Editing Paul McGuinness

{{Short description|Irish businessman, music publisher and manager of U2}}
{{About|the music manager|the footballer|Paul McGuinness (footballer)|the musician|Shane MacGowan and The Popes}}
{{EngvarB|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Paul McGuinness
| image            = Paul McGuinness with U2 and Gerard Drouot at Stade de France (cropped).jpg
| image_size       = 
| caption          = McGuinness in 2005
| background       = non_performing_personnel
| birth_name       = <!--if different-->
| alias            = 
| birth_date       = {{birth-date and age|16 June 1951}}
| birth_place      = [[Rinteln]], [[West Germany]] <br /> (now Germany)
| origin           = 
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| instrument       = 
| genre            = 
| occupation       = Pop Music Group Management
| years_active     = 1970s–present
| label            = 
| associated_acts  = [[U2]], [[PJ Harvey]], [[The Rapture (band)|The Rapture]], [[Nine Lies]]
| website          = 
}}

'''Paul McGuinness''' (born 16 June 1951) is a British [[talent manager]]. He was the founder of Principle Management Limited, a popular music act management company based in [[Dublin]], Ireland. He was the manager of the rock band [[U2]] from 1978 to 2013.

==Early life==
McGuinness was born in a British military hospital at [[Rinteln]], [[Westphalia]] in [[Germany]], where his father, Philip McGuinness (a [[Liverpool|Liverpudlian]]) was serving with the [[Royal Air Force]]. His mother Sheila McGuinness née Lyne, was a schoolteacher from [[County Kerry]], Ireland. There were three children in the family: Paul, Niall, and Katy.

McGuinness received his early formal education in Ireland at the private [[Jesuit]] boarding school [[Clongowes Wood College]]. From there he went on to [[Trinity College Dublin]], where he directed plays, edited the magazine [[T.C.D. Miscellany]], and promoted gigs,<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i942y2-5kZoC&pg=PT100 |title=Trinity Tales: Trinity College Dublin in the Seventies – Kathy Gilfillan – Google Books |last=Daniel Reardon |year=2013 |publisher=Lilliput Press |isbn=9781843513018 |access-date=25 April 2013}}</ref> but dropped out without a degree.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/former-u2-manager-paul-mcguinness-cracking-crime-on-the-c%C3%B4te-d-azur-1.2237369|title=Former U2 manager Paul McGuinness: Cracking crime on the Côte d'Azur|last=Marlowe|first=Lara|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en|access-date=2019-10-31}}</ref>

== Career ==
=== Early years ===
Before becoming involved with U2, he worked as a film assistant director on productions such as [[John Boorman]]'s ''[[Zardoz]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/1568654/u2-manager-paul-mcguinness-on-mark-fisher-he-turned-everyones-wild-ideas|title=U2 Manager Paul McGuinness on Mark Fisher: 'He Turned Everyone's Wild Ideas Into Steel, Lumber and Canvas Reality'|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> For a time, he also managed folk-rock group Spud.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.atu2.com/news/profile-paul-mcguinness-they-do-the-music-he-does-the-business.html|title=Profile: Paul McGuinness: They Do the Music, He Does the Business|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]]|date=14 November 2004|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628112939/http://www.atu2.com/news/profile-paul-mcguinness-they-do-the-music-he-does-the-business.html|archive-date=28 June 2013|via=atu2.com|access-date=10 November 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== U2 ===
McGuinness first met U2 at a Dublin gig on 25 May 1978 where they were supporting the Gamblers. Following this meeting, McGuinness became U2's manager, having been introduced to the band by [[Bill Graham (author)|Bill Graham]], a journalist with ''[[Hot Press]]'' magazine.

He founded Principle Management Limited on 29 March 1984.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.duedil.com/company/IE100481/principle-management-limited |title=Principle Management Limited in , Company Accounts & Directors Webcheck &#124; Duedil |work=duedil.com |year=2013 |access-date=25 April 2013}}</ref>

His original agreement with the band was that the money would be split equally 5 ways, though this was changed later.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boyd |first1=Brian |title=U2 and Paul McGuinness: the end of the affair |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/u2-and-paul-mcguinness-the-end-of-the-affair-1.1596313 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=12 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

McGuinness and [[Bill Whelan]] set up a music publishing company called McGuinness/Whelan Publishing in the late 1980s.<ref name="U2: An Irish Phenomenon">{{cite book |title=U2: An Irish Phenomenon |publisher=The Collins Press |author=Višnja Cogan |year=2006 |pages=163–167 |isbn=1905172222}}</ref> Whelan later composed the music for [[Riverdance]].

[[File:President Bill Clinton with members of the band U2 in the Oval Office.jpg|thumb|McGuinness ''(left)'' with U2 and US President [[Bill Clinton]] in the [[Oval Office]] in 1997]]
In 2002, McGuinness was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the [[Meteor Music Awards]] at [[Point Theatre]] Dublin and U2 won the best Irish Band Award.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.meteor.ie/about/music_awards/mima_winners/ |title=Meteor – Meteor Ireland Music Awards Past Winners |work=meteor.ie |year=2013 |access-date=25 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201113547/http://www.meteor.ie/about/music_awards/mima_winners/ |archive-date= 1 February 2009 }}</ref>

