Overheard in MusicBizAdvice.com Editor in Chief's office while listening to tracks from various bands: "That vocal's so good it should have its own T-shirt!"
The band in question was Stars Go Dim, the track in question was "Crazy", and the person who said it was me.
Check it out here.
And they're touring their butts off. I love that!
Disclosure per FTC Blogger Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: I have no connection to the band or their project, aside from MusicBizAdvice.com's status as an Amazon Associates music seller. I just liked that particular vocal & wanted to share it with our readers.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Random Thoughts About the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs)
Some notes I scribbled down during last night's VMA telecast...
1. The VMAs have become pretentious as hell. Over the past 15 years it's become more and more like watching a fashion industry party (actually at this point I think they're probably more fun). It was a lot more fun when the artists treated the VMAs like just another night at the Rainbow: fights over girlfriends, couples bickering in public, artists challenging each other to fights, people being overserved...Good times! :-D
2. Kudos to Madonna for her gutsy speech about Michael Jackson...especially her honest words about the fact that people in the industry turned their backs on him (including, she said, herself) when he was at his lowest.
3. The overall energy of this year's VMA's was very weird. The pacing of the show seemed off too.
4. Lady Gaga in her seat (in uncomfortable looking costume #1) looked like she was suffering for her art.
5. Taylor Swift, you have true class! Shame on the person who tried to ruin Taylor Swift's moment--and especially for his insensitivity in doing so right before she was about to perform.
6. The visuals of Taylor Swift's performance were cool, creatively done, and difficult to coordinate on a live show.
6. On Lady Gaga's performance: Tries. Too. Hard. Fantastic voice, but...
7. Green Day: Loved 'em. No fluff, no muss, and a really good performance. Great energy, tight band.
8. (On Beyonce's performance:) Is anyone else irritated by choreography that makes the artist stop lip syncing for half the song while the backing track continues to sing? Looks awkward. Let's make a decision, people: lip sync and sell it all the way, or nothing.
9. Muse: Good song, but it went on so long I zoned out and started making a mental list of suggestions to send to @james_a_michael 's Record Club . Unfortunately this will not be one of them.
10. On Pink's performance: Either her singing or aerial work could have been cool, but I think they detracted from each other. When you have Pink's fantastic voice and stage presence, that's all you need. But points for doing something really different, live. Pink is one of my favorite current artists.
11. Beyonce: Double class act for giving up her stage time to Taylor Swift. Moment of the night; not a dry eye in my livingroom.
12. Jay-Z: I wasn't into his song (although I've liked some of his other stuff), but I loved what he was wearing. He looked fantastic! Whomever designed that, Kudos!
13. Regarding the trailer for the Michael Jackson film: Blatant promotion done much too soon. Made me a little sick to my stomach.
Overall impressions on the morning after: When the host is the most rock and roll thing about what used to be a fun and irreverent show, something's terribly wrong. Although the MTV VMAs worked for several years, it's become a litany of artist performances trying to match their videos while trying to upstage each other, resulting in one big, blah blur. All that production money for each performance, and the result is that in the end no one shines. I think what the MTV Video Music Awards needs is a different producer, and a fast-paced show runner to move things along while letting the right moments breathe and shine. (What would Pierre Cossette do? RIP, Mr. Cossette.) It also needs artists who don't take themselves so seriously. It's supposed to be FUN!
Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for a concert promotion company that presented Green Day shows. Additionally, in the 90's I worked for a major talent agency who represented Madonna and Jay-Z. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the above-mentioned artists. MusicBizadvice.com' (and by extension, this blog) sells products, including music, as an Amazon Associate.
1. The VMAs have become pretentious as hell. Over the past 15 years it's become more and more like watching a fashion industry party (actually at this point I think they're probably more fun). It was a lot more fun when the artists treated the VMAs like just another night at the Rainbow: fights over girlfriends, couples bickering in public, artists challenging each other to fights, people being overserved...Good times! :-D
2. Kudos to Madonna for her gutsy speech about Michael Jackson...especially her honest words about the fact that people in the industry turned their backs on him (including, she said, herself) when he was at his lowest.
