Tim Sexton
Tim Sexton is an American producer, music supervisor, environmental consultant, and social impact entrepreneur. Noted for events and initiatives which integrate pop culture and social activism, he produced the No Nukes and Live 8 concerts, and was an architect of "Feel the Power," the precursor to Rock the Vote. He is the principal of the Make Good Group, a company he founded in 2003 to advise corporate clients on sustainability, social responsibility, and brand strategy. Go Green, the environmental program Sexton designed for the Philadelphia Eagles, is considered a model of sustainability.[1][2][3][4]
Tim Sexton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 17, 1949 Buffalo, NY |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Producer, entrepreneur, activist, music supervisor |
| Years active | 1973 - present |
| Organization | Principal and founder, Make Good Group |
| Board member of | The Alliance for Climate Education Liberty Hill Foundation Advisory Board |
| Awards | Emmy Award, Live 8 Emmy Award, Idol Gives Back |
| Website | makegoodgroup |
Sexton served as the music supervisor for dozens of films, including Madonna's Desperately Seeking Susan, and Rush, which featured Eric Clapton's Grammy Award-winning "Tears in Heaven."[5][6]
Early life and education
The oldest of 11 children, Sexton was born in Buffalo, New York to Jane Marie Sexton, an artist, and Robert Sexton, an NBA general manager and basketball coach. The family moved to San Diego in 1960 after Robert Sexton accepted a position as the athletic director at the University of San Diego.[7]
Career
Sexton began his career in production with the Ice Follies-Holiday on Ice. He was involved in all of the tasks related to the show’s production, including stage management, where he discovered an affinity for stage and lighting design. Throughout the 1970s, he served as a lighting designer, production consultant, production manager or tour manager for dozens of stadium and arena tours for artists including Poco, America, The Rolling Stones, Jackson Browne, Diana Ross and others.[2]
Based in Los Angeles, Sexton was active in social, political, and environmental issues. In 1979, he was recruited by music legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Graham Nash to produce No Nukes, composed of five shows at Madison Square Garden (which featured Crosby Stills and Nash, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, among others) and an outdoor rally which drew more than 200,000 people on the then-empty landfill section of Battery Park.[8]
In 1984, Sexton partnered with MTV executives including Les Garland to create the "Feel the Power" campaign for the network. With 30 second spots featuring artists including Cyndi Lauper, Jimi Hendrix, and Tina Turner, its goal was to mobilize young voters and facilitate voter registration. It was the foundation of Rock the Vote, for which Sexton served as a director for several years.[9][10]
Based on his work on the No Nukes concerts, which were the subject of a 1980 documentary, Sexton was pursued as a music supervisor for television and film. In 1984, he was named vice president of music at Columbia TriStar Pictures and in 1987, with Becky Mancuso-Winding, he co-founded the film music company Magstripe Entertainment. In addition to working with Winding, he served as a music supervisor and consultant for Fox, Disney, and producer Jerry Weintraub. He went on to co-found Big Screen Records (with Irving Azoff's of Giant Records) and launch Track Factory (with Sidney Sheinberg). In 2000, he was named president of Digital On-Demand/Red DotNet, which was later acquired by Alliance Entertainment.[11][12][13]
In 2003, Sexton and his cousin Brendan J. Sexton founded The Sexton Company, which he described in an interview with The Washington Post as a company that "helps companies do well by doing good."[14] He began working with the Philadelphia Eagles on sustainability programs that same year. The team's Go Green initiative began with a recycling bin in every office and grew to include 100% exclusive use of renewable energy at their stadium, offices, and practice facilities. Sexton's Go Green program for the Eagles has been emulated by the Seattle Mariners, the Atlanta Falcons, the Phoenix Suns, the Green Sports Alliance, and the Oakland As, among others.[4][15][16]
In 2005, Sexton executive produced Live 8, a series of concerts designed to focus attention on debt relief and extreme poverty in Africa. More than 1000 musicians performed on a single day simultaneously at nine concerts on four continents, including Madonna, U2, and Paul McCartney. As executive producer of Live 8, Sexton won the first-ever Emmy award for content delivered via the internet.[2][17]
In 2007, he produced Idol Gives Back, then the most successful charity event in television history. It raised $75 million for organizations working to alleviate poverty in America and Africa, and was awarded a special Emmy by the Governors of the Television Academy.[18]
In 2008, with his then partners, Brendan Sexton and Matt Walden, Sexton initiated a sustainability strategy and business development structure for National Grid, the second-largest energy utility company in the world. In 2012, the Sexton Company was renamed The Make Good Group.[19] The Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, a 2017 global $10 million competition for a consumer device which successfully makes medical diagnoses, was co-conceived by Sexton and wireless health pioneer Don Jones.
