Assignment 1 & War Stories Assignment: Tony Kowalski

Paul Graham
Director/Manager
Fishco Management
Columbia, SC

1. Can you briefly define your job to me?

I represent and manage both athletes and entertainers. I represent these artists both exclusively and non-exclusively. Our company also manages and consults groups for major events such as golf tournaments and large banquets.

2. How did you get started in the business?

I had just graduated from the University of South Carolina and was teaching at a local Columbia school when a good friend of mine, Darius Rucker, asked me if I wanted to manage Hootie and the Blowfish on their first concert tour. I was Hootie and the Blowfish's tour manager for over 13 years and have been working with Fishco Management ever since.

3. How do you tell someone over you (your boss) that you can't complete an assigned task?

That can not happen. You have to get it done. If you can not get it done or something goes wrong when trying to complete an assigned task, you have to be honest with your boss on what the situation is. You then have to spend time on solving the problem rather than spending time on what and why it went wrong.

4. Do you have any advice for a media student who is just starting out?

Use and learn from every experience possible. Use your tools and resources around especially today because there are so many. Read the internet and magazines about your field of work. Be willing and ready to do whatever, whenever. Take internship opportunities even if it is not what you want to end up doing.

1. In your job, what are some challenges you have to deal with in relating to "production" people?

One challenge is dealing with the artistic differences between the production people and their artistic minds and the artists themselves and what they are trying to get across. Another challenge is making sure the production people are organized and staying on task.

2. Can you tell me a war story, or a story when something went badly wrong?

Yes. While I was tour managing for Hootie and the Blowfish, we were set to play a show in Manilla in the Phillipines at the same venue as the "Thrilla in Manilla" (Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier). We had just arrived from Asia and all of our gear had been lost during travel. Thirty minutes before the doors open our gear arrives. The next two hours were chaos. Everyone was running around from the stage to the trucks unloading, setting up, and tuning all of the gear. In the end the show had to go on and ended up being a really incredible show.

3. Do you have any advice for a person starting out in the business, someone who is about to graduate?

Be prepared to do whatever whenever to get things done. Be ready to struggle to make your name in the business. Defineately be prepared to be poor for a long time.