dicko. Ian Dickson (everybody calls him "Dicko") worked in the record industry for 20 years. He was born in Birmingham, the UK's second city in 1963, the son of two factory workers from the motor industry. (“Imagine Detroit with heavy metal instead of Motown and you've got Birmingham' explains Dicko”). In 1985 Dicko graduated from Nottingham University with a degree in Politics and heads to London to set up home with his new girlfriend Mel. He immediately lands a job as press and promotions manager for seminal independent label Creation Records, the brainchild of legendary A&R impresario Alan Magee. Creation bands include Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, Felt, Weather Prophets, My Bloody Valentine, and eventually and most famously Oasis. Not long after joining Creation, Dicko starts writing freelance reviews and features for UK music weeklies publications, Melody Maker and Record Mirror. In 1989 Dicko joins Sony Music UK (or CBS Records as it was then) as a press officer with a roster of artists that included Public Enemy, LL Cool J as well as Midnight Oil, LA hair band Warrant and Michael Bolton. In 1990 Dicko moves to the Epic Label as a marketing executive looking after Pearl Jam, Ozzy Osbourne, Living Colour, Screaming Trees and Celine Dion. 1993 sees Dicko promoted to Director of International for Sony UK overseeing global strategies for all Epic and S2 label artists including Jamiroquai, Des'ree, Reef, Manic Street Preachers and Basia. In 1994 he moves to A&M Records UK as Director of International, looking after acts such as Chris De Burgh, Therapy, Del Amitri, The Bluetones and the Mowax label including DJ Shadow, Money Mark and U.N.C.L.E. 1998 sees Dicko move to BMG UK Group as their Vice President of International. Here he enjoys much international success with the likes of Natalie Imbruglia, Five, Westlife, The Eurythmics and M People. It is here that he also enjoys a close working relationship with a suave straight talking posh English bloke that Dicko nicknames 'The Dark Lord'...you might know him as Simon Cowell!

2001: Dicko has the opportunity to move his family (Oh, didn't I mention that by now he has a wife and two daughters?) to Sydney, Australia to take up a position of General Manager of Marketing for BMG Australia. Dicko says "I took a 40% pay cut and a drop of two rungs down the corporate ladder, but the opportunity to bring up my kids in such an amazing country was too good to pass up... and it actually proved to be the most lucrative pay cut imaginable!". In 2003 Dicko's already colourful career gets even more psychedelic as he is cast as the 'bastard judge' on Australian Idol on Network TEN. The show is an immediate hit breaking Australian broadcast records and winning many awards. Australians can't get enough of the straight talking British bastard! And he gets inundated with offers from management companies, Radio Stations and rival TV Networks. It was at this time that Dicko decided to leave the recording industry after 20 years and set up a talent management firm with his manager/now business partner David Wilson. The Melbourne based company is called Watercooler Talent, which represents some of Australia’s most popular personalities from TV, radio and stage. Following two record ratings series of Australian Idol, Dicko shocks the Australian Entertainment Industry by defecting to Australian Idol's rival TV Network - Channel 7. In his two years with Network Seven, Dicko hosts Celebrity Survivor Vanuatu, and foody reality show My Restaurant Rules. He had the most fun however, and wowed audiences with his antics as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. "I came third" enthuses Dicko "But I was the last man standing in the competition and they let me keep all my skin tight Lycra outfits which I now use to embarrass my daughters when they bring their boyfriends around". In 2007 Dicko accepts the inevitable and returns to Australian Idol as a judge for series 5. "I've enjoyed my time away from Idol but I love music and there is no better opportunity for young undiscovered Australian talent to present themselves than on our show". His love of music and discovering new talent took Dicko to the US during 2007, where he wore his judging hat once again on America’s Idol format ‘The Next Great American Band’, produced by Fremantle Media and 19 Entertainment for the US Fox Network. Reprising his role as the “straight talking honest judge”, Dicko commuted to the US on a weekly basis around his Australian Idol commitments. In 2008 Dicko signed a deal with DMG Vega 91.5 alongside Chrissie Swan & Dave O’Neill as part of the breakfast line up, the “Dicko, Dave & Chrissie” show. He fell so in love with Melbourne that he bought a house in Melbourne and splits his time between Melbourne and his family in Sydney. He also returned to Australian Idol series 6 and 7 on Network Ten alongside Marcia Hines and Jay Dee Springbet. 2010 Dicko returns to breakfast radio on Classic Rock 91.5, with Dave O’Neil on the ‘Dicko & Dave’ show.

Updated May 2010 For further information please contact Dicko’s exclusive Management: David Wilson Watercooler Talent Within Australia: 1300 00 52 00 / Outside Australia: + 61 3 8645 2811 david@watercooler.net.au / www.watercooler.net.au