David Stopps

David Richard Stopps (born 23 May 1948) is Managing Director of FML International Artist Management, promoter of music club Friars Aylesbury, Director of PPL (Phonographic Performance Ltd), and a music business consultant, author and educator.
He was also responsible for co-producing Earthly Messenger, the world’s first statue of David Bowie,
== Early life ==
Stopps was born in Oxford and grew up in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, England. He was educated at High Wycombe Technical School and High Wycombe College of Technology and Art (now Bucks New University). This was followed by an Honours Degree course in mechanical engineering at City University London where, in 1969, he dropped out to start the now legendary music club Friars Aylesbury.
As a teenager, David Stopps had always been obsessed with music and was a lead singer, guitarist and keyboard player in bands in the Aylesbury area before moving into the business side of music. In the mid-sixties he played Vox Continental organ in a soul band called Gearbox who were voted Bucks Group of the Year 1966. Many years later he performed at Madison Square Garden in New York on vocals/acoustic guitar which, by chance, was videoed and can be seen on Youtube.
Stopps has one son, Joseph, from his first marriage. Joseph is also his business partner.
David is now married to Sue and currently resides in Aylesbury, his adopted hometown.
Promoting career
Stopps started Friars club in June 1969 and from then until 1984 presented pretty much everyone who was anyone, but most notably David Bowie (who chose Friars as the venue to launch both his Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars albums), Genesis, U2, Blondie, The Ramones, The Clash, The Kinks, The Police, Queen, and Lou Reed, amongst many others.
The Friars Aylesbury website, which is regarded by music journalists as a global music resource shows the complete history.
In 2009 Stopps successfully re-launched Friars club and continues to promote bands at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. With more than 93,000 members Friars Aylesbury is the largest music club in Europe.
2019 marked the 50th anniversary of Friars Aylesbury and was celebrated with a series of events and gigs in Aylesbury, including The Vaccines, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets, Stiff Little Fingers, Eddie & The Hot Rods, The Dung Beatles, Steve Hackett and Steve Hillage. There was also a special event to celebrate the first anniversary of the unveiling of the Earthly Messenger

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