3. The overall energy of this year's VMA's was very weird. The pacing of the show seemed off too.
4. Lady Gaga in her seat (in uncomfortable looking costume #1) looked like she was suffering for her art.
5. Taylor Swift, you have true class! Shame on the person who tried to ruin Taylor Swift's moment--and especially for his insensitivity in doing so right before she was about to perform.
6. The visuals of Taylor Swift's performance were cool, creatively done, and difficult to coordinate on a live show.
6. On Lady Gaga's performance: Tries. Too. Hard. Fantastic voice, but...
7. Green Day: Loved 'em. No fluff, no muss, and a really good performance. Great energy, tight band.
8. (On Beyonce's performance:) Is anyone else irritated by choreography that makes the artist stop lip syncing for half the song while the backing track continues to sing? Looks awkward. Let's make a decision, people: lip sync and sell it all the way, or nothing.
9. Muse: Good song, but it went on so long I zoned out and started making a mental list of suggestions to send to @james_a_michael 's Record Club . Unfortunately this will not be one of them.
10. On Pink's performance: Either her singing or aerial work could have been cool, but I think they detracted from each other. When you have Pink's fantastic voice and stage presence, that's all you need. But points for doing something really different, live. Pink is one of my favorite current artists.
11. Beyonce: Double class act for giving up her stage time to Taylor Swift. Moment of the night; not a dry eye in my livingroom.
12. Jay-Z: I wasn't into his song (although I've liked some of his other stuff), but I loved what he was wearing. He looked fantastic! Whomever designed that, Kudos!
13. Regarding the trailer for the Michael Jackson film: Blatant promotion done much too soon. Made me a little sick to my stomach.
Overall impressions on the morning after: When the host is the most rock and roll thing about what used to be a fun and irreverent show, something's terribly wrong. Although the MTV VMAs worked for several years, it's become a litany of artist performances trying to match their videos while trying to upstage each other, resulting in one big, blah blur. All that production money for each performance, and the result is that in the end no one shines. I think what the MTV Video Music Awards needs is a different producer, and a fast-paced show runner to move things along while letting the right moments breathe and shine. (What would Pierre Cossette do? RIP, Mr. Cossette.) It also needs artists who don't take themselves so seriously. It's supposed to be FUN!
Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for a concert promotion company that presented Green Day shows. Additionally, in the 90's I worked for a major talent agency who represented Madonna and Jay-Z. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the above-mentioned artists. MusicBizadvice.com' (and by extension, this blog) sells products, including music, as an Amazon Associate.
Monday, August 17, 2009
It Might Get Loud (Must See Film!)
I saw a fantastic documentary over the weekend: It Might Get Loud. It's absolutely the best music documentary I've ever seen (and I've seen tons of 'em).
It Might Get Loud is fly-on-the-wall insight into the inspirations and creative processes of Jimmy Page, U2's The Edge, and White Stripes' / Racanteurs' Jack White...three generations of rock musicians playing the records that influenced them (yes, we're talking honest to goodness vinyl here), playing music (separately and together), and explaining techniques they used to develop their trademark sounds on their most well-known tracks.
It's the stuff that most musicians get together and talk about and do...only, this is on 11. It's the stuff every guitarist, if they had the chance, would want to learn from or talk about with their idol.
If you think you know music, or you think you know these guys' music, or you think you know guitars, or even if you think you don't like these particular musicians, watch this movie and think again! It's absolutely inspiring. (And I'm pretty damn jaded.)
Highlights: Jimmy Page breaking into impromptu air guitar while listening to one of his favorite records. The Edge going through a box of his 4-track demo recordings and letting us hear some of the tracks that later became U2 songs. The opening scene of the film with Jack White. The three of them sitting in a circle on a huge soundstage with their guitars but making it seem like they're in a tiny room, and that we, the audience, are eavesdropping...bringing home the idea that THIS, the musical interaction of the circle, is what it's really all about.
Best moment: the gleam in The Edge's eyes as he moves closer to watch Jimmy Page play "Whole Lotta Love"...and Jack White's reaction. Priceless!
Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for the talent agency that represented Jimmy Page and Robert Plant when they toured as Page-Plant, as well as for a concert promoter that presented some of their shows. But cool as that was, for me this documentary upped Jimmy Page's cool factor even more. This is the stuff of why I got into music. MusicBizAdvice.com, and, by extension, my blog, is an Amazon Associates music seller.
Am I too old to buy a Jimmy Page poster??? Just kidding...sort of.
Make your dreams come true!
Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
Follow me on Twitter @MusicBizAdvice
C 2009 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.
It Might Get Loud is fly-on-the-wall insight into the inspirations and creative processes of Jimmy Page, U2's The Edge, and White Stripes' / Racanteurs' Jack White...three generations of rock musicians playing the records that influenced them (yes, we're talking honest to goodness vinyl here), playing music (separately and together), and explaining techniques they used to develop their trademark sounds on their most well-known tracks.
It's the stuff that most musicians get together and talk about and do...only, this is on 11. It's the stuff every guitarist, if they had the chance, would want to learn from or talk about with their idol.
If you think you know music, or you think you know these guys' music, or you think you know guitars, or even if you think you don't like these particular musicians, watch this movie and think again! It's absolutely inspiring. (And I'm pretty damn jaded.)
Highlights: Jimmy Page breaking into impromptu air guitar while listening to one of his favorite records. The Edge going through a box of his 4-track demo recordings and letting us hear some of the tracks that later became U2 songs. The opening scene of the film with Jack White. The three of them sitting in a circle on a huge soundstage with their guitars but making it seem like they're in a tiny room, and that we, the audience, are eavesdropping...bringing home the idea that THIS, the musical interaction of the circle, is what it's really all about.
Best moment: the gleam in The Edge's eyes as he moves closer to watch Jimmy Page play "Whole Lotta Love"...and Jack White's reaction. Priceless!
Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the 90's I worked for the talent agency that represented Jimmy Page and Robert Plant when they toured as Page-Plant, as well as for a concert promoter that presented some of their shows. But cool as that was, for me this documentary upped Jimmy Page's cool factor even more. This is the stuff of why I got into music. MusicBizAdvice.com, and, by extension, my blog, is an Amazon Associates music seller.
Am I too old to buy a Jimmy Page poster??? Just kidding...sort of.
Make your dreams come true!
Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
Follow me on Twitter @MusicBizAdvice
C 2009 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Show notice: Hip-Hop and Rock Fans from Across New England Prepare to Honor the Legacy of Iconic Run-DMC DJ Jam Master Jay
We don't usually post show notices, but this one is for a great cause--RR
Jam Master Jay Foundation for Youth Tribute/Benefit
Date: Sunday July 26, 2009 Doors/Red Carpet: 8:00PM
Patrons of the event can enjoy the 8:00 Red Carpet to show off their best adidas®, Run-DMC, and Peace Boston attire!
Show time: 8:01 SHARP until 2:00AM
Location: Harpers Ferry 158 Brighton Ave Allston, MA
Age: 18+
Price: $20 General admission, $15 for patrons wearing adidas®, Run-DMC, or the Peace Boston Bean on the Map teeshirt. Tickets are available at the door or via www.harpersferryboston.com (full price only)
The Jam Master Jay Foundation and their special celebrity guests will arrive escorted by a motorcycle motorcade!
Scheduled to appear:
* Hip-Hop Pioneer and Grammy-award winning DJ, GrandMixer DXT (Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit”) and Whodini’s Grandmaster Dee, Candi Lynn, and EnMotion, Dancers for Peace.
* DJs Cruz, Ill Neil, Koo Koo, Vance, Nestle Quik, Lefty, Ant G, Daz-One, Killer DJ, Act One, and Doc Luv will spin in a DJ salute
* Moe Pope, Agari Crew, True 2 Life Music, Perfekt and Chance, and Melodeego .
* Peace in the Streets artists Tru Indeed, Lyrical, Lisa Bello, Lady Enchantress, Tshombe, Emcee Sutter Caine, Louie Bello, and Mr. Harvey, backed by Velvet Stylus.
* Plus a “Walk This Way” tribute featuring Shaymin and special guest to be announced.
