Q & A
STEWART YOUNG
He cut his teeth in the music industry when he was in his mid-20s, and now ELP’s former manager has overseen a new anthology celebrating Greg Lake’s illustrious musical career. Young reminisces over the pioneering band’s heyday and his long-lasting relationship with the late musician.
Words: G rant Moon Portrait: Kenny Smith
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n 1971 Stewart Young was working for his father’s accountancy company when an up-and-coming rock trio called Emerson, Lake & Palmer asked for help to get their business affairs in order. At just 25, Young was appointed their financial advisor and subsequently became their manager, despite having precisely zero experience of the music industry. He continued to look after Greg Lake into his solo years, the two remaining good friends until Lake’s death from pancreatic cancer in 2016. Young still manages artists such as Foreigner and Italian superstar Zucchero, and has overseen the making of Greg Lake: The Anthology – A Musical Journey. The lavishly presented two-disc, 32-track retrospective stretches back to Lake’s early days in 60s psych bands The Shame and The Shy Limbs, along with highlights from his tenures with ELP and King Crimson, and his solo catalogue.