After nearly two decades of working side by side, John Legend and his longtime manager Ty Stiklorius have decided to go their separate ways.
The singer has now reportedly moved his management to Roc Nation, closing a chapter that dates back to the mid-2000s when Stiklorius first came on board and helped shape his career from the ground up.
The exact timing of the switch has not been confirmed.
According to reports, the 47-year-old singer was still listed under Stiklorius’s management company, Friends at Work as recently as last month, with Stiklorius also speaking about their working relationship during a Global Citizen panel in Beverly Hills in February.
In a statement, Stiklorius reflected on their time working together.
“Twenty years is a lifetime in this business, and I’m proud of the work John and I did together that was rooted in creativity, trust, love and ambition.”
Despite the split on the management side, the relationship is not entirely over.
Stiklorius emphasised that she will remain involved in the business ventures they built together, which include both commercial and philanthropic work.
“I’m energised by what’s ahead for both of us as I pass the music management baton to Jay Brown at ROC Nation. I continue to be John’s partner in the many for-profit and non-profit ventures we built together and John’s biggest champion.”
Stiklorius was instrumental in their business ventures, helping Legend launch John Legend Ventures.
Their work continued even when she established Friends at Work in 2014 after they both departed Troy Carter’s Atom Factory.
The pair’s long-running partnership began in 2006, a connection that started only two years after Legend’s breakthrough with his timeless debut album, “Get Lifted”.
Throughout their two decades together, the R&B artist has been at the top of his game, earning 13 Grammy Awards and delivering hit songs like “All of Me” and the duet “Like I’m Going to Lose You” with Meghan Trainor.
Legend’s move to Roc Nation places him under the same umbrella as a number of major global artists, with the company, founded by Jay-Z, known for managing artists across music, sport and entertainment.