* David H., Real Talk, and DJ Cruz will host.
This breakthrough event will raise funds for The Jam Master Jay Foundation for Youth, a non-profit 501[c]3 organization developed by the mother and brother of the late legend, to continue the legacy of supporting educational and economic opportunities, including scholarship endeavors and awards, for young people ages 6-21, as well as recognize Jam Master Jay’s many contributions to Hip-Hop culture and music history.
Peace Boston will be on site and their Peace in the Streets compilation album and merchandise will be for sale to raise funds for youth violence prevention and family support efforts.
Jam Master Jay Foundation for Youth Tribute/Benefit
Date: Sunday July 26, 2009 Doors/Red Carpet: 8:00PM
Patrons of the event can enjoy the 8:00 Red Carpet to show off their best adidas®, Run-DMC, and Peace Boston attire!
Show time: 8:01 SHARP until 2:00AM
Location: Harpers Ferry 158 Brighton Ave Allston, MA
Age: 18+
Price: $20 General admission, $15 for patrons wearing adidas®, Run-DMC, or the Peace Boston Bean on the Map teeshirt. Tickets are available at the door or via www.harpersferryboston.com (full price only)
The Jam Master Jay Foundation and their special celebrity guests will arrive escorted by a motorcycle motorcade!
Scheduled to appear:
* Hip-Hop Pioneer and Grammy-award winning DJ, GrandMixer DXT (Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit”) and Whodini’s Grandmaster Dee, Candi Lynn, and EnMotion, Dancers for Peace.
* DJs Cruz, Ill Neil, Koo Koo, Vance, Nestle Quik, Lefty, Ant G, Daz-One, Killer DJ, Act One, and Doc Luv will spin in a DJ salute
* Moe Pope, Agari Crew, True 2 Life Music, Perfekt and Chance, and Melodeego .
* Peace in the Streets artists Tru Indeed, Lyrical, Lisa Bello, Lady Enchantress, Tshombe, Emcee Sutter Caine, Louie Bello, and Mr. Harvey, backed by Velvet Stylus.
* Plus a “Walk This Way” tribute featuring Shaymin and special guest to be announced.
* David H., Real Talk, and DJ Cruz will host.
This breakthrough event will raise funds for The Jam Master Jay Foundation for Youth, a non-profit 501[c]3 organization developed by the mother and brother of the late legend, to continue the legacy of supporting educational and economic opportunities, including scholarship endeavors and awards, for young people ages 6-21, as well as recognize Jam Master Jay’s many contributions to Hip-Hop culture and music history.
Peace Boston will be on site and their Peace in the Streets compilation album and merchandise will be for sale to raise funds for youth violence prevention and family support efforts.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Hates the Internet: My Response
Update 7/20/2009 2:06PM: A link to Nikki Sixx's response to the Wall Street Journal article appears at the end of this blog post.
Gotta love Nikki Sixx...The man knows exactly what to say to get attention!
Wall Street Journal Interview & Commentary: Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx Hates the Internet
( http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/07/19/motley-crues-nikki-sixx-hates-the-internet/ )
My response, from the Comments section after the Wall Street Journal article (in blue italics here, so I don't have to rewrite it):
"MusicBizAdviceEditor wrote:
Joe in Poughkeepsie or Sue in Roanoke has always "decided when something is a great show".It’s called Word of Mouth. The only difference is that now, instead of sitting around in their living rooms or hanging at a diner out with friends, Joe and Sue are talking to millions of people at once. You just have to keep what you can under wraps, then let Joe & Sue do your marketing for you once the cat’s out of the bag. As for Twitter, it’s long past the "eating a ham sandwich" stage and has morphed into a viable medium for quickly sharing & finding information…as well as an instant focus group."
I do, however, understand Nikki's feelings about trying to maintain the mystique. For good or bad, when fans find out "too much" about their favorite artist, it alters whatever image they've created in their own minds about that person (kind of like meeting an Internet email pal, or--if you go farther back--kind of like meeting a pen pal).
Based on their feeling about what they find, you stand a 50/50 chance of being rejected by them.
