The Agency Group senior vp Bruce Solar is moving to APA to become executive vice president of worldwide music, The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard have exclusively learned.
Cake, The Monkees, The Psychedelic Furs, Bootsy Collins and Eels are among the clients who are moving with him. Solar was head of the Los Angeles office of TAG, which he joined in 2001 after spending a handful of years overseeing operations at Absolute Artists. He started his career at Boston’s Harry Chickles Agency, booking gigs for artists including John Lee Hooker and Willie Dixon.
“Bruce is one of the most successful and respected music industry executives in the business,” said APA president and CEO Jim Gosnell in a statement. “I’ve admired his extraordinary talents and leadership for many years, and could not be more pleased to have him now joining our team.”
Said Solar in a statement, “I am very excited about the challenge of coming to APA, and to work with Jim Gosnell who I have considered a mentor and a friend for many years. I enjoyed my stay at TAG tremendously, and appreciate [founder] Neil Warnock for all his help and guidance.”
At APA, Solar will reunite with executive vp worldwide music Steve Martin (Dolly Parton, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour), who was promoted to partner in February after joining the agency from TAG in 2013, and senior vp speakers and lecturers Betsy Berg, who left her post as TAG’s speakers division head in February. Last month, The Agency Group’s Peter Schwartz and James Rubin, who collectively represent hip hop artists including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, A$AP Ferg and Danny Brown, moved to WME.
