Clive Davis & Simon Cowell Announce Global Release of X Factor's Leona Lewis  4/26/07

Clive Davis and Simon Cowell Partner on Global Debut Release from X Factor Winner Leona Lewis

NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ -- Clive Davis and Simon Cowell announce that they will partner together to supervise the much-anticipated international debut album by 21-year-old British singing sensation Leona Lewis, the first female winner of Britain's top-rated television show, The X Factor, which will be released on J/Syco Records.

Both recognized as industry giants, Davis and Cowell will work together in a first-of-its-kind partnership on both song and producer selection for Lewis' eagerly-awaited first CD. Lewis will also be the first winner of a major television talent show on either side of the Atlantic to be given a major global launch with the release of the CD.

"Leona is so talented that when she showcased for our best songwriters in LA right before the Grammys, she received a tumultuous reception. Simon Cowell and I will have a great time working together on her album," states Davis.

"Leona is one of the most gifted singers I have ever come across and it is an honour to work alongside Clive," stated Simon Cowell, American Idol judge and the creator and producer of The X Factor. Cowell also serves as one of the judges on The X Factor which is the biggest entertainment show across Europe.

Born and bred in London, Leona has already broken several records in the U.K. since she was proclaimed the winner of The X Factor in one of the most watched television events in Britain.

Within hours of the announcement, Leona's single was made available online and set a world record for downloads by selling 50,000 copies within 30 minutes of its release. The download also became Britain's largest download in one week. Also, the single reached platinum status and sold over 600,000 copies in its first week of release, topping the UK charts over the Christmas holidays. The single also topped the Irish pop charts and Lewis became the UK's fastest-selling debut female artist of all time, breaking a record previously established by Britney Spears in 1999.

Both Davis and Cowell will have direct, personal involvement with Lewis' first project, a major global launch and album release from the U.K.'s latest young hitmaker which is planned for late summer, 2007. 

SOURCE J Records

-0- 04/24/2007