Don Reedman, originally from Australia, arrived in England in 1969 on a working holiday, aspiring to establish a career in the music industry. His first significant opportunity came when he secured a position at ATV Music as a song plugger, where he was involved with the iconic hit "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies, which reached No. 1 and remained there for eight weeks.
After a year at ATV, Reedman transitioned to Carlin Music as a professional manager, where he successfully sourced songs for prominent artists including Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard. He also co-wrote "The Band Played The Boogie," a hit for Mickie Most's band CCS, alongside Jeff Jarratt and John Cameron.
In the 1970s, Reedman joined K-Tel, where he created compilation albums that sold over 40 million copies globally. During his tenure, he also produced the "Classic Rock" series featuring The London Symphony Orchestra and "Hooked On Classics" with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The latter received a Grammy nomination and achieved sales exceeding 15 million albums.
In 1984, Reedman took on the role of Director of Concept Marketing at Sony Music, where he contributed to the success of various concept albums, including the initial volumes of the "Hits" series (1-6), which sold over 4 million units in the UK, as well as the "Songs For Lovers," "The Heat Is On," and "Nightflight" series. He also worked on diverse single artist TV concepts featuring talents like Art Garfunkel and Shakin' Stevens.
Later in the 1980s, Reedman joined Telstar and played a crucial role in the development of the "100%" series (Dance, Rap, Reggae), the "MegaBass" series, and the "Unchained Melodies" series. He signed the Jive Bunny project to Telstar after discovering the single "Swing the Mood" on the radio, leading to an album that sold over a million copies in the UK.
Throughout the 1990s, Reedman enjoyed notable success with "The Best Dance Album of the Year 95" and "Dance Nation 95." He also produced other successful concept albums including "Back To The Sixties," "The Heart And Soul Of Rock 'n' Roll," "A Night At The Opera," and "The Classical Masters."
Reedman signed Michael Crawford to Telstar just as he was concluding his role in "The Phantom Of The Opera" in London's West End. He co-produced four platinum-selling albums for Crawford: "Songs From Stage And Screen," "With Love," "Performs Andrew Lloyd Webber," and "A Touch Of Music In The Night." He also co-produced the duet "The Music Of The Night" with Barbra Streisand, which received a Grammy Award nomination.
In 1996, Reedman established Focus Music International Limited, a company specializing in creative concepts that collaborates independently with major record labels. He signed Jane McDonald, who had gained fame from a successful TV documentary series titled "The Cruise." Despite being rejected by all major UK recording companies, Reedman instinctively chose to sign her to Focus Music, serving as the executive producer for her self-titled debut album, which reached No. 1 and stayed on the charts for six months.
In the late 1990s, Reedman observed a revival in the popularity of Tom Jones. Inspired by Frank Sinatra's "Duets" album, he envisioned a similar approach for Jones, particularly after witnessing a duet performance with Robbie Williams at the Brits Awards. After discussions with Jones' manager Mark Woodward and his partner at Focus, Guy Holmes, he presented the duets concept that culminated in the "Reload" album, which remains Jones' best-selling album to date.
Reedman continued to create successful compilation albums for Sony Music, including the "All Time Greatest" series, "What A Feeling," the "Perfect Day" series, the "Music To Watch Girls By" series, and "The Classic Chillout Album" series. At Universal Music, he collaborated with artists such as Status Quo, Hank Marvin, and David Essex, and he signed and co-produced the debut album "New Vintage" by 18-year-old singer Peter Grant, which achieved Top 10 and gold status.
Currently, Don Reedman is celebrating Top 10 success with two albums featuring Elvis Presley: "Christmas" and "A Love So Beautiful," both accompanied by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which he produced alongside Nick Patrick. These albums build on the worldwide success of "If I Can Dream" (2015) and "The Wonder Of You" (2016), which showcased Elvis' exceptional vocal talent with orchestral support—an ambition Reedman fulfilled, as it was something Elvis never accomplished during his lifetime. Both albums have sold over a million copies in the UK, with "The Wonder Of You" making history as Elvis' 13th No. 1 album, solidifying his status as the most successful artist of all time.
With Priscilla Presley’s full support, Reedman has also developed a live show featuring a concert orchestra synchronized with footage of Elvis performing his greatest hits. He recently completed a second UK tour of these live shows, which have also been performed to packed arenas across Europe, Australia, and the US.
In addition to these projects, Don and Nick have produced an album with Aretha Franklin and the RPO titled "A Brand New Me," with more collaborations in the pipeline. Reedman is also actively working on new recordings for the well-received "Classic Rock" series with The London Symphony Orchestra.
