Amber Coffman Speaks In-Depth About Heathcliff Berru: `I
Transcription
Amber Coffman Speaks In-Depth About Heathcliff Berru: `I
January 21, 2016 Page 1 of 17 INSIDE Is There a Music Tech Bubble? The Legacy of Rosalie Trombley, Radio Pioneer Immortalized in Bob Seger’s ‘Rosalie’ and Breaker of ‘Bennie and the Jets’ Plagued By Visa Problems, Jamaican Stars Seek Alternatives to Reach Fans Jussie Smollett, Fantasia, Leon Bridges Among Performers Tapped For ‘BET Honors’: Exclusive App Annie Report 2015: Music Streaming Revenue Doubles, Google Play Passes Apple Amber Coffman Speaks In-Depth About Heathcliff Berru: ‘I Hope This Is A Big Wake-Up Call For People Like That’ BY DANIELLE BACHER Beginning on Monday, a series of tweets from Dirty Projectors singer Amber Coffman escalated with astonishing speed into a watershed moment for sexism in the music industry. In them, the 31-year-old musician accused Heathcliff Berru, founder of Life or Death PR and Management, of inappropriate sexual behavior — specifically, of groping her buttocks [at a bar in New York in 2013, she later told Billboard]. Her tweets triggered several more women to come forward with claims via social media. Publicist Beth Martinez tweeted that Berru put his hand down her shirt multiple times while he drove her home from a bar, and reiterated that account in an interview with Billboard. Tearist singer Yasmine Kittles that he forced her onto a couch at her home, held her down, opened his pants, and forced her hand onto his genitals (an account she repeated to Billboard). And Brooklyn Magazine published an email it said it had received from musician Roxy Lange, claiming that Berru verbally and physically pressured to perform oral sex on him in a taxi, then forced his way into her apartment and continued his assault but stopped short of raping her. Singersongwriter Sky Ferreira, who was previously repped by Berru’s company, tweeted, “About time someone said something.” The outcry on social media was swift and fierce, and late Tuesday afternoon,Berru resigned from his position as CEO and issued a statement that he would be heading into rehab for drug and alcohol addiction. “There have been several reports about my alleged inappropriate behavior which deserve a response,” the statement reads in part. “I am deeply sorry for those who I have offended by my actions and how I have made certain women feel. If I crossed the line of decency or respectfulness in situations when I was drunk and under the influence, there is no excuse, of course. To be clear, while my conduct may have (continued) Page 2 of 17 [In Brief] been inappropriate, I have never drugged anyone or engaged in that type of behavior. Nevertheless, I do not want to be the type of person who would let drugs or alcohol take command of his life and compromise how he treats people. Yet I have been this person and it’s time to put a stop to all of this.” (Berru declined Billboard’s requests for further comment.) After multiple artists announced they were firing the company, Life or Death essentially dissolved the following day, with the remaining staffers regrouping —separate from Berru — under a to-beannounced name. Coffman first met Berru at an Unknown Mortal Orchestra concert at the Echo in Los Angeles in February 2013. They were introduced by a mutual friend and exchanged a few words. “He thought we had met before, but I didn’t remember him,” says Coffman. A week later, Coffman saw the group again at the Bowery Ballroom in New York. Backstage, she saw Berru in the hallway and he asked for her number. “I had met his [then]-fiancé and he was the publicist for a friend’s band, so it seemed harmless to me. I didn’t feel threatened by him initially,” she says. At the band’s afterparty at a nearby bar, Berru approached Coffman and a male friend while she was standing with a drink in her hand. “Immediately, his hand went to my ass. He grabbed it and he was rubbing my butt, just up and down, without saying anything,” she recalls. “I just totally froze up and ran over to get my other guy friends because it was out of left field and I was shocked. Totally shocked.” The group of them returned to the bar where Berru was standing. He told her that she looked “incredibly cute” and then grabbed her hair and started biting it in front of her friends. “I didn’t know what to do. It’s like, ‘How do I survive this situation?’ When someone violates you, you don’t know how far they will go. We just ended up leaving immediately to get out of the situation safely,” she says. The following day, Berru apologized via text for being drunk, adding a “ha ha” to the end of the message. Coffman told him never to contact her again. A staffer at Domino Records, Coffman’s label, was also at the bar and witnessed the incident. Coffman reached out to Domino the next day, and the company decided to stop working with Berru — a decision that Coffman and a Domino rep emphasize was made by the label itself with no pressure from her. Coffman also relayed the story to her publicist, Judy Miller Silverman of Motormouth Media. Silverman told Coffman — and confirmed Billboard on Thursday — that over the years “at least five” other women had told her that Berru took unwanted liberties with them. “When you are a woman and you have these kinds of experiences and you try to talk about them, a lot of times it’s like talking to a wall,” Coffman says. “People just don’t know what to do or what to tell you. There’s no real code in place to protect women from this kind of behavior. There’s a lot of tolerance for sexual harassment and a lot of complacency. Keep in mind, there are so many women who haven’t even come forward yet. I hope they do.” Following is an edited transcript of Billboard’s conversation with Coffman in Los Angeles on Jan. 20. Did you ever worry that people wouldn’t believe you? No. If somebody didn’t believe me, what the f—- do I care? Any girl who makes up a story is hurting all those young women who it actually happens to. Almost any woman you talk to has some kind of story of at the very least [inappropriate] comments being made to them, and almost any woman you know has a story that’s unsettling. That’s what a lot of men don’t realize. How much did you discuss with your publicist before and while this was happening? I initially tweeted, but didn’t say Heathcliff ’s name. Then she texted me, and we were talking about it. I had asked DECISIVE INTELLIGENCE. DELIVERED DIGITALLY. DECISIVE INTELLIGENCE. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DELIVERY CLICK HERE FOR FREE DELIVERY DELIVERED DIGITALLY. DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS DIGITAL NEWSLETTERS Digital and Mobile Touring Record Labels Retail Global • • • • • Publishing • TV/Film • Branding • Latin • Morning Fix Digital and Mobile • Touring • Record Labels • Retail • Global • Publishing • TV/Film • Branding • Latin • Morning Fix Page 3 of 17 [In Brief] her, “Why don’t people say anything?” And she told me that people are scared. Did you think your tweet would prompt so many responses from other women? I had an idea from talking to Judy that there were [other] women, so in my head I was just like, “Well, f—- that guy. I’m going to say his name.” Why didn’t you come out sooner? I told people in the industry. At the time, I didn’t have nearly as much of a Twitter following. When Domino Records asked me what I wanted to do after [the incident at Bowery Ballroom], that power was a scary feeling to me … the power to get somebody fired. However, I’m happy that they did. I was almost afraid of my own anger or power. There is definitely an element in which you get angry as a woman but don’t want to be perceived as vengeful and wrathful, so you will downplay it. How do you feel about being the first person to expose a person who allegedly had a long history of abusive behavior? It’s weird. All these people are saying, “You’re my hero,” and I’m getting so much praise. That’s really nice, but I feel like what I did is just something that every woman should feel free to do. And I’ve gotten messages from people who were harassed by him who said that if it weren’t for me saying something, they never would have said anything. And it’s all been very surprising to me. I don’t know. I don’t understand why everyone’s being so quiet. How did you feel to see it all spread so quickly