But, it can also work in your favor. There's a certain celebrity, who shall remain nameless, that I wasn't a fan of at all (to put it mildly) until I happened upon them on Twitter. This celebrity's tweets---this celeb writes their own-- have continually shown this person to be a fun, cool person with interesting things to say away from the business, who not only cares about their family, friends and fans, but about the planet as a whole. Had I not seen their tweets on Twitter, I probably would have continued to have a negative image of this person.
So tread lightly, yes, but don't reject the idea out of hand completely...
Especially if you're blessed to be as entertaining as Nikki Sixx, whose old posts from the early infancy of AOL are still legendary!
For those who don't find Twitter "ridiculous" (just kidding, Nikki), or who do but want to give it a second chance, follow me at http://twitter.com/MusicBizAdvice . I'm not as entertaining as Nikki Sixx, but I have a lot of fun talking with our readers and try to give interesting info.
Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
Update 7/20/2009: You can read Nikki's response to the Wall Street Journal article & comments here.
Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the early 90's I worked for the talent agency that booked Motley Crue, and before that I worked for a concert promotion company that presented many Motley Crue shows. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the band or its individual members. The MusicBizAdvice.com website, and by extension, this blog, sells Amazon products, including music, as an Amazon Associate.
Gotta love Nikki Sixx...The man knows exactly what to say to get attention!
Wall Street Journal Interview & Commentary: Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx Hates the Internet
( http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/07/19/motley-crues-nikki-sixx-hates-the-internet/ )
My response, from the Comments section after the Wall Street Journal article (in blue italics here, so I don't have to rewrite it):
"MusicBizAdviceEditor wrote:
Joe in Poughkeepsie or Sue in Roanoke has always "decided when something is a great show".It’s called Word of Mouth. The only difference is that now, instead of sitting around in their living rooms or hanging at a diner out with friends, Joe and Sue are talking to millions of people at once. You just have to keep what you can under wraps, then let Joe & Sue do your marketing for you once the cat’s out of the bag. As for Twitter, it’s long past the "eating a ham sandwich" stage and has morphed into a viable medium for quickly sharing & finding information…as well as an instant focus group."
I do, however, understand Nikki's feelings about trying to maintain the mystique. For good or bad, when fans find out "too much" about their favorite artist, it alters whatever image they've created in their own minds about that person (kind of like meeting an Internet email pal, or--if you go farther back--kind of like meeting a pen pal).
Based on their feeling about what they find, you stand a 50/50 chance of being rejected by them.
But, it can also work in your favor. There's a certain celebrity, who shall remain nameless, that I wasn't a fan of at all (to put it mildly) until I happened upon them on Twitter. This celebrity's tweets---this celeb writes their own-- have continually shown this person to be a fun, cool person with interesting things to say away from the business, who not only cares about their family, friends and fans, but about the planet as a whole. Had I not seen their tweets on Twitter, I probably would have continued to have a negative image of this person.
So tread lightly, yes, but don't reject the idea out of hand completely...
Especially if you're blessed to be as entertaining as Nikki Sixx, whose old posts from the early infancy of AOL are still legendary!
For those who don't find Twitter "ridiculous" (just kidding, Nikki), or who do but want to give it a second chance, follow me at http://twitter.com/MusicBizAdvice . I'm not as entertaining as Nikki Sixx, but I have a lot of fun talking with our readers and try to give interesting info.
Randi Reed
Founder / Editor in Chief, MusicBizAdvice.com
Update 7/20/2009: You can read Nikki's response to the Wall Street Journal article & comments here.
Disclosure of Endorsements/Recommendations/Financial Compensation or Business Relationships per FTC Blog Disclosure Regulations in effect December 1, 2009: In the early 90's I worked for the talent agency that booked Motley Crue, and before that I worked for a concert promotion company that presented many Motley Crue shows. Since that time I've received no financial compensation or free product in direct connection with the band or its individual members. The MusicBizAdvice.com website, and by extension, this blog, sells Amazon products, including music, as an Amazon Associate.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Deja Vous? I hope not...(Michael Jackson / Anna Nicole)
While the world awaits the coroner's report on the death of Michael Jackson, and the cause of his death is purely speculation, details that are coming out in the media seem all too reminiscent of the death of Anna Nicole Smith. Whether that turns out to actually be the case, we do know that Michael Jackson struggled with addiction to painkillers...which is enough, IMHO, for a bit of reflecting on the care (notice I did not say "handling") of addicted clients.
