AceShowbiz - Music mogul Simon Cowell became determined to succeed in show business after he saw Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Mitchum enjoying extravagant parties in a neighbor's garden when he was a child. Cowell achieved global stardom with his hit TV talent shows, including "American Idol" and "The X Factor", and has become one of the most famous names of the entertainment industry in recent years.

Now he has revealed the secret of his success - a burning desire to emulate his childhood neighbor, former head of Warner Bros. in the U.K., Gerry Blatner - who frequently held star-studded parties at his mansion.

Cowell tells Britain's Radio Times magazine, "As a kid, I would look over the fence at this great house and see everyone - Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor, all these great actors having the time of their lives I remember thinking from a very, very early age, 'God I hope I grow up and have a nice house so I can have parties like that'."