Tom Watkins (music manager)

Tom Watkins is an English pop impresario, writer, composer, designer and fine art collector. With a background in art and design, Watkins set up the XL Design agency in the early 1980s and was responsible for designing record sleeves and music graphics of the period. Watkins moved into music management by the mid 1980s and managed the Pet Shop Boys, Bros and East 17 among others. Watkins has been described by Neil Tennant as "a big man with a loud voice", and by David Munns as "an unstoppable creative powerhouse".

Watkins was born Thomas Frederick Watkins at St. Alfege's Hospital, Greenwich, London, the son of Patricia Daphne Diet and Frederick Joseph Watkins. He lived in Blackheath, London and was educated at Invicta Road School, Sherrington Road School and Raine's Foundation School in Tower Hamlets, London. Watkins later attended Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design and went on to study art and design at London College of Furniture, London Metropolitan University.

After graduating from the London College of Furniture, Watkins worked as a designer for Terence Conran and Rodney Fitch. In the early 1980s Watkins and business partner, Royston Edwards set up the graphics/interior design company, XL Design with studios in Welbeck Street, London. David Smart joined the company after one year as co-partner.

Edwards, who had a background in magazine illustration and design worked predominantly in graphics. Smart, previously a book cover designer worked on record sleeve/ music graphic design while Watkins focused on interior design. Commissioned by Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn, Watkins designed the interior of Sarm Studios in Notting Hill where ZTT Records was born.

Mark Farrow joined the company as a junior designer, his minimalist approach and a rigorous, highly precise attention to detail soon put him at the forefront of contemporary music graphic design. Farrow and the XL agency designed the minimalist Pet Shop Boys album covers including Please, Actually and Introspective.

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