Full Name: Michael Louis Vincent
Birth Date: August 5, 1952
Birth Place: County Mayo, Ireland

Louis Walsh (born Michael Louis Vincent 5 August 1952, in Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland) is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor. As of July 2009, his acts have totalled 29 UK Number 1 singles. While working for a record label in Ipswich, Walsh spotted the talents of singer/songwriter Johnny Logan. Walsh persuaded Logan to enter the 1980 Irish National Song Contest, which he won. This meant automatic inclusion in the 25th Eurovision Song Contest, which Logan won in front of 500 million TV viewers.

Louis Walsh then decided to create an Irish version of Take That, which the papers picked up on when Walsh advertised the open auditions. The band created was Boyzone whom Walsh managed to international success achieving 16 top three singles, six of which were Number 1s, as well as four Number 1 albums selling over 12 million copies worldwide. When Ronan Keating announced he wanted to take a break from Boyzone, Walsh continued to manage his career. Keating achieved a Number 1 hit with Life is a Rollercoaster in 1999 while his album sold 4.4 million copies. Keating and Walsh later agreed to part company and then had a bitter falling out. Walsh told the press: "He (Keating) wasn't the most talented one - he's not a great singer and he's got no personality." Keating later told Closer magazine: "That man absolutely tried to ruin me and if he thinks we can ever hug and make up he can forget it. I haven't heard from him in three years and I wouldn't have a problem if I never saw him again. He's not a nice character." Walsh then went back to the boy band formula to create Westlife. Walsh had his choice of record companies but eventually signed them to RCA after being impressed by executive Simon Cowell. Their first seven singles from the debut "Swear it Again" reached Number 1 in the UK charts, which still stands as the record for most consecutive number 1 singles from debut. Walsh continues to manage the band with Westlife having accumulated 14 UK number 1s and 6 number 1 selling albums. Walsh has also managed performers and groups who enjoyed success such as Darren Holden and Bellefire, as well as masterminding Lulu's duet album, being her most successful and reaching Number 4 in the UK charts. Walsh's career as a pop group manager has not been all success, with failed acts such as The Carter Twins. His notoriety has even led to his own song Louis Walsh by Co. Donegal band The Revs. In a May 2009 interview on RTÉ's Late Late Show, Bono revealed that in 1980, U2 were chatting in a bar in Dublin about firing their manager Paul McGuinness due to his inability to find a van for the band. A stranger sitting nearby then came over to their table and said "Guys, I couldn't help but overhear your problems. I actually know the person you're talking about and this is a really big mistake, he's a great guy, he's the right manager for U2, you should really work it out!" Bono concluded this story saying: "Well, that guy was Louis Walsh".

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