On Friday, February 09, 2007 on this very subject. I wish I'd never have to repeat it again, but maybe it might help someone.
Did Hollywood Kill Anna Nicole Smith?
While the definitive cause of Anna Nicole Smith’s death probably won’t be in for weeks, regardless of the autopsy result, anyone who saw her recent interviews on Entertainment Tonight could see she was obviously impaired by substance abuse. (When someone’s eyes are going in two different directions…) So, I’d like to talk about the addicted celebrity client.
Did Hollywood kill Anna Nicole Smith? Speaking as someone who grew up around chemical addiction in a small-town, non-showbiz family, I really don’t think so. I think the addiction gene or addictive personality (whatever your belief happens to be about the root cause) is either there, or it isn’t.
But, also speaking as someone who’s been in the role of agent, artist manager, and prior to that, as personal assistant, do I think Hollywood contributed to the death of Anna Nicole Smith? Absolutely.
When you have people making money from whatever the celebrity’s status quo is at a given moment, someone in the mix will have an interest in keeping the celebrity in that money-making status quo…Even at the risk of a self-destructive celebrity. (The same status-quo dynamic happens in non-showbiz families too, by the way, but because the motivation is usually more about fear of change than about big money, it’s less overt and is more subconscious.)
It comes down to the kind of people the celebrity surrounds him or herself with. If a celebrity with an addictive personality (or the addiction gene) is surrounded by “yes” people who tell them what they want to hear, that celebrity is going to be in trouble.
I’ve heard some managers and agents say, “It’s none of my business.”
I disagree. It is their business, and getting help for a troubled client is part of being a good manager or agent.
If you work in the industry long enough, you see first-hand that creativity is often borne of pain, and that many clients had troubled childhoods or estranged family relationships and seek fame as a way to fill a void. So to make money off that client and then ignore their need for professional help when that pain (or the attempted numbing of it) gets out of hand is not only irresponsible, it’s inexcusable.
If you have signing privileges (i.e., power of attorney) and can sign your clients’ name on contracts, it’s your business. If you travel in the immediate vicinity with your client (reports say at least 6 people were staying at the hotel with Anna Nicole Smith) or are privy to the details of your clients’ day to day life, it’s your business. If you have keys to your clients’ home, it’s not only your business, you have no excuse not to get them off to rehab ASAP. More than once if necessary.
(And I’m talking hard-core, real-deal rehab like-Betty Ford or Hazelden…not Rehab Lite.)
I’ve heard a lot of people comparing Anna Nicole’s death to that of Marilyn Monroe. I disagree with that as well. Marilyn died in 1962, pre-Betty Ford Center, when very little was known about addiction or even about the addictive nature of some of the prescription medications she was taking.
This is 2007, and we all know better.
Meanwhile, the headlines surrounding the death of Anna Nicole Smith are getting stranger by the minute…The latest, courtesy of MSNBC, is that Zsa Zsa Gabor’s 9th and current husband, Prince Frédéric von Anhalt, says he could be the baby’s father. And it gets even more bizarre: In his press conference today, Prince Frederic (who allegedly essentially bought his title) said Anna Nicole told him she’d always wanted to be a princess, so he’d tried to make that happen for her by attempting to adopt Anna Nicole. But, Prince Frederic said, Zsa Zsa wouldn’t sign the adoption papers. (I kid you not, folks. I saw him say this in the press conference with my own eyes.)
That all these people are coming out of the woodwork with press conferences after her death just proves my point: Anna Nicole needed someone to protect her. If not a good family, then at the least, by very good management…
Very good management does exist, by the way. But unfortunately it doesn’t usually make for very interesting headlines.Copyright 2007 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.
On Friday, February 09, 2007 on this very subject. I wish I'd never have to repeat it again, but maybe it might help someone.
Did Hollywood Kill Anna Nicole Smith?
