Quick Facts
Summary
David Enthoven was a pioneering British music manager whose artist-first approach shaped careers from King Crimson to Robbie Williams. A co-founder of EG and IE Music, he supported creative freedom, recovery and long-term growth, leaving a lasting legacy of compassion and care in the music industry. He died in 2016.Biography
Early Career and the EG Years
David Enthoven was one of the most influential yet understated figures in British music management, a man whose career quietly reshaped how artists were supported behind the scenes. Best known in later years as Robbie Williams’ manager and mentor, Enthoven’s work spanned more than four decades and crossed progressive rock, glam, pop and mainstream chart success. He died in 2016 at the age of 72.
Born in 1944, Enthoven entered the music industry in the late 1960s, a period marked by rapid creative expansion and shifting commercial expectations. He co-founded EG Management and EG Records, which soon became associated with artists operating at the forefront of British music.
Among the early acts he worked with were King Crimson, Roxy Music, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and T. Rex, the latter famously adopting its abbreviated name because Enthoven struggled to spell Tyrannosaurus. The anecdote became part of industry folklore, reflecting both the informality of the era and Enthoven’s practical, unpretentious approach.
During this period, Enthoven developed a reputation for a management style that prioritised creative autonomy and long-term wellbeing over short-term commercial pressure. At a time when aggressive deal-making was increasingly common, colleagues described him as measured, thoughtful and unusually protective of the people he represented.
Founding IE Music
In 1992, Enthoven partnered with fellow manager Tim Clark to establish IE Music, a boutique management company founded on transparency and sustainability. The firm positioned itself deliberately away from traditional power structures, favouring long-range career planning and close, trust-based relationships between artists and management.
This philosophy reflected Enthoven’s belief that creative success depended on personal stability as much as professional momentum. That idea would soon be tested in one of the most high-profile management relationships in British pop.
Working with Robbie Williams
IE Music took on the management of Robbie Williams in 1996, shortly after Williams’ highly public departure from Take That. At the time, Williams was navigating addiction, personal instability and uncertainty about his future as a solo artist.
Enthoven’s role extended well beyond conventional management duties. By his own description, his job was to keep Williams happy, a phrase that reflected a broader belief that emotional wellbeing was central to sustained creative performance.
Outwardly, Enthoven appeared an unlikely counterpart to a global pop star. Educated at Harrow, softly spoken and meticulous, he projected the air of a City professional rather than a rock veteran. Yet his personal history gave him unusual insight. Enthoven was open about his own past struggles with addiction, which had cost him his business, his marriage and nearly his life.
Management as Mentorship
This shared understanding became central to Enthoven’s relationship with Williams. He provided constant presence and structure while Williams rebuilt both his life and career. On tour, Enthoven was a steady figure in dressing rooms, on the tour bus and back at the hotel after shows.
Evenings that might once have been spent at industry parties were instead quiet and routine. There was tea or mineral water, card games and simple distractions designed to maintain balance during the pressures of touring.
As Enthoven himself observed, these details were not indulgent. Looking after the artist was a practical necessity. When the moment came to step on stage, everything else needed to be settled.
Rebuilding a Career
Under Enthoven’s guidance, Williams regained confidence as a songwriter and performer. He began working on his own terms, laying the foundations for what would become one of the most successful solo careers in British music.
Williams later credited Enthoven with saving his life, a claim Enthoven tended to deflect but one that reflected the depth of their bond. The relationship went beyond professional boundaries. Williams named his son Beau in Enthoven’s honour and later commemorated him with a tattoo.
He also paid tribute through music with David’s Song, written in Enthoven’s memory. It remains a rare example of an artist publicly acknowledging the emotional and personal influence of a manager.
Advocacy and Legacy
Beyond his work with individual artists, Enthoven became an advocate for improved mental health and addiction support within the music industry. At a time when such conversations were less visible, his openness helped challenge stigma and encouraged a more compassionate approach to artist care.
Following his death in 2016, tributes from across the industry highlighted his intelligence, integrity and kindness. He was rarely a public figure, but his influence was deeply felt by those who worked with him.
Today, Enthoven’s philosophy continues through IE Music’s approach and through the careers he helped stabilise and sustain. In an industry often driven by immediacy, David Enthoven is remembered as a figure who demonstrated the lasting value of patience, trust and responsibility.