Mary Hopkin Music was started by me, Mary's daughter Jessica, in 2005. We'd moved house a couple of times, and after lugging around those heavy 2" tapes to yet one more storage place, I decided it was time to do something with them. I talked with Mary about a DIY approach - after all, in these days of the internet, anything is possible. So we started with the ready-made Live at the Royal Festival Hall 1972, printed some CDs and I made a website.
Through the amazing power of fans, we started selling them straight away! MHM was started from my house, shortly before Christian and I set up Space Studios. Our hallway was lined with boxes of CDs and I was up to my eyes in envelopes and Paypal slips, holding up the post office queue every other day. When we moved into the studio premises, I still did it all myself albeit with a little more help. After yet another move or three, it's still a very independent operation. Christian and I design the website and send out CDs, we all wrote blogs, I organise releases, Christian engineers and Mary paints wonderful artwork for the covers. I also act as Mary's manager. At least the manager part is simple, mostly saying "No" to offers of tours, gigs, and TV (sorry peeps!).
I also work with Christian on Space Studios business and write, perform and promote my own music. That's over here. And Christian has his own music over here.
I wanted to explain all this to let you know that this is the only way Mary could do what she feels comfortable with. I have bent her arm on a number of occasions, resulting in a few interviews in the press and on radio, but mostly she comes up with her own ideas and I put them into action. So we're a small operation but perfectly formed.
Huge thanks and love must go to Christian's endless patience with Mary in the studio, Morgan my brother for his work on You Look Familiar, and Pat Richmond the #1 fan who kept The Mary Hopkin Friendly Society going and who spreads Mary all over social media by her own free will.