Simon Cowell was recently a guest on the Diary of a CEO podcast, where he opened up about his life and career. He even shared the warning he gave One Direction about the success they were about to experience, and what to expect.
Simon Cowell Shares Warning He Gave One Direction
Simon Cowell was a judge on The X Factor when One Direction was formed back in 2010, and he later signed them to his record label. Cowell recalled the advice he gave to the group members about the fame he predicted they would experience.
“Don’t ever complain about paparazzi, because they are gonna take your pictures,” Cowell told the group. “Don’t complain about invasion of privacy, because people are gonna always want a picture taken with you. Don’t complain about the long hours, because there are going to be long hours.”
Cowell said he told them that if they had a problem with any of that, they should “do something else.” He emphasized that it was “worth it,” adding, “If you want to be an accountant, you’re not gonna have any of those issues. It just won’t be as much fun.”
The Got Talent judge also shared his belief that there has not been a band “as good as One Direction since One Direction.” He’s trying to change that with an upcoming project.
“If you look at the amount of solo artists versus bands right now in the world in pop music, it is unbelievable,” Cowell said. “If you think of Motown and that whole era, it was as many bands as there were solo artists. So something has gone amiss.”
Recently Cowell directed fans to a website where they can sign up to be considered for a new boy band. He’s looking for singers between the ages of 16 and 18, and the site specifies that the process of putting together the band “will be shot for a potential documentary.”
“This time, you’re gonna see exactly what happens from the minute we go, ‘We’re gonna do it,’ to how you logistically do it, how do you choose the people,” Cowell shared. “Because I think it will be interesting. But there’s no safety blanket on this.”
He made it clear that he hasn’t arranged for the band to have a record deal before they’re even formed. Instead, he said he has to “hope that the band are good enough to get a record deal.”
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