and aggressively over social media? Really stunned and a little nervous. I knew it was the right thing and I knew it was a good thing, but it’s a little bit nervewracking to have all that attention on you. I think that’s why so many women don’t come forward. I have been getting so many [positive] messages from people in the last 48 hours, as well as a lot of messages from men who are really, really supportive and would never tolerate something like that. Clearly, a lot of women were holding onto this and never said anything because they never thought anyone would care. So, I’m very happy that they have at least a moment in time when they have a platform. I am in awe of the power of the situation. Were you also concerned since he is a big-name publicist that he would ruin your reputation in the music industry? I never cared about that. That didn’t cross my mind at all. At the time, I hadn’t looked up his roster. I didn’t know very much about him. I was angry that this happened to me, but then you don’t want everyone to freak out on your behalf. You certainly don’t want to be asking for that. If people’s reaction is to reprimand him, that’s their decision. I didn’t even think I was afraid to talk about it until this happened. You’ve said that just before you sent your tweets, you were talking with friends about sexual misconduct and the inappropriate behavior of some men, including some in the music industry. Is that what prompted you take it to social media? Honestly, it wasn’t a super-conscious decision. Sometimes venting on Twitter is just a reflexive thing. I go through phases with that when I take long breaks from Twitter and then I come back. But, sometimes, if I am upset about something and I want to vent about it, I just do it. So that’s really what it was. Do you think he deserved to be outed? Yes, for sure. ... I think he’d been given a pass for a really long time because of his powerful position in the industry. I wish I had said something sooner. I can’t imagine how many more people it’s happened to since my experience. A friend told me there are so many women, none of them are talking, and I said, “Why?” and she said, “Because they’re scared.” I was like, “Well, I’m not.” Anybody who behaves like this deserves to be outed. Do you feel like what happened to him was justice? At least partially. It’s hard for me to say until we hear more of the stories of what he’s done to other women. His client Chelsea Wolf recently tweeted that he tried to kiss her during a business meeting. Do you believe any of his clients knew about his behavior? I’m sure. I do know a lot of people who worked with him and knew. There is just a really horrible status quo of men not taking women seriously. Even women can be part of the boys’ club. They can side with the boys because they want the approval or they want the job or whatever. But it comes from men. It doesn’t come from women. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to tell a story to a guy about something that’s happened to me, some kind of assault, and it’s almost like it doesn’t compute because they don’t have much context for it. I see a lot of disbelief in men when this kind of thing happens. Most men don’t have a really broad awareness of these kinds of things that are happening to women all the time because it doesn’t happen to them. It’s the same with any other group of people who are facing a particular struggle. The people who don’t have to face that struggle are not as aware of it. Berru said in his statement that he’s going to rehab for his problems with drugs and alcohol and that his wife has left him. How did you feel when you read it? It didn’t sound like the response of someone taking responsibility for it. It sounded kind of like he said what he felt he had to say in the situation, and then painted himself as a victim when he’s not. That should be the only thing to do: to take responsibility. I saw in his initial statement that he used the words “alleged” and “offend,” like I managed to offend people. I don’t know. He doesn’t have a defense, and so I feel like that’s the only thing that he can really say. Would you feel differently if he took responsibility for his actions? How often does that really happen, though? People getting really drunk or using drugs doesn’t turn them into abusers. I’m glad that he wants to go to rehab and I hope that he gets the help that he needs. I also hope that he goes to get psychiatric care to change his perspective on women. That’s the real issue. Are you surprised he stepped down from his position after all the women came forward? Was that powerful for you? Page 4 of 17 [In Brief] Yeah, it’s really amazing. But it’s only the very beginning of these conversations, because there are so many other men in this industry who are pulling shit like this. It shouldn’t be tolerated in any industry, and it’s everywhere. I just hope that this is a big wake-up call for people like that. They’re not going to get away with it. One girl wrote me that what he had done to her had been haunting her for nine years. This is not the result of addiction. It’s a result of a very sick person who needs professional help. Have you had experiences with other men in the music industry or otherwise who acted inappropriately? I’ve experienced sexism. I have had experiences like this since I was a teenager. But it’s very sensitive subject. That kind of thing doesn’t go away. That sticks with women forever. I’ve been chased and many of my friends have been chased in cars. I experienced a peeping tom in the bathroom stall of a venue once in Louisiana. When I’m out on tour or wherever, when I’m among other industry people I’ve been pretty insulated. I’m fortunate, because a lot of women have sleazeballs working for them, or they have sleazeballs at their label. How do you think the industry can do a better job of preventing this behavior? Zero tolerance. When you see men behaving badly toward women, call it out. It needs to be taken more seriously. If you hear multiple stories about a guy, you need to take it seriously, because eventually it’s going to come to light. Did it upset you that your friends didn’t say anything to Heathcliff that evening when he touched you inappropriately? It’s not about my friends, because we were all just in shock. I don’t blame my friends. I’m talking about the people who were around Heathcliff on a regular basis, know him well and are aware of his behavior. There were lots of them. I want to make that clear that I’m not talking about my friends. One of them called me yesterday and wanted to know if I was mad at him, and I’m not at all. It’s hard to know what to do sometimes when something is so shocking. Do you believe Heathcliff’s friends should have called him out long ago? My understanding is that most of his friends knew damn well what he had done, and they continued to associate with him. I think that women need to be listened to and taken seriously. And men need to hold each other accountable for how they treat us. When you see somebody you know behaving badly, rock the boat, call it out. Don’t be afraid of confrontation. There is no good reason that you could come up with for not defending women. Do you think that this will spark other women to talk about possibly other men in the industry who have done similar things? I very much hope so, because there are a lot of monsters out there. They should. Do you in any way feel bad about what’s happened? I have sympathy for sick people, but I do not feel sorry for him. I don’t feel sorry for somebody who is so abusive to so many people. I wanted him to get in trouble. I wanted him to be called out. Were you embarrassed to come forward and tell your story? No, I don’t feel embarrassed. It is weird when these kinds of things happen and you have to tell your story to men. That can be kind of embarrassing in a way. It’s really sad, because it’s hard enough in the music business to find your way, to find success. It’s so sad to me to think that women who just want to make art and do something worthwhile are being manipulated. Is There a Music Tech Bubble? BY GLENN PEOPLES The stock market is faltering. The heavy flow of venture capital funding constricted sharply in the fourth quarter. Some high-flying technology companies, bloated with easy money, are starting to fall back to