Noted for his business acumen, he has been responsible for U2 3D concert films, U2-branded iPods, sponsorship from BlackBerry and the first-ever concert streamed live on YouTube.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8c1788d2-e059-11de-8494-00144feab49a.html#axzz2RSihSuxM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210221200/https://www.ft.com/content/8c1788d2-e059-11de-8494-00144feab49a#axzz2RSihSuxM |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |title=Lunch with the FT: Paul McGuinness – FT.com |last=Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson |work=ft.com |year=2013 |quote=He claims no creative role but can take credit for a series of eye-catching deals. |access-date=25 April 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>

McGuinness was regarded as the fifth member of U2, although in an interview with ''[[The Irish Press]]'' in 1985, when asked if he was the fifth member of U2, he replied "the fifth member of U2 is in Adam (Clayton)'s trousers". He is also regarded as one of the most successful managers in the music business.<ref name="Strategy and Strategists">{{cite book |title=Strategy and Strategists |publisher=OUP Oxford |author1=Cunningham, James  |author2=Harney, Brian  |name-list-style=amp |year=2012 |pages=41 |isbn=978-0199219711}}</ref>

McGuinness stepped down as manager of U2 after 34 years on 13 November 2013, with Madonna's manager [[Guy Oseary]] succeeding him in 2014 when he sold Principle to Live Nation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24926896 |title=BBC News – U2's manager Paul McGuinness 'set to step down after 34 years' |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |work=bbc.co.uk |date=13 November 2013 |access-date=13 November 2013}}</ref>

==Other activities==
He was a founding partner of [[TV3 (Ireland)]] and was one of the owners of Ardmore Film Studios.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/kfqlausnaucw/rss2/ |title=Ardmore Studios profits drop 41% |publisher=[[Irish Examiner]] |first=Gordon |last=Deegan |date=17 October 2011 |access-date=24 December 2011 |archive-date=21 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221064517/http://www.irishexaminer.com/business/kfqlausnaucw/rss2 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He became a member of the [[Arts Council of Ireland]] on 1 January 1988, having been appointed by [[Charles Haughey]] and served until February 2000 when he resigned.<ref name="U2: An Irish Phenomenon"/>

He has been an advocate on behalf of artists, record labels, and music publishers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/466538/qa-u2-manager-paul-mcguinness-reflects-on-steve-jobs-passing |title=Q&A: U2 Manager Paul McGuinness Reflects on Steve Jobs' Passing &#124; Billboard |last=Bill Werde |work=billboard.com |year=2013 |quote=a more prominent, more outspoken advocate on behalf of artists, record labels, publishers and other rights-holders |access-date=25 April 2013}}</ref> On 28 January 2008, in a speech at the [[Midem]] music industry convention in Cannes, McGuinness specifically accused companies such as Apple, Google, Yahoo!, and Facebook of building "multi-billion dollar industries on the back of our content without paying for it".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7c9679b4-cde0-11dc-9e4e-000077b07658.html#axzz2RSihSuxM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210221216/https://www.ft.com/content/7c9679b4-cde0-11dc-9e4e-000077b07658#axzz2RSihSuxM |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=U2 manager urges ISPs to help fight web piracy – FT.com |last=Ben Fenton |work=ft.com |year=2013 |access-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thecmuwebsite.com/article/google-is-the-problem-u2-manager-tells-midem/ |title=Google is the problem, U2 manager tells MIDEM &#124; CMU: Complete Music Update |last=CMU editorial |work=thecmuwebsite.com |year=2013 |access-date=25 April 2013}}</ref>

In 2015, he founded Primo Productions,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.screenproducersireland.com/production-company-directory/profile/Primo%20Productions|title=Welcome to our production company directory {{!}} Screen Producers Ireland|website=www.screenproducersireland.com|access-date=2019-10-31|archive-date=31 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031155555/https://www.screenproducersireland.com/production-company-directory/profile/Primo%2520Productions|url-status=dead}}</ref> a film and TV company.  Primo has produced 3 Seasons of ''[[Riviera (TV series)|Riviera]]'', a drama set in the South of France.  McGuinness wrote the "list of ingredients" for the show: "Rich people behaving badly in the sun, yachts, Maseratis, great clothes, beautiful women, art fraud, money laundering through the auction houses, Russians, English people, American, French.  Murder, adultery".{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} Everyday life on the Côte d’Azur. McGuinness's production partner is Kris Thykier of Archery Pictures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.archerypictures.com/riviera-series-2|title=Riviera Series 2|website=Archery Pictures|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-31}}</ref>  The show was originally commissioned by [[Anne Mensah]] of SKY Atlantic.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rts.org.uk/person/anne-mensah|title=Anne Mensah|date=2017-07-25|website=Royal Television Society|language=en|access-date=2019-10-31}}</ref>

==Personal life==

McGuinness married Kathy Gilfillan in 1977.<ref name="Unforgettable Fire p141">{{cite book |title=Unforgettable Fire The Story of U2 |publisher=Penguin |author=Eamon Dunphy |year=1987 |pages=141 |isbn=0670821047}}</ref> They met whilst he was studying at Trinity. Gilfillan is director of The Lilliput Press.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.duedil.com/director/700125345/kathy-gilfillan |title=Kathy Gilfillan's Director Profile, The Lilliput Press Limited. |work=duedil.com |year=2013 |access-date=25 April 2013}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=0570138|name=Paul McGuinness}}
* [http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/937-u2/290026-paul-mcguinness/ RTE archives] Paul McGuinness talks about how he came to be the manager of U2

{{U2}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGuinness, Paul}}
[[Category:1951 births]]
[[Category:U2]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Music industry executives]]
[[Category:People from Rinteln]]
[[Category:People educated at Clongowes Wood College]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College Dublin]]
[[Category:People from Monkstown, County Dublin]]