" The 100 % Honest Idol Judge.... "

Biography:

Simon Phillip Cowell was born in Brighton, East Sussex, England and brought up in Elstree, Hertfordshire. His father, Eric Philip Cowell, was an estate agent developer and music industry executive, and his mother, Julie Brett (née Josie Dalglish), is a former ballet dancer and socialite. Cowell's paternal grandparents, Joseph Cowell and Esther Malinsky, were English Jews, and his maternal grandfather was Scottish. He has 1 brother and 2 half-brothers; younger brother Nicholas Cowell, half-brother Tony Cowell, and half-brother Michael Cowell. Michael is the oldest, followed by Tony, Simon and Nicholas (in that order).

Cowell attended the independent school Dover College as did his brother, but left early before attending the sixth form. He took a few menial jobs—including, according to Tony, working as a runner on Stanley Kubrick's The Shining—but did not get along well with colleagues and bosses, until his father who was executive at the recording giant at EMI Music Publishing, managed to get him a job in the mail room.

Career:

Simon Cowell's honesty on American Idol has made him a household name in America. His U.K.-based production company, SYCO, produces the BAFTA Award-winning show, The X Factor, which has also topped the charts in the U.K. Additionally, Simon created and served as executive producer on American Inventor and America's Got Talent.

As a judge, Simon is notorious for his unsparingly blunt and often controversial criticisms, insults and wisecracks about contestants and their singing abilities - or lack thereof. He is often parodied in pop culture. He is known for his work in both the television and music industries, having promoted singles and records for various artists, including television personalities.

In 2008, Simon was named No. 22 on Forbes Magazine's "Celebrity 100 Power List" and No. 29 in 2006. He was named one of People Magazine's 25 Most Eligible Bachelors in 2004, while Entertainment Weekly named him one of the Top Entertainers of the Year. A 20-year veteran of the music industry, Simon is an executive with Sony Records, and has helped to shape the modern pop music industry. Over the last 15 years, his acts have achieved sales of more than 100 million albums, and he has had over 70 No. 1 records.

Simon lives in Los Angeles and the U.K.

Credits:

• Britain's Got Talent
• The X Factor (UK)
• American Idol
• Pop Idol

source: American Idol Official Website and Wikipedia.org (Article) , Google Image Search and Wikipedia.org (Pictures).