Copeland attended Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated with a degree in history and political science in 1962. He then attended American University in Washington, D.C. for a semester.[2] From 1966 to 1969, Copeland attended the American University of Beirut, earning a masters degree in economics.[3]
Career
While attending school in Beirut to earn his economics degree, Copeland promoted his first concert. After college, he moved to London, met two progressive rock musicians at a club, and helped them form Wishbone Ash.[2]
BTM and Illegal Records
In 1974, Copeland founded the management agency and record label BTM (British Talent Management) and signed a number of progressive rock acts such as Squeeze, Renaissance and Curved Air. In the summer of 1975, he organized a multi-band tour of European music festivals, named Startruckin' 75, which featured several BTM bands as well as Soft Machine, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Lou Reed (replaced by Ike & Tina Turner).[4] However, Reed's failure to appear at any of the shows and other logistical issues resulted in significant losses for Startruckin 75', and ultimately the failure of BTM.[5] Copeland filed for bankruptcy and BTM closed down in 1976.[4]
In 1978, Copeland became manager of his brother Stewart's band, The Police. Copeland shepherded the group to become one of the biggest bands of the 1980s, peaking with a concert for 70,000 people at Shea Stadium[9] and the number one single for 1983, "Every Breath You Take".[10] He continued to manage Sting through seven solo albums. Copeland was not, however, included in the reunion era of the Police, leading to a 2007 interview in which Copeland lamented that money was the issue.[11]
I.R.S. Records
The success of the Police and the novel methods used to popularize them enabled Copeland to found I.R.S. Records through a deal with A&M Records.[3]
Copeland International Arts
Copeland owns and operates CIA (Copeland International Arts), which includes the Bellydance Superstars, Celtic Crossroads, Otros Aires, Zohar, and Beats Antique. Much of the CIA catalog initially included Middle Eastern, world music, Irish, tango, flamenco, and Polynesian styles.[2] The label later signed mainstream artists.[12]
Personal life
Another of Copeland's brothers, Ian Copeland, was a booking agent, music promoter, and US Army veteran, who described much of the New Wave adventures of Miles, Stewart, and himself in his book Wild Thing: The Backstage, On the Road, In the Studio, Off the Charts Memoirs of Ian Copeland (1995, Simon & Schuster).[1] The three brothers were honored with the 17th Annual Humanitarian Award from AMC Cancer Research Center on December 7, 1985, at “A Guerilla War on Cancer” dinner in New York City;[13] they produced an album in support of the event.[14]
In September 1989 Miles Copeland was involved (through Lol Creme) with a bizarre high-budget western called Gil Farrington On the Devil's Plain. The movie was written specifically for Sting and later investigated by Ridley Scott, but was never made.[15]
