John Wooler

Record Producing FP, John Wooler (Class of 1976), recently took the time to answer a Q&A session with our Development Office. John now lives in Washington, USA and has worked with legendary artists including The Rolling Stones, Simple Minds, Iggy Pop and Van Morrison, to name but a few. He worked for over 19 years as Senior VP for Virgin Records and has won a total of 5 Grammy Awards.

Currently, John is the Senior Vice-President for Media Services and Label Relations for PlayNetwork, a company which helps brands enhance customer experiences and increases engagement via music, branded content, AV systems and more. PlayNetwork have worked with renowned businesses including Nike, Starbucks, Vans and Uniqlo. As well as making his mark in the world of music, John has also made an impression on students at California State Polytechnic University when he taught as a part-time Music Professor for eight years. On top of this, he also co-founded Exolution in 2007. The company was based in Santa Monica and counselled clients on all aspects of music, including promotion and marketing of bands in America as well as promoting artists across all media and markets. John worked with the likes of Novatunes, a music internet start-up based in Venice, and Sunsetstrip.com, a multimedia start-up. At what point in your life did you realise that you wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?

I started to collect albums from when I was 15-years-old. I was also part of a band at school and we would practise at breaktime. I guess I always had a dream of being in music from a young age. Your career has certainly been an exciting one to say the least! Of all the artists that you have worked with through the years, who has been the most inspirational? There are so many that I’ve had the pleasure of working with… Albert Collins, John Lee Hooker, Van Morrison, Rolling Stones, JJ Cale, the list is really endless. Winning five Grammys throughout your career must be something that you’re incredibly proud of. What did you receive your awards for and what was it like attending the Grammys? I won an award for my work as a Producer and as an Executive Producer running the label. My first Grammys Awards were definitely the most exciting and they were held in New York, which was fantastic. It took several nominations before I finally won! You must have worked with artists across a wide range of genres. What would you say is your favourite type of music at the moment?

Blues and classic soul from the mid-60’s to early 70’s. I host a radio show in Seattle playing this type of music, so I listen to this style a lot. Everyone needs their down time from their busy work schedules. Do you have any hobbies or places that you like to visit to relax?

I coach a women’s rugby team and we have won the championship in our division for the last three years, which is a brilliant success. I also have my radio show and I also love to ride my motorcycles and collect pop art. Do you have any career highlights or achievements that you’re particularly proud of? There are many that I could list here. But I’d say being able to contribute to the career of artists that I loved or developing new talent and hoping to see them have success is by far the most rewarding feeling. You now work for PlayNetwork in Redmond WA, would you say this line of work is different to your days working for Virgin Records? I primarily made records and signed bands during my time at Virgin but now, working for PlayNetwork, we provide music playlists for major worldwide brands like Starbucks and Nike. It’s a different career path but I’m still connected to music, which is great. Moving to the USA must have been quite a change of lifestyle for you. Do you think you would ever return to the UK? I have a house in Scotland and I could definitely see myself splitting my time between countries eventually. You were at the School from quite a young age, so you must have had plenty of amazing experiences! What are some of your favourite memories from your time at the School?

Playing rugby and putting together a band are up there with some of my favourite moments as well as being around friends – many I’m still in touch with today. One of our Core Values that we launched last year is ‘creativity’ and we’re actively trying to inspire our young people through music and performing arts. During your time at school, were you involved in any musical shows or drama productions? I was only really involved with music. We used to bring in guitars and would jam together during lunchtime. I think back in my day it was not encouraged for pupils to focus on the arts, but I think it’s critical that creative young people in today’s world have an outlet and also get the support in subjects and activities that they are passionate about. Is there a particular song that reminds you of your school days? You Wear It Well by Rod Stewart. We called our school band ‘Onassis’, a lyric from this very song. I still have a photograph from the one and only concert we performed at the local YMCA in our senior year!

Looking back on your time at the School, what were your favourite subjects and were there any teachers that inspired you?

Although I was not academically strong, I still really enjoyed biology and also art. Dallas Allardice was one of my favourite teachers from my school days, definitely in part due to playing rugby. Could you summarise your time at the School in just one sentence? The Blues were my O levels and Bob Dylan was my A level! To anyone looking to follow a career within the music industry, what one piece of advice would you give to them? You have to set expectations and know that this type of industry can have a lot of ups and downs. I have had very successful years but also extremely hard years too. You have to have a very strong commitment, determination and passion, but the rewards are there. I would say it’s not an industry for the faint hearted though! And finally, a fun and creative question to finish our Q&A today! If you could compare yourself with any animal, what would it be and why?

Good question, maybe a dog due to their loyalty, love and the fact that they like getting attention!