earth. The coming hangover might affect some digital music companies, but experts say not all valuations are suspect and that good ideas will continue to find financial backers. What could be more emblematic of a bubble than overvalued technology companies? Turn to any technology blog or financial outlet and you’ll see talk about “unicorns,” those private technology companies with valuations over $1 billion made possible by easy access to money. Fortune’s “The Year In Unicorns”recounted 12 months of warnings and irrational exuberance. The Economist warned of a coming “techquake” for the 150 unicorns currently on the planet (according to CB Insights). Prominent venture capitalist Bill Gurley spent 2015 predicting imminent doom for highly valued technology companies that lack financial fundamentals. Now investors are starting to pull back. Fidelity wrote down its investment in Snapchat, a photo-sharing service most recently valued at $15 billion, by 25 percent. Blackrock did the same with its stake in Dropbox, a cloud service for hosting and sharing files that was last valued at $10 billion. Square, a mobile payments platform co-founded by Twitter co-founder and Chief Executive Jack Dorsey, had a November IPO at a $2.9 billion valuation, less than half of the $6 billion at its last private funding round just 13 months earlier. Venture-backed companies raised less money in the fourth quarter than they had in any of the four prior quarters, according to the latest Venture Pulse report. While some unicorns will undoubtedly fall, not all startups are necessarily overvalued. Artist manager Troy Carter believes some technology companies are actually undervalued. “We’re seeing a lot companies that are living up to their valuations, when you look at growth and you look at revenue,” says Carter, who has invested in a range of tech startups — including Spotify — through his AF Square angel fund. Notable investors from Mark Andreessen and Sam Altman of Y Combinator agree, dismissing the idea of a bubble and arguing taht many tech companies are actually undervalued based on their proven ability to lead a Page 5 of 17 [In Brief] growing market. Perhaps unsurprisingly, market leaders, the ones either creating or reshaping industries, are faring the best. Uber, the ride-sharing app that’s changed transportation in many cities, “is valued at 4 times the total value of taxi spending in the world last year,” Max Wolff, Chief Economist at Manhattan Venture Partners. “They argue they are creating a bigger value by making it easier [to get rides].” Spotify could be one of those undervalued companies. Its proponents could argue the company will not only disrupt the existing music market, it will make the market large enough to merit an $8 billion valuation. “The idea is people are valuing these companies, in hot spaces like music, based on markets these companies are building as opposed to their cash flow today,” adds Wolff. “That always lends itself to aggressive valuations.” He believes Spotify and its competitor Deezer should get credit for convincing fans to pay for streaming. Spotify in particular converts about 35 percent of its free users. “[A] five percent conversion rate on freemium is generally considered good,” says Wolff. These sky-high valuations aren’t based on a company’s current financials. “They can be profitable if they want to,” adds Santosh Rao, head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners, which valued Spotify at $5.7 billion a year ago. “Right now they’re investing.” And why not? Rao believes the market is sending messages to mobile-first companies like Spotify that growth is more important than profitability. This strategy routinely receives criticism within the music industry from people that want Spotify to better compensate the creators behind the music. But in purely financial terms, the strategy could pay off soon. Rao forecasts Spotify will reach profitability in late 2017 or early 2019. Spotify and competing subscription service Deezer, which just announced $109 million in new funding, are just two of thousands of companies to take advantage of readily available capital. Last year, global funding for venture-backed companies grew to $128.5 billion (from $89.4 billion in 2014) and more than doubled the $50.2 billion spent in 2013. In the United States, total funding jumped to $72.4 billion from $57.4 billion. Runaway funding has lost momentum, however. After more than tripling in the previous three years, global venture funding fell to $27.2 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, the lowest level since the third quarter of 2013 and 30 percent lower than the third quarter of 2015. Funding in North America followed the same trend. It’s probably not a coincidence these declines occurred as bubble fears spiked and tech unicorns were being put on death watch. Yet for every Spotify or Deezer or even SoundCloud, which just raised $32 million in debt funding, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of smaller digital music startups looking for capital. These budding companies won’t be immune from the problems at larger companies, says Jon Vanhala, a former digital music executive now with Crossfade Partners. “It gets a little a bad at the top, worse at the bottom. That’s always been the case.” A slowdown in music investments would come at a bad time. The streaming marketplace is rather established at this point. Spotify is one of a handful of standalone streaming companies competing with Apple, Google and Amazon. New market entrants — successful ones, at least — are unlikely. That said, there are a variety of segments, from live music to virtual reality, that need funding to adapt and evolve. There’s ample room left for business-to-business services that improve how music fans find concerts, buy merchandise and concessions at venues, and receive information within that environment. Virtual reality can offer an entirely new way of experiencing music. The industry should be thinking about life after streaming. The current market and investment slowdown doesn’t mean innovation will greatly suffer. Less of the easy money that drove valuations skyward will merely separate the good company from the mediocre one. One digital music investor, who asked not to be named, says funding will continue in a correction — for the right companies: “High quality can always find financing.” The Legacy of Rosalie Trombley, Radio Pioneer Immortalized in Bob Seger’s ‘Rosalie’ and Breaker of ‘Bennie and the Jets’ BY KAREN BLISS Bob Seger immortalized Rosalie Trombley in a song and now the Canadian broadcasting legend will be immortalized by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences at the 45th annual Juno Awards. The 76-year-old will become the first woman to receive the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award since the award was created in 1984. The 1973 song, “Rosalie,” also covered by Thin Lizzy, says it all: “She knows music / I know music too, you see / She’s got the power / Good ol’ teen queen, Rosalie / Rosalie, Rosalie. She’s got the plastic / That comes from all the corners corners of the world / So fantastic / She’s everybody’s favorite little record girl.” The award, to be presented at the Juno Awards gala dinner April 2 in Calgary, recognizes individuals who have made an impact on the Canadian music industry, though Trombley’s legacy reaches far beyond Canada’s borders. Trombley, who was music director at The Big 8 — CKLW-AM Windsor from 1967 to 1984 — is credited with breaking Canadian artists in America, adding such songs as GordonLightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind,” the Guess Who’s “These Eyes,” PaulAnka’s “You’re Having My Page 6 of 17 [In Brief] Baby,” Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “Taking Care of Business,” and Burton Cummings’ “Stand Tall.” When CKLW changed formats to an older demo in 1984, she remained as music director until 1987, moving on to work at Hot AC station WLTI-FM in Detroit for a couple of years before heading to Toronto to take a position at oldies station Key 590. Trombley, who retired in Windsor, became one of the first inductees of the Motor City Music Awards, receiving a Lifetime Achievement recognition in 1992. Canadian Music Week also named The Rosalie Award after her, which is presented