Ed Sheeran performs for free as he helps Sir Richard Branson’s son Sam celebrate his 38th birthday on his billionaire father’s Necker Island
Ed Sheeran usually charges more than £500,000 for a private performance, but the pop superstar was happy to perform for free at Sam Branson’s birthday party.
Sam is an aspiring musician who performs under the name Waves Rush. He celebrated his 38th with a bash on Necker Island, which is owned by his father, billionaire Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson.
While Sam took centre stage, Sheeran, 32, accompanied him on guitar. Sam performed his own song, 7 Billion, with his wife, former actress Isabella Calthorpe, and Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia as backing vocalists.
‘Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen — playing 7 Billion together with these talented, humble and beautiful humans,’ says Sam, who was earlier pictured pulling poses for the camera with Ed.
Sheeran became friends with Sam after he was asked to play at his sister Holly’s wedding to ship broker Freddie Andrewes on Necker in 2011.
Getting involved: Ed Sheeran usually charges more than £500,000 for a private performance, but the pop superstar was happy to perform for free at Sam Branson’s birthday party
Good times: Sam is an aspiring musician who performs under the name Waves Rush. He celebrated his 38th with a bash on Necker Island
Meanwhile, the Shape Of You hitmaker is said to have advised Branson to release 7 Billion, a love song to his wife of ten years Isabella, the half-sister of actress Cressida Bonas.
Sheeran’s wide variety of recent marketing tie-ups highlights his ‘signature blend of appealing qualities’ and how his ‘authenticity is key’, brand experts said today.
The singer’s latest project saw him became a ‘brick specialist’ at the Lego store at the Mall of America shopping centre in Minnesota on Saturday.
He donned a Lego-branded apron and T-shirt, signed products, handed out gifts and took photos with fans – before playing a version of his song Lego House. Experts told MailOnline that celebrities making similar endorsements could earn up to £2million.
It follows a series of tie-ups Sheeran has worked on with other brands in recent months while touring his album Subtract around the world. He is currently playing gigs in North America – with 11 dates still to come before the end of next month.
Subtract was Sheeran’s his sixth studio album and became the UK’s fastest selling album of 2023 in May – but it will be his last record with his current record label.
And he has been working recently on projects with brands from Peloton to Honest Burgers, and American Express to Heinz. Experts said it was important for him to protect ‘the Sheeran brand’ and avoid deals which would ‘detract’ from his music.
Surprise: Sheeran became a ‘brick specialist’ for the day at the Lego store in Minnesota on Saturday
Busy man: The singer has worked on a deal with Honest Burgers with his new hot sauce brand Tingly Ted’s
Speaking about this range of tie-ups, PR expert Sean O’Meara, managing director of Manchester-based agency Essential Content, told MailOnline today: ‘Ed will be an attractive ambassador for a range of brands across a range of sectors. I can’t think of many people who are an equally good fit for Heinz Ketchup and American Express.
‘He’s got a signature blend of appealing qualities; people perceive him as relatable and authentic, he’s atypical of the male pop star archetype – and leans very much into that – which broadens appeal further, and – so far – he’s managed to navigate more than ten years at the top of his game without even a hint of a scandal.
‘In fact, he came out of his recent copyright legal battle with Marvin Gaye’s estate looking quite statesmanlike, as an advocate for all artists.’
In April, Sheeran was cleared of copying Marvin Gaye’s classic song Let’s Get It On after a New York jury at the £80million trial ruled that he independently created his 2014 single Thinking Out Loud.
O’Meara added that Sheeran’s audience had ‘witnessed his evolution from scruffy boy next door to married man with kids’.
He continued: ‘And that really opens up the range of brand partnerships possibilities where he can add value. His authenticity is key. It’s easy to picture the family man Ed Sheeran eating at Honest Burger, messing about with Lego and even using guided audio on a nature walk.
‘And we can equally picture the global megastar Ed Sheeran using American Express and partnering with Global Radio.
‘In terms of audience reach, he’s consistently in the elite tier of global pop stars, alongside Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, so whether he’s helping to flog Lego or Peloton’s latest app, there’s a guarantee of visibility for the brands.’
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