Alan Edwards on working with David Bowie, Naomi Campbell and his love of the underdog

By Sarah Tetteh

He is the media mogul who has worked with the world’s biggest stars from the Spice Girls, David Bowie, Naomi Campbell and even Michael Jackson. 

So just how did Britain’s most successful PR guru Alan Edwards build such an exemplary career – from his humble beginnings in South London?  

The CEO of Outside Organisation, who has been the trusted PR for stars including Victoria Beckham and David, over-seeing their famous mega-bucks wedding for OK! Magazine, to also being the right-hand man stars for crisis management too. 

The list is endless. Alan, and his incredible team would take care of it all.  

Now, the proud grandfather has taken the massive leap from being a PR to the stars, to having the spotlight on himself for a change as he’s launched his incredible new book ‘I Was There’. 

The cover shot says it all. David Bowie flings his arm around Alan and the two lean on each other’s shoulders, it sums it up really. 

Alan wasn’t just their PR, but their mate and extended family too. 

No wonder he feels like a bit of a ‘parental’ figure to supermodel Naomi, who has been with him for several decades now. 

It’s only right he feels a bit nervous ahead of his book launch. He tells me: “It’s exciting, but it’s a bit unnerving too.”  

As the PR to the world’s biggest stars, Alan Edwards has seen it all. 

Fans of his book have already been intrigued by the anecdotes about their favourite stars – but as intriguing as they are, could there be even more? 

Alan jokes: “Some things, I said to the publisher, I haven’t put in. 

“The publisher said, Well, maybe you’d better not.”  

Sharing his extraordinary story, you can see Alan’s personal journey is nothing short of inspirational. 

He said: “I was born in South London, in Tulse Hill.

“I had various foster homes, they were all around that area. Then I got adopted by a lovely couple who lived in Worthing, just outside Brighton, and that was very nice. 

“But I came back to London as soon as I could really. 

“I was back here by about 16 or 17. I had a job in a laundry in Battersea. 

“It was called Marie Blanche’s Laundry, and my job was driving the vans. 

“So I used to drive the vans around the west-end and collect sheets from the big hotels. 

“So I’d go to the Dorchester, Grosvenor house, Claridges, and I used to get all the dirty sheets, put them in the van, then I’d whizz through Hyde Park to get back to Battersea with them. 

“Those hotels I went back to many years later with all these famous celebrities, and I’d go through the front, and they would all tip their caps and say ‘Good morning, Mr Edwards’. 

“And I was thinking, but my job hasn’t changed at all. I’m still dealing with dirty laundry.

“Another funny thing about South London for me happened when I was at school, and one day I saw David Bowie play. 

“He was doing Ziggy Stardust. There were only about 150 people. It was so sparse that he got on the shoulders of the guitarist and walked around the crowd. 

“I thought ‘wow, he’s incredible. From another world. Wouldn’t it be incredible to meet him?

“I had no idea I would end up working with him for decades.

“The interesting thing is he comes from South London himself, he was born around the corner from me. 

“So many years later in the 80s, I was at Giorgio Armani’s house in Milan. David Bowie had done a gig and wanted to go over there. 

“I thought, well this could be a hassle, as my job is to keep photographers away. We ended up meeting this young model from South London, called Naomi Campbell. 

“So I ended up working with Naomi until this day. So the South London connection gets quite strong.” 

Alan recalls when another world-famous superstar came onto our patch. He was involved in the PR for Michael Jackon’s This Is It announcement for his final concerts, and his team handled much of the media when the Thriller singer passed away aged 50, before the shows. 

Alan gave extraordinary insight into a side of the BAD singer the public did not see. 

He recalls: “The announcement was so exciting. I’d seen the rehearsals on a video link from the US and it looked fantastic. 50 Shows at the 02. I was lucky enough to work on Prince at the 02. 

“He was a musical genius.  

“The day of Michael’s launch, I was with Rob Hallett, a legendary promoter. Michael turned up, in the flesh he was bigger than you think, very firm handshake, and I don’t remember his voice being that high-pitched either. 

“He was the life and soul of the 02. He was having a laugh. At one point he got in a buggy, driving around shouting jokes at people, chucking a ball at some-one. He had such a laugh. So different from what people see.” 

Michael was not the only Jackson Alan has worked with. 

Speaking about the secret to success, he said: “I suppose there‘s no-one who has done it as long as me. 

“Next year will be my 50th year. 

“Janet Jackson, I’m privileged to have worked with her for 30 years, so I think maybe I’ve been a constant. 

“I mean we all drop the old clanger, and we all make mistakes, but I think everybody would know that I work hard. I get told off by friends and family sometimes, you know, you’re just living for this person, but I particularly like underdogs and I’ll fight for them everyday.” 

Speaking about his work with Naomi, Alan said: “I emphasized with her, I felt a very strong connection with her, almost parental really as she was going through tough times, and I felt like I could really give her advice. 

“I felt there was an element of racism in the way she was written about and treated, so I would feel angry on her  behalf. I mean, my family is mixed. When I break it down, I’ve got Ghana, Ireland, Jamaica and more.  

He said: “I looked after Teddy Pendergrass, and Maxi Priest –  a Lewisham lad, so I was really conscious of this in the media. 

“And with Naomi it all connected with me in a strong way, so I always wanted to fight for her.”

It seems determination and perseverance were always something Alan had in his makeup. 

When he was 16 he hitch-hiked to India. 

His friend turned back a few days into the trek, and Alan recalled: “I said, I can’t go back, because what would I say to people in the pub. 

“I told them I was going to India so I have to go. 

“Everyone was so kind and looked after me when I finally got there. I was 16 but I looked about 12. 

“The station master in Delhi Central took me in for tea and biscuits and asked what it was like in Picadilly Circus.”

‘I Was There’ is out now and is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Was-There-Dispatches-Life-Rock/dp/1398525243 

Pictured top: Alan Edwards threw a star-studded bash to launch his book ‘I was There’ at the Iconic Galleries in central London (Picture: Dave Bennet)