DSW was founded in 2005 by C. Winston Simone and David Simoné. The two men initially worked together when they founded music publishing company Deston Songs in 1999 with hit songwriter Desmond Child. C. Winston Simone had entered the music business in 1978 when he became the manager of his friend Dean Torrence of legendary surf group Jan and Dean and set up Jan and Dean's 1978 tour with the Beach Boys. In 1980 Simone met Desmond Child and soon became his manager. Over the years Simone and Child worked together on over 75 Top 40 hits written and/or produced by Child, including "Livin' La Vida Loca," "Living on a Prayer," and "Dude Looks Like a Lady." Simone has also managed Michael Feinstein, Carly Simon, Joe Jackson, Michael Beinhorn, Curtis Stigers, and Karla DeVito, as well as comedians Emo Philips, Judy Tenuta and Gilbert Gottfried. He has put on shows with his clients at Broadway and West End theaters and entertainment venues throughout the world, and produced television specials for his clients on the BBC, HBO, PBS and Cinemax. David Simoné, originally a UK lawyer, entered the entertainment business with independent UK label Gem Records, became head of business affairs at Arista Records, and was named president of Arista Records UK at age 29. At Arista he worked with artists including Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, the Thompson Twins, the Stray Cats, and Barry Manilow. Subsequently, as President of Mercury Records UK, Simoné worked closely with Tears For Fears, Dire Straits, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Metallica, and Elton John. He signed Bob Geldof as a solo artist and gave him office space to organize Live Aid. Later he became chairman of MCA UK. Upon moving to the US, he was asked by MCA to start a label, Uni Records. There he signed, among other artists, Steve Earle, Big Bam Boo and Erik B and Rakim. He has also been Senior VP of Business Affairs for Capitol Records. Later, as president of Polygram Publishing, Simoné acquired songs and catalogues of artists including Bon Jovi, U2, Elton John, Bob Marley, Carly Simon, Joan Osbourne, and Desmond Child. As head of A&R at Geffen Records he worked with Peter Gabriel, Counting Crows, Courtney Love, Axl Rose, Rob Zombie, and Beck. Simone and Simoné teamed with Child to form Deston Songs in 1999. The new publishing company's signings included Mark Hudson and its early song successes included "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baha Men and "She Bangs" by Ricky Martin among others. In 2002 they sold a 50% stake in Deston Songs to Warner Music. At the time they sold Deston Songs entirely, in 2005, it administered hit songs for artists including 50 Cent, Celine Dion, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Ricky Martin, and LeAnn Rimes. Upon amicably parting ways with Child, Simone and Simoné founded DSW Entertainment in 2005. In partnership with Primary Wave Music, they facilitated the acquisition of major publishing catalogs including those of Hall & Oates, Earth Wind and Fire, Holly Knight, and Steve Earle. They executive-produced Boyz II Men's album, which sold over a million records and earned two Grammy nominations and a Grammy appearance in February 2009. DSW has a joint venture with BMG and a partnership with Sony Masterworks through which it has brought numerous artists to that label.
DSW and its principals have managed or currently manage artists including The Piano Guys, Wilson Phillips, Nik Wallenda, Natalie Imbruglia, Jimmy Webb, magician/actor/author Ricky Jay, fitness author Stacey Griffith, and jazz singer/trumpeter Bria Skonberg.
Television
DSW has executive-produced television productions including Discovery Channel's limited series Life on a Wire, about Nik Wallenda and his family and the Science series, also chronicling the exploits of Nik Wallenda. DSW executive-produced a live ABC special in June 2012 televising Wallenda's tightrope walk across Niagara Falls, when 13.1 million viewers watched him become the first person ever to walk directly over the falls. Its 2013 Wallenda special Skywire Live attracted 21 million viewers, generated 1.3 million tweets, and was the highest-rated live eventDiscovery Channel had broadcast to date. A 2014 follow-up, Skyscraper Live, was again Discovery's most-watched telecast of the year. DSW executive-produced Still Holding On, a 2012 reality show documenting '80s singing group Wilson Phillips's comeback effort, and PBS specials for violinist David Garrett, 4Troops, Wilson Phillips, and The Piano Guys.
Film
DSW was an associate producer of the 2012 film, in which Simone appears. As of this writing DSW is executive-producing a BMG-funded documentary about the creation of the live music business in the U.S. centering on Frank Barsalona and his Premier Talent Agency as well as the original major regional rock and roll promoters Ron Delsener, Arny Granat, and Bill Graham.
Broadway
As of this writing, DSW is developing a major Broadway musical.