While the definitive cause of Anna Nicole Smith’s death probably won’t be in for weeks, regardless of the autopsy result, anyone who saw her recent interviews on Entertainment Tonight could see she was obviously impaired by substance abuse. (When someone’s eyes are going in two different directions…) So, I’d like to talk about the addicted celebrity client.
Did Hollywood kill Anna Nicole Smith? Speaking as someone who grew up around chemical addiction in a small-town, non-showbiz family, I really don’t think so. I think the addiction gene or addictive personality (whatever your belief happens to be about the root cause) is either there, or it isn’t.
But, also speaking as someone who’s been in the role of agent, artist manager, and prior to that, as personal assistant, do I think Hollywood contributed to the death of Anna Nicole Smith? Absolutely.
When you have people making money from whatever the celebrity’s status quo is at a given moment, someone in the mix will have an interest in keeping the celebrity in that money-making status quo…Even at the risk of a self-destructive celebrity. (The same status-quo dynamic happens in non-showbiz families too, by the way, but because the motivation is usually more about fear of change than about big money, it’s less overt and is more subconscious.)
It comes down to the kind of people the celebrity surrounds him or herself with. If a celebrity with an addictive personality (or the addiction gene) is surrounded by “yes” people who tell them what they want to hear, that celebrity is going to be in trouble.
I’ve heard some managers and agents say, “It’s none of my business.”
I disagree. It is their business, and getting help for a troubled client is part of being a good manager or agent.
If you work in the industry long enough, you see first-hand that creativity is often borne of pain, and that many clients had troubled childhoods or estranged family relationships and seek fame as a way to fill a void. So to make money off that client and then ignore their need for professional help when that pain (or the attempted numbing of it) gets out of hand is not only irresponsible, it’s inexcusable.
If you have signing privileges (i.e., power of attorney) and can sign your clients’ name on contracts, it’s your business. If you travel in the immediate vicinity with your client (reports say at least 6 people were staying at the hotel with Anna Nicole Smith) or are privy to the details of your clients’ day to day life, it’s your business. If you have keys to your clients’ home, it’s not only your business, you have no excuse not to get them off to rehab ASAP. More than once if necessary.
(And I’m talking hard-core, real-deal rehab like-Betty Ford or Hazelden…not Rehab Lite.)
I’ve heard a lot of people comparing Anna Nicole’s death to that of Marilyn Monroe. I disagree with that as well. Marilyn died in 1962, pre-Betty Ford Center, when very little was known about addiction or even about the addictive nature of some of the prescription medications she was taking.
This is 2007, and we all know better.
Meanwhile, the headlines surrounding the death of Anna Nicole Smith are getting stranger by the minute…The latest, courtesy of MSNBC, is that Zsa Zsa Gabor’s 9th and current husband, Prince Frédéric von Anhalt, says he could be the baby’s father. And it gets even more bizarre: In his press conference today, Prince Frederic (who allegedly essentially bought his title) said Anna Nicole told him she’d always wanted to be a princess, so he’d tried to make that happen for her by attempting to adopt Anna Nicole. But, Prince Frederic said, Zsa Zsa wouldn’t sign the adoption papers. (I kid you not, folks. I saw him say this in the press conference with my own eyes.)
That all these people are coming out of the woodwork with press conferences after her death just proves my point: Anna Nicole needed someone to protect her. If not a good family, then at the least, by very good management…
Very good management does exist, by the way. But unfortunately it doesn’t usually make for very interesting headlines.Copyright 2007 Randi Reed and MusicBizAdvice.com. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
New Name for American Idol?
Wow, must the producers of American Idol be ticked (more specifically, the artist management arm of the show): Just when American Idol had finally achieved a sense of legitimacy within the music industry and we'd almost forgotten the Taylor Hicks debacle...BAM!