Philanthropy
Sexton has served as a corporate board member of the Environmental Media Association since 2011, and is a member of the advisory council for the Liberty Hill Foundation. He is on the board of directors for the Alliance for Climate Education and is a co-founder of Southern California's E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs).[20][21][22][23]
Filmography/Discography
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | American Idol Gives Back | Producer | Emmy Governors Award |
| 2005 | Live 8 | Executive producer | Emmy award, Interactive content |
| 2000 | Up at the Villa | Music supervisor | |
| 1999 | Molly | Music supervisor | |
| 1998 | Playing by Heart | Music supervisor | |
| 1997 | That Old Feeling | Music supervisor | |
| 1996 | High School High | Music supervisor | |
| House Arrest | Music supervisor | ||
| Flipper | Music supervisor | ||
| 1995 | Virtuosity | Executive music producer | |
| Losing Isaiah | Music supervisor | ||
| 1994 | Clear and Present Danger | Music supervisor | |
| 1993 | Mr. Jones | Executive music producer | |
| Sliver | Music supervisor | Includes "Can't Help Falling in Love" by UB40 #1 Hot 100 | |
| Twenty Bucks | Music supervisor | ||
| 1992 | FernGully: The Last Rainforest | Music supervisor | |
| The Cutting Edge | Music supervisor | ||
| 1991 | Rush | Music supervisor | Includes Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" which won three Grammy awards in 1993 |
| All I Want for Christmas | Music supervisor | ||
| Crooked Hearts | Executive music producer | ||
| Backdraft | Music supervisor | ||
| True Colors | Music consultant | ||
| 1990 | Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael | Music consultant | |
| Air America | Music supervisor | Includes "Love Me Two Times" by Aerosmith | |
| The Earth Day Special | Music supervisor | ||
| Cry-Baby | Music supervisor | ||
| Opportunity Knocks | Music supervisor | ||
| 1989 | Listen to Me | Music supervisor | |
| She's Out of Control | Music supervisor | ||
| 1988 | My Stepmother Is an Alien | Music supervisor | |
| Fresh Horses | Music supervisor | ||
| Sunset | Executive in charge of music | ||
| 1987 | Suspect | Executive in charge of music | |
| The Principal | Executive in charge of music | ||
| 1986 | No Mercy | Executive in charge of music | |
| Let's Get Harry | Executive in charge of music | ||
| About Last Night... | Executive in charge of music | ||
| Short Circuit | Executive in charge of music | ||
| Stripper | Executive in charge of music | ||
| Iron Eagle | Executive in charge of music | ||
| 1985 | The Jewel of the Nile | Music supervisor | |
| Sweet Dreams | Executive in charge of music | Music by Patsy Cline Top 10 album | |
| Real Genius | Executive in charge of music | ||
| The Legend of Billie Jean | Executive in charge of music | Includes "Invincible" by Pat Benatar #10 Hot 100 | |
| Desperately Seeking Susan | Music supervisor | Includes Madonna's "Into the Groove" (#1 Hot 100) | |
| 1984 | Johnny Dangerously | Executive in charge of music | |
| Gimme an 'F' | Music supervisor | ||
| Revenge of the Nerds | Executive in charge of music | ||
| Bachelor Party | Music supervisor | ||
| Romancing the Stone | Executive in charge of music | ||
| Unfaithfully Yours | Executive in charge of music | ||
| Reckless | Music supervisor | ||
| 1983 | A Night in Heaven | Music supervisor | Includes "Heaven" by Bryan Adams #1 Hot 100 in 1985 |
| 1977 | No Nukes | Concert producer |
References
- Harrington, Richard (September 25, 1984). "Shake, Rattle 'n' Vote". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- Storm, Jonathan (June 30, 2005). "Keeping the stars aligned Live 8's success - here and abroad - will depend largely on the mix-master talents of producer Tim Sexton, holed up in a trailer by the Art Museum". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- Marquez, Laura (November 15, 2007). "Philly's Green Eagles". ABC News. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- King, Bill (November 10, 2008). "Seeds of Opportunity". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- Walker, Michael (January 31, 1993). "The Hills Are Alive With the $ound of Movies :". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
...says Sexton, who has handled music supervision on dozens of films.
- "Tim Sexton at AllMusic". AllMusic. AllMusic. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- Gonzalez, Bianca (December 16, 2009). "Jane Sexton: Mother of 11, USD supporter". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- McLaine, Daisanne. "Rock Politics Comes of Age". Rolling Stone via Musers Archive. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- Sutherland, Sam (November 10, 1984). "MTV Spots Get Out the Vote". Billboard. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- Dennisoff, Serge (January 1, 1988). Inside MTV. New York: Transaction. p. 268. ISBN 0887388647. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
- "Alliance Entertainment Corp. Creates New Group to Deliver Enhanced Services to the New Economy". The Free Library. Alliance Entertainment (Press release). Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- Jeffery, Don (April 20, 1996). "Sheinberg Launches New Label". Billboard. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- "The Pied Piper:The Activists". USC Annenberg. USC Annenberg. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- Eilperin, Juliet (October 24, 2005). "Conservation's Company Plan". The Washington Post. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
- Stewart, Matthew (October 13, 2013). "The Eagles' Home Field Goes Green". Philly Style Magazine. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- Intersector Project (June 1, 2014). "HOW A FOOTBALL STADIUM BECAME A MODEL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY". Intersector. Intersector. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- ""LIVE 8 ON AOL" WINS FIRST BROADBAND EMMYHONORING PROGRAMS FOR INTERNET, CELLPHONES,PDA". Emmy Online. National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. April 24, 2006. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- "Idol Gives Back Awards". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- Orr, Kim (May 20, 2009). "A Green Machine". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- "About Us". Liberty Hill. Liberty Hill. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- "About Us". EMA. Environmental Media Association. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- "The Team". ACE. Alliance for Climate Education. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- "Leadership". E2. E2. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