annually at the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards to women who have blazed a trail in radio. She received the first, in 2005. Trombley has three children, two of whom followed her into the music business. Diane started at Virgin Records and is now in broadcast sales, and Tim was vp of talent acquisition and artist development at EMI Music Canada, where he worked for 23 years. Todd is not in the industry now, but picked up sales skills working at CKLW’s sales office in Detroit. Tim, now director of entertainment at Caesars Windsor, will accept the award on his mother’s behalf and talked to Billboard about his mother’s legacy. Your mother has health issues now. Does she understand the award? She does. Yeah, she’s dealing with some serious health issues. She’s thrilled. She feels very honored, very grateful for the recognition. She loved what she did, but she never looked at it in any kind of grand way. It was just what she had to do to raise her three kids and it just happened to be something that she really enjoyed doing. What was CKLW like when she started? Were you born yet? Yeah, I was. The station, in the ‘60s, was part of the RKO General chain, which was in the United States. They had a number of major market radio and TV stations, and their Detroit stations happened to be situated in Windsor. In the mid-’60s there was a format, called “the Boss,” that was created by this legendary radio programmer named Bill Drake. CKLW took the Boss radio format and adapted it to suit the Detroit market. It became known as CKLW, “The Big 8,” sometime in the later ‘60s — that was when Mom became music director. It was this very high-powered, high-energy station with this tremendous signal... you could hear the station all across the midwest. Urban legend has it that you could hear the station in 23 states and 4 Canadian provinces, so it had a huge reach. When did you realize your Mom’s importance and legacy? I’m the oldest of three and it became apparent to me right around 1970, 1971, where we would go down to the station on occasion and we got a sense the importance and excitement — and, of course, I started going to concerts at a very young age — and we got to see the inner workings of the business. You knew your Mom had a really cool job. What are some of Rosalie’s favorite memories? She would probably tell you Bob Seger. My mom and Bob have always had a real connection. Bob, of course, immortalized her with the song ‘Rosalie,’ but she just really felt connected to Bob’s music from the very beginning, long before he broke on a national level. He was a regional star and my mother always really supported him and, in the end, was a catalyst to him breaking on a national level. He would come over to the station and hang out and go to dinner with my Mom and the program director. So that’s one, and certainly Burton Cummings and The Guess Who. She wasn’t promoted specifically on “These Eyes” — she wasn’t promoted on the single by RCA on the States; she was promoted on the single by RCA in Toronto; the band didn’t have a US deal. She got sent the record by RCA Canada, heard it and instantly, first listen, thought that song was a smash — this was before Canadian Content [when the 30 percent requirement for AM radio was implemented in January, 1971] — and put it on the air. The phones blew up. She got a call from RCA in New York the following week — they wanted to know what was happening and she basically told them, ‘This song is a hit and you need to put this out in the States. I’m getting calls from record retailers in Detroit that people are coming in looking for the single and it’s not there. So if you want to sell some records, you better get this band put out in the States very quickly; it’s looking and feeling like a major hit.’ So that’s always been a real point of pride for Mom through the years. She’s run into [Guess Who members] Burton [Cummings] and Randy [Bachman] on occasion — they treat her with tremendous respect and reverence. And she did the same for Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets,” insisting that should be a single? Yes. That was never going to be a single and one of the urban stations in Detroit started playing it, just as an album cut, and my mother picked this up, again on her weekly record sales research that she would do — that’s a whole side topic, how she pioneered doing radio sales tracking — but in any case, when she would call some of the inner city urban music accounts, they would say they were getting people coming in looking for this song ‘Bennie and the Jets.’ And so she found out that one of the urban stations in Detroit was playing it, and she knew the program director there and called up this fellow Donnie Simpson and got the story on the record. She started playing it and the same thing happened. The phones blew up and she let MCA, now Universal, know the following week what had happened over the weekend and, to her ears, it could really reach an urban audience, and if they were smart they would make it the next single. So, literally within a couple of days, she had a call from Elton John himself, wanting to know why she thought it should be a single and she told him, ‹I think the song›s a hit; our listeners think the song›s a hit; here›s what happened at urban radio in Detroit; it›s happening for us now; if you want to reach a black audience, you really should consider making this your next single,’ and he did and the rest is history. It was one of his biggest hits ever. Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards has radio award named Page 7 of 17 [In Brief] after her for women in broadcasting. Are her accomplishments at that time even more significant because she is woman? Absolutely. When she went in to that position there were no women of influence and power in broadcasting. It was very much a male-dominated industry. She was given this opportunity because one of the program directors recognized her talent. She was a pioneer. It’s very apropos that she is the first woman to be given the Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award. It’s very appropriate that Mom is the first because in so many ways she truly was a pioneer and a role model for woman in the music industry, in broadcasting and on the label side. There were a number of promotion people that started out locally in Detroit that went on to prominent national positions in LA and New York. Mom did a lot of mentoring for people in the industry. You will be accepting the award in Calgary on her behalf. What does it mean to you personally that she’s receiving this? It’s an incredible honor for Mom to be recognized after all these years. It’s very meaningful that all the years later that the legend of her and that station continues to be as strong as it was 10 years ago. If anything, her legacy and the legacy of that station seems to be even stronger now than it was 20 years ago and that’s a testament to just how talented my Mom was and how special that radio station was to so many people. Plagued By Visa Problems, Jamaican Stars Seek Alternatives to Reach Fans BY PATRICIA MESCHINO On the third night of the Jamrock Reggae Cruise, the successful five-day festival cruise founded by Damian Marley, as the Pearl sailed between two Jamaican ports prior to its return to Miami, a top-tier roster including singer Jah Cure, vibrant young dancehall star Popcaan, versatile singjay Busy Signal and veteran deejayBounty Killer brought the sold-out crowd delivered to an international audience of reggae devotees some of the island’s most vibrant music. Despite the performers’ contrasting styles and age differences, these artists share a major career impediment: all are without visas/work permits for the US, the UK and Canada. As such, the Jamrock cruise organizers devised an opportunity to present four in-demand Jamaican acts that American, Canadian and British reggae lovers are unable to see in their countries — the artists boarded the ship at the first port in Jamaica and disembarked at the second. “We applaud the Marley team for developing a key platform for Jamaican artists who can’t travel to the U.S., it builds greater demand for them that can hopefully help to breakthrough their visa barriers,” noted Aaron Talbert, vp of sales and marketing at New York City-based reggae independent VP