Julian Henry

PR and Marketing

Henry's first job in marketing was as a publicist in London in 1979 repping clients that included Billy Idol, Blondie, The dBs, Hazel O'Connor, Billy Bragg, Joe Jackson while pursuing a career as a songwriter and music journalist.

In 1986, Henry joined fashion agency Lynne Franks and remained there ten years as she promoted the careers of Jean Paul Gaultier, Katharine Hamnett, Rifat Ozbek and other influential designers, eventually becoming Deputy Managing Director. In 1987, Henry met music manager Simon Fuller and began a working relationship that lasts to the current day and was enlisted to promote Annie Lennox first solo album Diva. He remains one of Fuller closest advisors and has taken on a senior role at 19 Entertainment as global head of communication.

He became a director of Lynne Franks PR in 1991 and developed his own brand roster including Absolut Vodka, Coca-Cola, BBC Radio 1, HMV Music Stores, Yamaha, Sega, The Spice Girls and TV shows including BAFTA award winning C4 show Network 7. While at LFPR, Henry co-produced two x 30 minute TV shows for BBC TV 'Yamaha Band Explosion' (BBC),^[4] which featured early performances by several notable rock bands including Teenage Fanclub, Manic Street Preachers, Blur and Radiohead.

Between 1996 and 1998, he was a member of the Spice Girls' management team.^[5] In 1998 he launched his own PR company, Henry's House with Simon Fuller as a fellow director.^[6]While running Henry's House, he publicised Tango, Big Brother, Coca-Cola, Absolut Vodka, Pop Idol and various TV shows and celebrities.^[7] In 2003 Henry began to represent David & Victoria Beckham.^[8]

In 2004, Julian Henry was listed Top 10 Marketing & PR executives in the UK^[9] and two years later he took on the role of Head of Communications at Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment. Henry took on David and Victoria Beckham, the American Idol TV show, which was at the time the No.1 rated show in North America, as well as corporate affairs for Fuller. He orchestrated the Beckham move to LA in 2007. In 2008 he moved to work from Fuller's Los Angeles office in West Hollywood.

In 2013, Henry began work in China promoting David Beckham's role as Ambassador for Chinese football.^[10] Henry is no longer involved with Henry's House; he was a Trustee of The ICA from 2001 to 2008 and writes an occasional newspaper column for The Guardian.^[11]

Writing

In the 1980s and 1990s, Henry was a regular contributor to Melody Maker, NME, Honey Magazine, Music Week and other magazines; while contributing to Underground Magazine Henry unearthed Liverpool group The La's who he introduced to Go Discs chief Andy McDonald. Between 2004 and 2010 he wrote a weekly column for The Guardian on Marketing and Media issues.

In 2008/2009, Julian Henry wrote articles in UK press criticising the appointment of Andy Coulson as the British Prime Minister Head of Communications, and commented publicly since on the subsequent phone hacking scandal that has enveloped the British tabloids.^[12]

Music

Henry has written and recorded music with indie group The Hit Parade since 1985. In early 1990s, they embarked on a series of tours of Japan and USA and released several CDs that were critically applauded but never commercially successful. In the 1990s, the band recorded 'In Gunnersbury Park' for Sarah Records. In 2011, following the release of a new record by the Hit Parade, Guardian journalist Alexis Petridis interviewed Henry about his dual existence as PR agent and musician.^[13] Henry has been quoted in several publications concerning popular culture.^{[14][15][16][17][18]}