Tony Defries

Who is Tony Defries?

Tony Defries is a British former pop music manager. Defries worked in the 1960s music scene with such figures as Mickie Most, Allen Klein, before turning his attention to David Bowie. Defries' company MainMan had a management structure that combined ingredients of the movie studio with those of the independent producer/record label/music publisher. Defries represented Bowie through his rise to stardom, reputedly making more money from the deal than the star himself. He also helped to launch the solo careers of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Mick Ronson, Mott the Hoople, Luther Vandross and John Mellencamp. His MainMan Group of companies assisted in the creation of many independent record and publishing companies that were later acquired by major conglomerates.

In 2000 he lost $22 million in an offshore tax evasion scheme In 2011 he was sued by Capitol Records for copyright infringement. He lost the lawsuit with damages and costs against him totalling over $9 million.