Records. On the morning following his electrifying performance aboard the Welcome to Jamrock Reggae Cruise, Jah Cure disembarked the Pearl in Ocho Rios, Jamaica surrounded by excited fans, all with cell phone cameras ready. Cure delayed his exit and graciously posed for selfies with each of them. “People came all the way from England to see me here so I am happy to take photos with them,” said the Rastafarian artist whose charttopping album The Cure is a Grammy nominee for best reggae album. Dancehall and reggae acts have always relied on concert dates, rather than record sales, to generate income. The inability to perform in the United States, Canada and the U.K. greatly diminishes their overall earning potential and constrains the opportunities for exposure. “Promoters are frustrated because they are recycling the same acts for shows, fans want more too. It’s supplyand-demand, and the supply from Jamaica has dwindled,” remarks Jamaica- born Ms. J. Lexy Brooks, founder/CEO of the Manhattan-based entertainment company VIP Connected Entertainment, LLC, whose services include booking a diversity of artists for international events. Ms. Brooks has successfully petitioned for several dancehall artists’ US visas including vocal group Voicemail, dancer/vocalist Ding Dong and selector/ vocalist Tony Matterhorn. Artists generally apply for “P” visas, P1, as part of an internationally recognized group, P2 for an exchange program and P3 for culturally unique artists. They must present a contract with their petitioner, the start and end dates for their various engagements and a description of the events they will participate in. An advisory opinion, stating their qualifications, must also be submitted. The reasons Bounty Killer, Busy Signal, Jah Cure and Popcaan cannot travel to the US are as varied as their music. In June 2012, Busy Signal (Glendale Gordon) was anticipating touring in support of his critically acclaimed Reggae Music Again (VP Records), which peaked at No. 3 on Reggae Albums chart. Instead he was arrested and extradited to the U.S. for absconding on bail over a 2002 drug case. He served two months in a Minnesota prison then was released ahead of schedule in November 2012, the presiding judge was apparently impressed with his career accomplishments and clean record over the past 10 years. He is now eligible to reapply for a visa. Popcaan (Andre Sutherland), a protégé of dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel who generated interest following his 2014 debut Where We Come From and is a favorite of Drake, had his visa approval delayed over minor marijuana-related offenses. Bounty Killer (Rodney Price), a mentor to Kartel and Busy Signal, lost his U.S. travel privileges in an en-masse revocation of visas belonging to five dancehall acts that took place in March 2010 Beenie Man (Moses Anthony Davis), Mavado(David Brooks), Aidonia (Sheldon Ricardo Aitana Lawrence) and sound system selector Ricky Trooper (Garfield Augustus McKoy) were all Page 8 of 17 [In Brief] barred from travel. (Beenie Man has since recovered his visa and Mavado is now a permanent resident of the US). Homeland Security took this unprecedented step while the US and Jamaican governments were at loggerheads over the extradition of Christopher “Dudus” Coke, although a connection was never established between the artists and the reputed Jamaican drug lord. The U.S. Embassy’s Acting Public Affairs Officer in Kingston would not divulge the reasons for rescinding those visas, but some industry members speculated that offensive lyrics in a few of the artists’ songs could have prompted the travel bans. Dancehall’s PR problems were exacerbated by the incarceration of megastarsBuju Banton, currently serving a 10-year sentence for cocaine related charges, and Vybz Kartel, who lacked a US visa for several years prior to the life sentence he was handed for murder in April 2014. “I won’t blame dancehall’s survival on immigration issues, but everything changed after 2010,” Ms. Brooks opined, “and the travel restrictions placed on so many superstars has affected the image of the industry in a way that it never rebounded from.” The career trajectory of Jah Cure (b. Siccature Alcock), arguably, comprises the most controversial set of circumstances surrounding a Jamaican artist’s visa woes. In 1999 Cure was a promising, 20-yearold singer — before being sentenced to 15 years in prison on rape, robbery and gun charges. Utilizing the prison’s digital studio, Cure recorded several singles that soared to the top of the Jamaican charts, each characterized by his anguished yet ethereal vocals. As Cure’s fame increased, details emerged of irregularities within the trial proceedings that led to his conviction including his rape charges being tried before a magistrate, not a jury. Soon, defending his innocence became a cause célèbre among members of the international reggae community. Cure’s was released from jail early for good behavior in 2007. Upon his release Cure headlined the Sundance Reggae Festival in Holland in August 2007; he has since performed at numerous festivals across the continent. However, his status as a convicted felon means the U.S. is out of the question. “If I could travel to America, I could achieve much more, so I am reaching out to knowledgeable people and immigration lawyers to get the right advice,” Cure told Billboard in an interview aboard the reggae cruise. “Maybe winning a Grammy would help with getting a visa; to achieve that, knowing what I have been through, I could help others build their careers.” Artists whose visas have been revoked or denied can derive great advantages by developing community relationships beyond the musical realm, reasons Jamaica-born Irwine Clare, co-founder/ managing director of Caribbean Immigrant Services in Queens, New York. “Civic organizations are in better positions to lobby for artists with strong ties to the wider community,” says Clare. “The nature of heinous crimes like rape and murder means a permanent bar from entering the United States, but opportunities can still be found.” Artists whose visas have been revoked or denied can derive great advantages by developing community relationships beyond the musical realm, reasons Jamaica-born Irwine Clare, co-founder/ managing director of Caribbean Immigrant Services in Queens, New York. “Civic organizations are in better positions to lobby for artists with strong ties to the wider community,” says Clare. “The nature of heinous crimes like rape and murder means a permanent bar from entering the United States, but opportunities can still be found.” Jussie Smollett, Fantasia, Leon Bridges Among Performers Tapped For ‘BET Honors’: Exclusive BY GAIL MITCHELL Jussie Smollett and V. Bozeman of Empire, Leon Bridges, Fantasia, Ledisi andThe Deele have been set as performers for The BET Honors. Presenters Mary J. Blige and recent Golden Globe winner Taraji P. Henson will also be on hand when the annual awards show is taped at Washington, D.C.’s Warner Theatre on Jan. 23. This year’s slate of honorees includes Empire co-creator Lee Daniels (Television and Film Award), Epic Records chairman/CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid (Business of Entertainment Award), singer Patti Labelle (Musical Arts Award), businesswoman Mellody Hobson (Corporate Citizen Award) and former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. (Public Service Award). As longtime music fans will recall, Reid — along with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds — was an original member of band The Deele, whose hits include “Two Occasions.” Comedian/actor Arsenio Hall will host The BET Honors, which will premiere on Feb. 23 on BET Networks at 8 p.m. ET. For more information, visit http://www.bet. com/bethonors. Page 9 of 17 [In Brief] App Annie Report 2015: Music Streaming Revenue Doubles, Google Play Passes Apple BY MARC SCHNEIDER The shift from ownership to digital streaming as the standard listening experience for consumers kicked into high gear in 2015, with worldwide revenue for the top 10 music-streaming apps more than doubling — they were up 120 percent — from 2014 totals. According to app store monitor App Annie’s annual report, Spotify made big gains as the worldwide leader in revenue and users for both iOS and Google Play, and ranks No. 1 in many