Bernard Doherty

Bernard Doherty, CEO, LD Communications Ltd

Bernard Doherty (born 3 October 1949, Chelmsford, Essex, UK) is a Public Relations executive in the Music Industry. He is the CEO & co founder of LD Communications,^[1] London.

Career

Early career

The son of a pair of dance instructors, Doherty began his music business career as a part-time enterprise in the mid-60s while still employed full-time as an electrical apprentice at Marconi Ltd in Chelmsford. A frequent visitor to Soho's Marquee Club in the late 60’s, he began working as a DJ at Basildon & Ilford Mecca ballrooms twice a week, and then moved to Copenhagen in 1969 to earn a full-time living as a club DJ.^[2]

In the early 1970s, Doherty returned to London and secured a position in the post room at Island Records before becoming a road manager for music impresario Jo Lustig, working on tours for artists including Jethro Tull, The Chieftains and Richard & Linda Thompson, Nico & Fairport Convention. In the late 70s Doherty moved to Joe Boyd's Hannibal Records independent label as a press officer.^[2]

In 1982 he got a job in the London office of the global PR firm of Rogers & Cowan to head up their music division. His first assignment involved PR-ing David Bowie's Let's Dance album, the 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour.^[3] Later Doherty added Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Janet Jackson and Tina Turner to his PR roster.

Live Aid

Doherty was asked to take charge of media for Bob Geldof's Live Aid concert in 1985.^[4][5]

Laister Dickson

A 1989 takeover by Shandwick Plc. shifted the focus of Rogers & Cowan away from music and film so in 1990 Doherty left, taking with him three clients - The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Tina Turner. He joined music PR firm Laister Dickson as a director alongside PR executive Wendy Laister and md Claire Singers.^[2]

LD Communications

When Wendy Laister moved to New York in 1996 Doherty and long-term business partner, Claire Singers, bought Laister Dickson and renamed it LD Communications Ltd.^[6]

LD Communications currently represents many acts including The Rolling Stones, Roger Waters, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, AC/DC, David Gilmour, Roxy Music, Jools Holland and The Jimi Hendrix Estate. And in 2011 the company was appointed by AEG Live to handle Justin Bieber's 'My World Tour'^[7]

In recent years the company has been responsible for the PR of a number of large events, including The NME Awards,^[8] The Concert For Diana,^[9] Live Earth,^[10] Party in the Park, Kerrang! Awards, Sony Radio Academy Awards,^[11] Hard Rock Calling, Wireless Festival and the Download Rock Festival at Donington from 2002-2013.

In 2007 Doherty was named by the Evening Standard as one of London's Most Influential People^[12]

In 2012 Doherty and his team at LD Communications were hired by Live Nation to co-ordinate and manage the global PR campaign for ‘BT London Live’, three weeks of Olympic-themed sport & musical festivities for over a million people in Hyde Park, neighbouring Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square.^[13]

References