Getting Inside the Head of a Local Music Industry Giant

I recently sat down with Glen Willows to chat about his life; here is what I took away from our interesting conversation...

Working 12 hour days, six days a week isn’t for everybody; but Glen Willows, owner of artist management company Burning Circus Management, does it because he loves his job. “I take every Sunday off; it’s not a religious holiday, it’s just that day I tell bands that I’m not gonna phone you and I’m not going to do anything to do with music and I don’t always succeed, but I try to take that one full day off.”

Willows has been immersed in the music industry as a musician, talent developer and talent manager for over 30 years. Leaning back in his chair with his hands crossed behind his head, with hair long enough to touch his shoulders, a half-smile materializes on his face as he muses over the days he played guitar for iconic Canadian rock outfit, Harlequin. “In the instance of that band, we gave our publishing away to the record label, which we shouldn’t have… a lot of what I do as a manager is correct the mistakes I made myself, over the course of my own career.”

Chatting with me over coffee at Carnegie's diner, Willows speaks modestly of his experiences playing with Harlequin. His tone becomes more animated when the conversation shifts to a band on his roster. As a co-writer of songs for his former band, he is proudest of the substantial radio air-play they receive; but the satisfaction is bittersweet. “As a musician turned manager I wear two hats, so when I’m wearing my manager hat, I wish they would stop playing this old music, it’ll give more space for my bands.”

Doug Darling, bass player with the hard rock band The Civil Disobedients, has noticed the influence that Willows wields. “I think he’s putting Winnipeg (music scene) on the map. He has kind of a Midas touch, as we’ve all seen with Inward Eye and getting them national recognition,” says Darling. “If he can do that for that band, then people think he can do it for them too.”

Bands that aspire to become successful aren’t the only ones that have noticed Willows’ influence. “Glen is a respected guy in terms of discovering talent and he has a lot of connections with the really big labels and management companies,” says Grant Paley, agent with Paquin Entertainment Group, one of Canada’s premiere entertainment agencies. “Just look at The Waking Eyes, Ash Koley, or Inward Eye, just look at his success rate, I’d say it’s like 60/40, which in this business is amazing,” Paley says, “and that makes him a lot of money.”

It is an unusually warm fall day in Winnipeg, and the staff at Carnegie’s are struggling to maintain a comfortable room temperature for their patrons. Willows unzips his beige hoodie, shifts in his chair, and leans closer to respond to a question about the financial side of his business. “If I can help somebody achieve some success, then obviously as a business, it’s going to help me, and that’s why it’s certainly not social work, because I obviously want to make a living at it. Having said that, it’s not lucrative.”

Willows puts his forearms on the table, fully engaged. “I know that some people look at managers and go, this guy just wants me to be on the cover of Rolling Stone so he can be rich…my definition of success is like, I want to try to help the artist become as successful as they want to be, on their terms, without losing their soul.” With a slight chuckle, he confesses, “I consider it my manager habit, cause you know, it takes up all your time and it’s a lot of work, and you have to love doing it, just like anything else.”