Music Business

Music Business — Comments Off
16
Dec 11

Lady Gaga is Forbes’ top-earning woman in music

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – She wasn’t born this way. But she’s enjoying it now.

Lady Gaga had a monster of a year. Forbes has ranked the singer as the top earning woman in music for 2011.

Gaga grossed a whopping $90 million from album sales, endorsement deals and blockbuster worldwide tours.

Taylor Swift ranked second with nearly half of Gaga’s take. The country singer made $45 million in 2011.

Trailing close behind and snagging the number three spot is Katy Perry with $44 million. Perry’s success comes on the heals of five consecutive hits off her multi-platinum “Teenage Dream” album.

Beyonce took the No. 4 spot and Rihanna landed in fifth place with $29 million.

Earnings were tabulated from data complied from May 2010 to May 2011.

The complete list is available at Forbes.com.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
7
Dec 11

Roy Orbison’s widow dies at 60

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – The widow of rock n’ roll pioneer Roy Orbison, Barbara Orbison, died Tuesday in Los Angeles at the age of 60.

Family spokesperson Sarah McMullen said Barbara Orbison died at Los Angeles County USC Medical Center where she had been hospitalized since May.

Roy Orbison died in 1988. Barbara was his manager and co-produced a four-box CD of her husband’s 107 recordings after his death titled “Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll.”

Barbara Orbison’s Nashville-based publishing company, Still Working Music, was recently awarded BMI’s 2010 Song of the Year for Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me.”

Last year, Mrs. Orbison accepted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on her husband’s behalf.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
25
Nov 11

Nickleback booed at Detroit Lions game

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Nickelback’s performance at the halftime show of the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game was heavily protested with an online petition garnering more than 55,000 signatures.

The group, which hails from Canada, was protested by critics who said the rock band doesn’t represent Detroit’s music heritage.

Nickelback’s introduction was greeted with some cheers and jeers, which the Detroit Free Press described as “tepid.” The Canadian rock group performed its new hit single “When We Stand Together,” a song about unity. Some fans applauded and stood with signs that read “Live United.”

Frontman Chad Kruger, wearing dark sunglasses, gave a hearty “Dee-troit” shout out near the end of the performance.

Despite the controversy, Nickelback fared better than American Idol 10th season runner-up Lauren Alaina, who opened the game with a rendition of the National Anthem. The 17-year-old forgot the words, and paused for an long three seconds before regaining her composure to finish the song.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
22
Nov 11

DWTS finals: Rob Kardashian takes the lead

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – The cast of Dancing With the Stars has been whittled down to three.

The trio of celebrities and their professional partners gave it their best shot Monday for their final performance.

Ricki Lake danced first with partner Derek Hough, who won last year with partner Jennifer Grey. Ricki and Derek scored a 27 out of a possible 30 for their fist dance. Her second dance left the duo with a score of 54 for the night.

J.R. Martinez started the evening earning a 24 for his cha cha. But his second dance with Karina Smirnoff helped him earn a perfect score of 30, giving him a total of 54, and placed him in a tie with Ricki Lake

Dark horse and now possible contender is Rob Kardashian who also racked up a score of 27 for his first dance and did even better on his second dance. Rob and partner Cheryl Burke earned a perfect 30, topping the scoreboard with a 57.

The winner of the coveted Mirror Ball trophy will be announced Tuesday night. Early polls have J.R. Martinez winning, but surprises are always a given.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
13
Nov 11

Shock jock Howard Stern near deal as judge on ‘America’s Got Talent’

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – Radio shock jock Howard Stern is near a deal with NBC to become a judge on the network’s reality competition show “America’s Got Talent.”

Under the deal, which is in negotiations, Stern would earn about $15 million a year. Joining co-judges Howie Mandel and Sharon Osbourne, he would take Piers Morgan’s seat at the judge’s table.

Morgan is steeping down to focus on his CNN evening talk show.

“America’s Got Talent” is among TV’s most popular show in the summer, when it typically airs.

Stern, known for his outspoken and bold interview style, and his frequent lewd commentaries, would continue to air his radio show, heard exclusively on Sirius XM Radio.

Stern, based in New York, may just be able to stay put. NBC is mulling moving the talent show, now shooting in Los Angeles, to the Big Apple.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
7
Nov 11

‘Moon River’ crooner Andy Williams has bladder cancer

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Branson, MO, United States (AHN) – Crooner Andy William, best known for his hit “Moon River,” told fans Saturday he had bladder cancer.

The singer announced to a crowd, gathered at his Moon River Theater in Branson, MO, for his Christmas Show, that he has cancer of the bladder.

