist managers in the world.

The rise of Roger began in earnest in 1970 when   he became the manager of a Sydney pop/rock band

Sherbet which, with his help, became arguably the most successful Australian pop act of the 1970s. Sherbet provided Roger with the all-important experience that would take him to the top in his chosen field. Sherbet dominated the Australian pop charts through the mid- seventies, winning award after award. Sherbet’s lead singer, Daryl Braithwaite, was Australia’s ‘King of Pop’ for three years running – and the band became a key part of the ‘countdown generation’.

Roger was based in the United States and England in the 1980s and 1990s. He played a major part in Olivia Newton-John’s massive success in the early 1980s, including her multi-million selling albums ‘Physical’ and ‘Soul Kiss’. During this time, he managed singer/song- writer expat Steve Kipner, who was the frontman for ‘Steve & the Board’, a band Roger used to see regularly while he was at school. Steve Kipner wrote ‘Physical’ with Tina Turner in mind. Roger didn’t think it was suitable for her and thought it might be good for Olivia Newton-John who made it a massive hit.

In 1979 Roger became the manager of Tina Turner guiding her incredible comeback and launching her solo career. He began working with Cher in the late 1990s around the time of her international smash hit ‘Believe’ and organised her ‘Believe Tour’ and the 325 Concert World Farewell Tour playing to more than five million fans in 30 countries – a tour recognised as the most successful and highest grossing tour of any female  artist. In 1991, Roger began managing English soul and R & B band, Sade, and while they record and tour

infrequently, they have enjoyed immense success under his stewardship. Their most recent album ‘Soldier of Love’ topped the billboard charts in 2011 and the band has sold over 55 million albums.

In 2002 Roger became the manager of Pink, which has resulted in her becoming one of the most successful artists of her generation with sales of 50 million albums worldwide and record breaking concert tours. Pink holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive shows at Rod Laver Arena as well as the greatest number of tickets sold by an artist in Victoria and New South Wales.

Other international artists Roger has managed include many of the most successful rock performers in the world – Janet Jackson, Joe Cocker and Tony Joe White.

In 2004, Roger was awarded the Lifetime Membership Award at the 2004 MMF Music  Managers Awards  by the Music Managers Forum (Australia). In 2008 he was honoured by the Australian music industry when he was awarded one of their highest accolades, The Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Music.