Mike Pickering's Discovery of Calvin Harris

0:00It's May 1st. I'm Cory with the story, and this is Entertainment and Celebrity News today, AI powered in Star Driven. Mike Pickering discovered Calvin Harris back in the mid-2000s while he was an A&R guy at Sony's Columbia Label. On a phone call with a publisher, he caught this fresh track called The Girls, playing in the background and zoned right in on it. He got Harris's number on the spot, aiming to sign him up fast. They linked up at a Costa Coffee in Kings Cross Station, where Harris, real name Adam Wiles, laid it out straight. He was done stacking shelves at. Mark's and Spencer in Dumfries, and wanted a deal now. Pickering saw a real drive in the guy from Scotland, even if he looked like your average northern kid back then. What started as a quit vibe check turned into a tight working bond that stuck. They kicked off with Harris's five-piece band from Dumfries, full of fun road stories before he blew up solo as that global DJ force. Pickering calls Harris a mix of artist and DJ, writing and producing all his own massive hits, smashing records like Michael Jackson's on the 18.

1:04Months album. Their connection's still strong. Harris even drops tracks for feedback today. In his new book Manchester Must Dance, Harris chipped in a forward and a chapter, putting Dumfries on the map from afar. Scottish fans got homecoming shows lined up at Hampton next summer, keeping that fire alive.