regions. In terms of active users, Spotify trailed homegrown streaming apps in several territories, including the United States (Pandora), China (QQ Music), France (Deezer) and South Korea (MelOn). But in Australia, Brazil, Canada and large swaths of Europe, Spotify was king. (The report excludes pre-installed apps, so Apple Music is not factored into the rankings.) “The decline in digital music sales (i.e., paid music downloads) is a trend that will most likely continue in 2016 as more and more users transition to streaming services,” the report states. “In addition, music streaming is likely to receive another boost as underpenetrated markets such as Japan finally reach a tipping point.” The U.S. mobile app economy also saw a shift in power rankings — annual downloads on Google Play surpassed those on the iOS App Store for the first time. In the U.S., Google Play’s share of downloads increased from 45 percent in 2014 to 55 percent in 2015, with game downloads driving a significant portion of the change. In the U.K. that share rose from 40 percent to 45 percent year-over- year. Globally, Google’s lead over Apple in terms of downloads rose from 60 percent to 100 percent, thanks to advances in emerging markets including Brazil, India and Indonesia. With Apple devices being far more expensive than low-cost Android phones, Google Play’s dominance in the developing world should be stable. Downloads are one thing, but raking in cash is another, and the report states that Apple still holds a commanding lead in the revenue department both in the U.S and globally. “Google must continue to evolve its strategy to help drive more revenue for its developers,” according to the report, which also warns that the U.S. market may be saturated with smartphone subscribers. “From smartphones and tablets to watches and TV accessories to AR and VR and device categories yet to be released, one thing we can definitely count on is that the U.S. will remain a massive and growing opportunity for app developers.” Even with the growth in music app revenue, the report’s findings show they are dwarfed by other app categories like dating and video streaming. It should be noted, however, that there are more players in those categories while music is a much more concentrated industry, with Spotify and Pandora as Nos. 1 and 3 in worldwide revenue. The report breaks down the top apps of 2015, combined iOS and Google Play revenue: WORLDWIDE: 1. Spotify 2. LINE 3. Pandora Radio 4. HBO Now 5. Tinder 6. LINE Manga 7. LINE PLAY 8. Zoosk 9. Skype 10. PocketColony UNITED STATES: 1. Pandora Radio 2. Spotify 3. HBO NOW 4. Match.com 5. Hulu 6. Tinder 7. Zoosk 8. Sing! Karaoke 9. MLB.com At Bat 10. Skype The report also lists the top app companies outside of games: WORLDWIDE: 1. LINE 2. Spotify 3. InterActive Corp (Match.com, Tinder) 4. Pandora 5. Time Warner 6. Smule (Sing! Karaoke) 7. Microsoft 8. Disney 9. Zoosk 10 Baidu China UNITED STATES: 1. Pandora 2. Spotify 3. InterActiveCorp 4. Time Warner 5. Smule 6. Hulu 7. Microsoft 8. Zoosk 9. Apple 10. Disney Remaining Staff of Life or Death PR Announces Departure Following Sexual Harassment Claims BY DAN RYS Two days after sexual harassment allegations led to company founder and CEO Heathcliff Berru’s resignation from the company, Life or Death PR president Nick Dierl announced that the rest of the staff was leaving the publicity firm. “In light of recent events, the remainder of the Life or Death staff is leaving the Page 10 of 17 [In Brief] company today,” Dierl wrote on Twitter. “We are saddened by the circumstances under which we are departing but are grateful for the opportunity we had together... There will be a new venture imminently that bears no ties to Heathcliff Berru or the Life or Death name.” More than seven women in the music industry — artists and industry figures alike — have come forward in the last 48 hours accusing Berru of sexual harassment over the past several years. Monday night (Jan. 18), Dirty Projectorsvocalist/multiinstrumentalist Amber Coffman tweeted about being harassed in a bar by a popular music publicist, later naming Berru as the perpetrator (Coffman’s tweets can be seen here). Shortly afterward, more women came forward with either words of support or stories of their own, including Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, Little Empire Music’s Christy Merriner, musician Roxy Lange, Danger Village publicist Beth Martinez, Bonnaroo coordinator Martika Finch and several more. Tuesday afternoon, Life or Death released a statement announcing that Berru had resigned as CEO of the company, and later that night Berru released a statementapologizing to “those who I have offended by my actions and how I have made certain women feel,” adding that he was entering rehab for drug and alcohol addiction. As the allegations came to light, artists such as Wavves, Diiv, Kelela,Speedy Ortiz, Beach Fossils and wet all announced they would cease working with Life or Death. Killer Mike has also weighed in on the situation, expressing support for the victims and hope that Berru can be “a better human being.” 50 Cent Calls for Chris Rock to Step Down as Oscars Host BY BILLBOARD STAFF Pressure is mounting for Chris Rock to join the Oscars boycott. Hip hop artist and mogul 50 Cent joins actor Tyrese Gibson in calling for Rock to turn down his hosting duties for the awards show in response to the #OscarsSoWhite issue. Jada Pinkett Smith, Al Sharpton and Spike Lee spurred the discussion by stating that they wouldn’t attend the Oscars Feb. 28 because of the lack of diversity in all four acting categories this year. The boycott is gaining momentum, as is the call for Rock to step down as well. 50 Cent took to Instagram to plead his case, telling Rock: “You mean a lot man, don’t do it. Please.” Gibson echoed his sentiments, saying on Instagram that “There is NO JOKE YOU CAN CRACK TO EVER CHANGE THE WAY WE ALL FEEL!” Gibson also took to Facebook on Wednesday, comparing Rock hosting this year’s Oscars to the hypothetical situation of Bravo’s Andy Cohen hosting in a year that LGBTQ nominees were shut out of the awards. “If Andy Cohen of He re-posted both Lee’s and Pinkett Smith’s messages earlier in the week, telling the actress, “I stand with you,” after she announced her boycott. Both 50 Cent and Gibson say that Rock should step down as Oscars host in order to support the boycott. Snoop Dogg has also taken to Instagram to air out his grievances with the Academy Awards. “Somebody was actually like am I gonna watch the motherfucking Oscars. Fuck no,” he said about the annual ceremony in a video clip. This article originally appeared in THR.com. ‘High School Musical’ Was a Chart-Topping Phenomenon 10 Years Ago BY KEITH CAULFIELD When Disney Channel’s TV movie High School Musical premiered on Jan. 20, 2006, it was a ratings blockbuster that immediately translated into massive success on Billboard’s music charts. There were 7.7 million viewers who tuned in to the first broadcast of the musical (a then-record for any Disney Channel telecast), which then led to many repeated airings on the network and further ratings wins. All those eyeballs watching the movie turned to buying and listening to music from the film, which propelled High School Musical up the charts. Ahead of the High School Musical 10year reunion special on Wednesday (Jan. 20), here are some chart highlights registered by the first High School Musical movie, and its two sequel films: — The High School Musical soundtrack album was released on Jan. 10, 2006, and debuted at No. 143 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 6,000 copies in its first week in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music. The album, issued by Walt Disney Records, would then see 13 consecutive weekly sales gains as Disney Channel aired encore presentations of the movie. The set sailed up the chart, jumping into the top 10 in its third chart week, and then to No. 1 in its seventh frame (the chart dated March 11, 2006). — High School Musical was the first TV soundtrack to hit No. 1 since Miami Vice in 1986. High School Musical also marked the first album from either a cable channel or from any made-for-TV movie to rule the chart. — High School Musical spent a total of two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Page 11 of 17 [In Brief] 200 