No surprises on American Idol's finale tonight, but I am thinking American Idol should be renamed...Here are a few suggestions:
"Rock" Star Lite (with the word "rock" in ironic quotation marks, as shown)
The Guy (or Girl) the American Idol Audience is the Least Afraid Of
The Music Idol of Christian Conservatives
The Guy Next Door Who Can Sing and Had Some Nice Moments but Who Doesn't Have as Much Star Quality as the Guy Who Really Should Have Won
The Guy Who Has Some of the Elements of the Total Package But Still Needs a Little Work on One or Two of Them
The Guy or Girl Most Appealing to Fox
Come on People! Kris Allen is talented, and he has some nice moments. But when Kris himself on the winner's stage seemed genuinely shocked and said, with true sincerity, that it should have been Adam, there's a problem.
As I wrote in our MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback column on MusicBizAdvice.com, of the two finalists, Adam Lambert is the total package: vocal ability, stage presence, looks, star quality, and needs the least development to be great.
Kris Allen has some, but not as many, of those elements. I'm not saying he doesn't have the potential. I even chose him as one of my favorites on one of his performance nights in the early part of the competition. But an idol needs more than potential. It should be there already. Adam already has it.
Idols are supposed to be different than the guy next door. Paraphrasing what Simon Cowell said recently in an interview, stars sparkle like diamonds and should be rare. I wholeheartedly agree.
On the upside, at least Adam doesn't have to sing or promote the winner's song ever again!
Advice to next year's wannabe winners on Idol: Pretend to be an evangelical, and talk about it a lot in interviews. Looking at the show's track record of winners, you'll apparently have a better shot.
(I'm kidding, so relax. I have nothing against religion, just a problem with those who try to make their own religion everyone else's. Believe whatever you like, live and let live, and don't exclude others who don't happen to believe what you do. Excluding others on the basis of their beliefs is what led to a whoooooooole lotta trouble in Germany, among other places.)
Someone, please bring back Rock Star (and its music director and house band with it)...It was sooo much better than American Idol. And a hell of a lot more believable!
Meanwhile, if you want to read our week by week rundown of the entire American Idol season, it's here:
http://www.musicbizadvice.com/American%20Idol%20Armchair%20Quarterback.htm
No surprises on American Idol's finale tonight, but I am thinking American Idol should be renamed...Here are a few suggestions:
"Rock" Star Lite (with the word "rock" in ironic quotation marks, as shown)
The Guy (or Girl) the American Idol Audience is the Least Afraid Of
The Music Idol of Christian Conservatives
The Guy Next Door Who Can Sing and Had Some Nice Moments but Who Doesn't Have as Much Star Quality as the Guy Who Really Should Have Won
The Guy Who Has Some of the Elements of the Total Package But Still Needs a Little Work on One or Two of Them
The Guy or Girl Most Appealing to Fox
Come on People! Kris Allen is talented, and he has some nice moments. But when Kris himself on the winner's stage seemed genuinely shocked and said, with true sincerity, that it should have been Adam, there's a problem.
As I wrote in our MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback column on MusicBizAdvice.com, of the two finalists, Adam Lambert is the total package: vocal ability, stage presence, looks, star quality, and needs the least development to be great.
Kris Allen has some, but not as many, of those elements. I'm not saying he doesn't have the potential. I even chose him as one of my favorites on one of his performance nights in the early part of the competition. But an idol needs more than potential. It should be there already. Adam already has it.
Idols are supposed to be different than the guy next door. Paraphrasing what Simon Cowell said recently in an interview, stars sparkle like diamonds and should be rare. I wholeheartedly agree.
On the upside, at least Adam doesn't have to sing or promote the winner's song ever again!
Advice to next year's wannabe winners on Idol: Pretend to be an evangelical, and talk about it a lot in interviews. Looking at the show's track record of winners, you'll apparently have a better shot.
(I'm kidding, so relax. I have nothing against religion, just a problem with those who try to make their own religion everyone else's. Believe whatever you like, live and let live, and don't exclude others who don't happen to believe what you do. Excluding others on the basis of their beliefs is what led to a whoooooooole lotta trouble in Germany, among other places.)
Someone, please bring back Rock Star (and its music director and house band with it)...It was sooo much better than American Idol. And a hell of a lot more believable!
Meanwhile, if you want to read our week by week rundown of the entire American Idol season, it's here:
http://www.musicbizadvice.com/American%20Idol%20Armchair%20Quarterback.htm
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