Williams told his fans, “I do have cancer of the bladder. But that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this.”

Williams, 83, began his career at a child when he joined his older brothers in a quartet. He went on to record 18 gold and three Platinum albums. He also enjoyed a successful TV variety show that ran from 1962-71.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
4
Nov 11

Bieber a daddy?

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – A Bieber baby?

A fan claims that Justin Bieber, 17, is the father of her child. His legal team is denying the allegations.

Maria Yeater of California claims she had sex with the pop sensation a year ago and that a 3-month-old baby boy is his.

RadarOnline first reported the claims, writing, “in a signed affidavit, sworn under penalty of perjury, Yeater told a California court that Bieber propositioned her on Oct. 25 of last year when she was 19. The pair had a sexual tryst after his concert and backstage at L.A.’s Staples Center.”

The charges could seriously damage Bieber’s squeaky clean boy-next-door image. He has openly criticized casual sex, and would have been just 16 at the time of the alleged encounter.

The charges could also seriously damage the relationship he is in currently in with Disney star Selena Gomez.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
29
Oct 11

Steven Tyler’s fall is not a fall off the wagon

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

New York, NY, United States (AHN) – Aerosmith frontman and American Idol judge Steven Tyler took a tumble in the shower in Paraguay this week that sent him to the hospital and caused a brief disruption in the band’s South American concert tour.

Tyler, 63, lost two teeth in the fall and suffered a black eye.

The incident led many fans to wonder if the rocker, who has been open about his battles with drugs and alcohol but has been clean and sober for some time, had fallen off his rocker, or more succinctly, the wagon.

Tyler wanted to set the record straight so he phoned into the Today show Thursday and spoke with Matt Lauer. Tyler made it clear that although the accident appeared to be a bit bizarre, he maintains he has not relapsed.

“I started to get sick, and I just fell on my face. I just passed out,” Tyler said during the interview. The illness was apparently brought on by food poisoning.

“They stitched up my eye. They did a little plastic surgery. And they fixed my tooth. All in one fell swoop,” Tyler added.

Like a true professional, Tyler said that, despite the spill, the tour must go on.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
20
Oct 11

Researchers say many rap songs advertise for alcohol industry

David Goodhue – AHN News Reporter

Pittsburgh, PA, United States (AHN) – The average adolescent living in the United States is heavily exposed to alcohol brand references in popular music, according to a new study.

These branded references are most common in hip hop and R&B songs that are often associated with a luxury lifestyle characterized by degrading sexual activity, wealth, partying, violence and drug use, University of Pittsburgh researchers said.

The study analyzed 793 of the most popular songs in the youth market between 2005 and 2007. They found that about 25 percent of the songs that mention alcohol also mentioned brand names. This represented about 2.4 alcohol brand appearances per song-hour, the researchers said.

Since the average pre-teen and teenager is exposed to about 2.5 hours of pop music a day, young people’s annual exposure to alcohol brand references in popular music is significant, the researchers said in a statement. Such frequent exposure could constitute a form of advertising and could contribute to an early “initiation and maintenance” of substance use among adolescents.

The researchers said that the high amount of alcohol references may have to do with the strong ties between the booze and music industries. For example, Seagram’s owned Universal and Polygram between 1995 and 2001. Also, many popular hip hop artists have started their own alcohol brands.

Over the years, many alcohol companies have used rap musicians to hawk their products.

The alcohol industry trade group, the Distilled Spirits Council, has guidelines against marketing alcoholic products to audiences below the legal drinking age. But because rap music is popular among high school students, the researchers said that advertising campaigns that focus on hip hop artists may not be consistent with that guideline.

A full report on the study appears in the online edition of the journal Addiction.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

Music Business — Comments Off
14
Oct 11

Rihanna named Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive

Diane Alter – AHN News Reporter

New York, NY, United States (AHN) – R& B singer Rihanna has been named Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive for 2011.

The singer, who graces the cover and is strategically posed hiding little and baring more, said in an interview with the magazine that being sexy is not something she strives for when performing. “At the end of a concert, I don’t feel like I’ve been this sexy thing, Really, I don’t even think about it,” Rihanna told Esquire.

Readers may think different when they view the undeniably sexy photos of the 23-year-old Barbados-born singer.

The singer also noted in the interview that she keeps her figure curvy with a trainer and has a drink before she goes on stage.

Rihanna has sold more than 20 million albums and 60 million singles, making her one of the best selling artists of all times. She is the youngest artist in Billboard charts history to achieve 10 number-one singles on the Hot 100.

Rihanna takes the title from Minka Kelly, who received the honors last year.

Article © AHN – All Rights Reserved

View full post on All Stories

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →