Simon Cowell: Bigger Than The Boss?
"American Idol" judge Simon Cowell believes that he's worth five times more to his record label, Sony BMG, than its big artist, Bruce Springsteen.
"I sell more records than Bruce Springsteen," Cowell says of the rock star who signed a contract with Sony BMG reported to be in the neighborhood of $100 million. "In the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records. If [Springsteen] got 100 [million dollars], I should have got 500," he told CNN's Anderson Cooper on an interview airing Sunday night on 60 Minutes.
Cowell, who's a record executive at Sony BMG, feels he's worth more because of the artists he's brought to the label through "American Idol."
"I signed the biggest artist on the planet and it's called 'Idol' because every single 'Idol' winner is now signed through Sony BMG," said Cowell. "And this applies to…all the countries…we sell 'Idol' to, which is over 30 countries."
Cowell's deal with Sony BMG is said to be in the same neighborhood as Springsteen's.
Many fans of "American Idol" love to watch Cowell throw brutal barbs at contestants, who are seemingly unaware of their complete lack of talent.
Critics complain that Cowell and the other judges humiliate the hapless contestants, particularly during the auditions aired in the first few weeks of the season.
But the bad auditions are so popular with audiences that the show's producers have released a "Worst of American Idol Seasons 1 through 4" DVD.
Can the public trashing of the worst contestants be equated with a medieval stoning?
"It's an interesting thought for a show, where we could actually do that," Cowell told Cooper.
"You would consider that?" Cooper asked, laughing.
"Why not?" said Cowell, with a wry smile. "I could see a similarity to a point, but it's human nature. You know, we are fascinated with that."
Cowell said he thought everything should be shown on TV. Cooper asked him if that would extend to public executions.
Photos: American Idol Season Six
"I think people should be given the chance to watch them," he said, after a long pause. "Yeah, why not?"
"With commercials?" asked Cooper.
"Sponsorship," Cowell said, still smiling, "Yeah, sponsorship."
On The Early Show Friday, Cooper told co-anchor Hannah Storm, "In England, he's known as the judge on the show 'X Factor.' What a lot of people don't realize: he's a top executive at a record label and one of the richest men in Britain and arguably one of the most important figures for music in the world."
Storm points out that Cowell is straightforward as a judge and "kind of mean-spirited at times but usually right." But was Cowell always considered a brilliant judge of talent?
Cooper says that Cowell has been "a controversial figure in the music industry for a long time. He's been in it for some 20 years now. When he started about 15 years ago, he made a lot of money and really made a name for himself by doing these novelty records. Like the World Wrestling Federation wrestlers came to London, and he signed them to do a record."
The wrestlers weren't professional singers, but Cowell cut a record and made a lot of money. He did the same thing with TeleTubbies and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
As for his relationship with the other judges, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul, and with "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, Cooper says, "Behind the scenes, they really are friends. All of them… They go out to dinner once a week. It's kind of a guys' night out. Paula Abdul's not invited, actually.
"But," Cooper continues, "they really do all seem to get along. I think they know their success is due to the sum of their parts. So a lot you see on TV is kind of an act. It's all part of the act."
But don't make the mistake of thinking they are not competitive.
"They are incredibly competitive with each other," says Cooper. "Simon actually says, whenever he reads Ryan Seacrest has done a new deal or making more money, he's physically pained."
There's much more of Cowell on 60 Minutes this Sunday, March 18, at 7 p.m. ET.