and was the top selling album of 2006 according to Nielsen Music (with 3.7 million sold that year). It has sold 5 million to date — The set even garnered the 2006 Billboard Music Award for soundtrack album of the year, thanks to its chart success. On hand to accept the trophy onstage at the Dec. 4 show was the primary cast of the film: Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Zac Efron, Lucas Grabeel, Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale. — High School Musical’s success on the charts wasn’t limited to the Billboard 200. Nine of its songs entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including one that reached the top 10: “Breaking Free,” which peaked at No. 4. — The 2007 sequel film High School Musical 2 saw its companion soundtrack debut straight in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with a whopping 615,000 copies sold in its first week. The set would spend four total weeks at No. 1 and close out 2007 as the secondbiggest selling album of the year (2.96 million), behind Josh Groban’s Noel (3.67 million) Christmas album. The High School Musical 2 album has sold 3.4 million to date. — High School Musical 2 spun off eight Hot 100 hits, including the top 10-charting track “What Time Is It” (which peaked at No. 6). — The series continued to hit high notes on the charts with the theatrically released High School Musical: Senior Year. Its soundtrack debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2008 and has sold 1.5 million. — Collectively, the three albums have sold 9.8 million copies, while their respective tracks have combined to sell a whopping 8.8 million downloads. The High School Musical reunion airs on Disney Channel Wednesday (Jan. 20) at 8:00 p.m. EST/PST. Radio Journey Of Silverfish Media’s Carsen Comes Full Circle In Nashville BY PHYLLIS STARK Growing up in Connecticut, newly hired Silverfish Media assistant PD Jessica “Carsen” Humphreville had little exposure to country music until her early teen years. That’s when her father, who worked for NBC, brought home a videocassette of a Garth Brooks special the network was planning to air. After watching it, Carsen says she went “all in” with country music, converting her listening to the local country station and even dressing like Brooks. “I was the girl wearing ‘Mo’ Betta shirts because Garth Brooks did. That made me super cool at 16,” she says with a laugh. “I was totally obsessed and enamored with country music.” That passion drew her to choose a Southern college, and she launched her radio career while still at student at the University of Mississippi. She eventually wound up in Nashville, working in mornings at country WKDF and nights at classic rockWRQQ and rocker WBUZ. Seeking to add PD stripes to her résumé, she moved away to take over programming at Syracuse, N.Y.’s sister rock stations WRKL andWKLL. But a call in fall 2015 from Silverfish Media director of programming Patrick Thomas ultimately brought her back to country music and Nashville, where she still owned a home. She was offered a newly created job that includes assisting Thomas with music and programming; becoming a part of the syndicated morning show hosted by the company’s principals, Big D & Bubba; and hosting her own syndicated midday show. That show, Country With Carsen, launched Jan. 18 on a handful of affiliates, including WSGA Savannah, Ga., and KANY Aberdeen, Wash. Like the Big D & Bubba show, Country With Carsen is syndicated by Compass Media Networks, and Carsen broadcasts the five-hour show from her own studio inside the Silverfish complex in the Nashvilleadjacent city of Berry Hill. Accepting the job meant giving up her hosting duties for another syndicated country radio show, Envision’s The Live Ride, which she had been affiliated with for several years. Carsen describes her new midday program as being music-centric, but with breaks focused on discussions of pop culture and country artists from a “friendly, fun voice,” with listener calls and artist interviews mixed in. Her role on the Big D & Bubba show is more limited. “I’ll chime in from time to time and offer a different take on things,” she says of the pair’s on-air discussions. “It’s not like I’ll be on every break with the guys.” But her female perspective is likely to add a fresh element to the show. As for her assistant PD duties, Carsen says, “Patrick and I will be going over the music and working on that together. He’s very excited to have an additional set of ears and also somebody else who can help with filtering through things and making sure that we don’t miss anything. He’s still director of programming, but it’s my understanding that I’ll be his right hand.” She’ll also be contributing imaging and backing Thomas up on scheduling and other programming duties. Just two weeks into the job, Carsen is thrilled by her new situation and her new bosses, who she calls “humble” and “grounded.” She says, “I am so impressed by what they’ve built and what they’ve accomplished.” She has been equally impressed with their kindness, beginning with the flowers they sent her the day it was announced she was joining their team. “They are extremely thoughtful, but they are funny too and just genuinely good guys,” she says. “They’ve been not just welcoming, but also so inclusive. I’m very excited to build that relationship and get that tighter radio familiarity. We’ve already started to find things in common.” But there’s one thing they likely will never have in common. Big D and Bubba Page 12 of 17 [In Brief] are both pilots who often fly themselves to visit affiliates. Carsen, on the other hand, is “terrified of flying,” although she doesn’t let that keep her from air travel. “We’re going to have to have some discussions about that,” she jokes of potential market visits via small private planes. “There’s probably going to be Xanax involved.” For the time being, she’s more than happy to stay put in Nashville and soak up the country music she has long loved. “The music literally changed my life,” she says. “The idea that I now live and work in Nashville — nobody in my high school would be surprised.” This article first appeared in Billboard’s Country Update — sign up here. New York City Declares Jan. 20 David Bowie Day BY COLIN STUTZ Wednesday (Jan. 20) is now officially David Bowie Day in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared. Acting Commissioner Luis Castro of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment will present the proclamation at the sold-out final performance of the New York Theater Workshop production of Lazarus, which was conceived and co-created by Bowie. Bowie died on Jan. 10 following a private 18-month battle with cancer. De Blasio tweeted Bowie’s “Space Oddity” lyrics “the stars look very different today” in response to the announcement. David Bowie’s 10 Most Downloaded & Streamed Songs After His Death BY KEVIN RUTHERFORD After the death of David Bowie on Jan. 10, multiple songs from the icon infuse Billboard’s rock-based sales and streaming charts (dated Jan. 30). In fact, 18 of his tracks rank on the 50-position Rock Digital Songs, chief among them “Space Oddity,” a debut at No. 2 with 44,000 downloads sold in the week ending Jan. 14 (up from 1,000 the prior frame), according to Nielsen Music. The 25-position Alternative Digital Songs chart sports 13 Bowie tunes, with “Oddity” also the runner-up. Bowie breaks the record fort the most simultaneous entries on the list (which launched in 2010), besting the 10 concurrent hits logged by Coldplay (Nov. 12, 2011). Meanwhile, the Rock Streaming Songs chart houses 13 Bowie songs out of 25 total, with “Lazarus,” from his new album Blackstar, leading the parade at No. 2 with 8.1 million clicks in the tracking week (up from 156,000). His 13 simultaneous hits on the chart also mark a record; three other acts have logged as many as five in a week. In all, sales of Bowie’s catalog, including albums, rose by more than 5,000 percentin the tracking week, with 682,000 units moved (375,000 song downloads and 308,000 albums). Here are the songs that Bowie fans bought and streamed the most as reflected on Billboard’s latest sales and streaming charts. David Bowie’s Top-Selling Songs (week ending Jan. 14) 44,000, “Space Oddity” (from David Bowie, 1969) 30,000, “Under Pressure” (with Queen; from Queen’s Head Space, 1981) 30,000, “Let’s Dance” (from Let’s Dance, 1983) 27,000, “Changes” (from Hunky Dory, 1971) 22,000, “Heroes” (from “Heroes,” 1977) 22,000, “Fame” (from Young Americans, 1975) 17,000, “Starman” (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, 1972) 16,000, “Lazarus” (from Blackstar, 2016) 15,000, “Rebel Rebel” (from Diamond Dogs, 1974) 13,000, “Young Americans” (from Young Americans, 1975) David Bowie’s Top-Streamed Songs (week ending Jan. 14) 8.1 million, “Lazarus” (from Blackstar, 2016) 5.9 million, “Under Pressure” (with Queen; from Queen’s Head Space, 1981) 5.5 million, “Space Oddity” (from David Bowie, 1969) 3.7 million, “Blackstar” (from Blackstar, 2016) 3.7 million, “Let’s Dance” (from Let’s Dance, 1983) 3.5 million. “Life on Mars?” (from Hunky Dory, 1971) 2.9 million, “Changes” (from Hunky Dory, 1971) 2.8 million, “Heroes” (from Heroes, 1977) 2.5 million, “Ziggy Stardust” (from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, 1972) 2.3 million, “Rebel Rebel” (from Diamond Dogs, 1974) David Bowie Dominates Every Spot on LyricFind Global Chart BY EMILY WHITE Following the death of international icon David Bowie, the world searched for his words. Page 13 of 17 [In Brief] Every song on the 25-position LyricFind Global chart (and all but one track on theLyricFind U.S. list, also 25 spots deep) is by Bowie, who died Jan. 10. The charts (dated Jan. 30) rank the fastest momentumgaining tracks in lyric-search queries provided by LyricFind, the world’s leader in licensed lyrics, with data provided by more than 4,000 publishers and utilized by more than 100 services, including Amazon, Pandora, Deezer, Shazam, Microsoft, Yahoo, SoundHound and iHeartRadio. Bowie’s monopolization marks the first time that one artist has occupied every slot on the LyricFind Global tally since it launched in October 2015. (The lone non-Bowie song on the U.S. chart this week? Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” at No. 17.) Leading both the LyricFind Global and U.S. charts is “Space Oddity,” the song that introduced the character of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut referenced several times in Bowie’s work. His firstBillboard Hot 100 top 40 hit, “Oddity” peaked at No. 15 in 1973; it re-enters this week’s Hot 100 at No. 42 (with three other Bowie songs also ranking on the chart). While “Oddity” found commercial success upon its original release, several of the trending tracks in lyrics searches for Bowie in the past week were never Hot 100 hits, including the Nos. 2-6 songs on both the Global and U.S. lists. Here is the top 10 of the current LyricFind Global chart, along with the first lines of lyrics from each song. (And, view the full 25-position LyricFind Global andLyricFind U.S. on Billboard.com.) (Song, Parent Album, Year, Opening Lyric) 1, “Space Oddity,” Space Oddity, 1969 “Ground control to Major Tom / Take your protein pills and put your helmet on” 2, “Life on Mars?,” Hunky Dory, 1971 “It’s a God-awful small affair / To the girl with the mousy hair / But her mummy is yelling ‘No’/ And her daddy has told her to go” 3, “Heroes,” Heroes, 1977 “I, I will be king / And you, you will be queen” 4, “Starman,” The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, 1972 “Didn’t know what time it was and the lights were low / I leaned back on my radio / Some cat was layin’ down some rock ‘n’ roll, ‘lotta soul, he said” 5, “Ashes to Ashes,” Scary Monsters, 1980 “Do you remember a guy that’s been / In such an early song / I’ve heard a rumor from ground control / Oh no, don’t say it’s true” 6, “The Man Who Sold the World,” The Man Who Sold the World, 1970 “We passed upon the stair / we spoke of was and when / Although I wasn’t there / He said I was his friend” 7, “Modern Love,” Let’s Dance, 1983 “I know when to go out / And when to stay in / Get things done” 8, “Changes,” Hunky Dory, 1971 “I still don’t know what I was waiting for / And my time was running wild / A million dead-end streets” 9, “Quicksand,” Hunky Dory, 1971 “I’m closer to the Golden Dawn / Immersed in Crowley’s uniform / Of imagery” 10, “Blackstar,” Blackstar, 2016 “In the villa of Ormen, in the villa of Ormen / Stands a solitary candle” Notably, the title cut from Bowie’s new farewell album Blackstar makes the list above, at No. 10. As previously reported, the set begins at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking Bowie’s first-ever leader on the chart, with 181,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Jan. 14, according to Nielsen Music. Bowie concurrently claims a record 21 of the 50 positions on Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart. He additionally roars onto the Billboard Artist 100 chart at No. 1 and rockets 50-3 on the Social 50. On the latter list, he’s fueled by a 1,755 percent increase in Wikipedia page views, to 3.6 million, according to Next Big Sound. Bowie also added 507,000 fans on Facebook and 298,000 likes and comments to his YouTube videos. NAMM: A Mecca for Musical Gearheads — Don Was To Receive The Les Paul Award BY THOM DUFFY Take any song, on any Billboard chart, in any style or genre, and the recordings have one thing in common — top-notch musical gear created those songs. EvenPentatonix needs microphones to capture its a cappella delights. So consider the importance to the worldwide recorded music industry of the equally global business of manufacturing and selling music and sound products. (The intertwined industries are of similar scale: global recorded music sales totaled $15 billion in 2014, according to the IFPI, while the music and sound products business was worth $16.6 billion in the same period). The NAMM Show, which runs Jan. 21-24 at the Anaheim Convention Center, is the world’s largest trade show for the music products business. The event is expected to draw 96,000-plus attendees, some 1,600 companies representing 5,100 brands, including 650 from 50 different countries. “You walk into the NAMM Show and you’re in Oz,” says Joe Lamond, who since 2001 has been president and CEO of NAMM (the National Association of Music Merchants). “You realize how much diversity there is in music and sound products from around the world. You really see its breadth and depth at the NAMM Show.” But where to start? Lamond offers a tip. “What I like doing first is going into Hall E; it’s where we bring in new companies. Last year there was a company creating snare drums with 3D printers, a company that was etching wood with lasers. You might find a kid who studied wood-working in college and now has his own line of guitars Page 14 of 17 [In Brief] and he’s eager to talk to anybody.” The same trends in technology that have transformed the recording industry have reshaped the music products business. “Everybody can play now,” notes Lamond, noting the entrepreneurial spirit at the NAMM Show. “Everybody can have a product and get it out there. A company can start by making a dozen guitars, or hand-wiring five guitar effect pedals. This industry is nothing more than individual stories of people who did things like that. And this show is their platform.” Recognition of those who have taken their technical skills to the highest level is an important part of the NAMM Show. The 31st annual NAMM TEC Awards, honoring excellence in sound technology and creativity, will be held Jan. 23. The annual Les Paul Award, named for the electric guitar pioneer, this year goes to Don Was, the Grammy-winning producer, now president of Blue Note Records. In addition, the NAMM Tech Awards Hall of Fame will induct guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (the Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) and also Chris Stone and Gary Kellgren, co-founders of the Record Plant studios, founded in New York and still operating in Los Angeles. Past recipients of the Les Paul Award have included Slash, Todd Rundgren, Pete Townshend of the Who, Steve Vai and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. In the crowded calendar of award shows, it means something special to NAMM TEC Award honorees “to be in a room of their peers, to be recognized for a lifetime of work by guys you worked alongside,” says Lamond. Indeed, NAMM draws thousands of musicians who come not as stars, but as musicians. “Stevie Wonder is a musician there; Eddie Van Halen is a guitarist there,” says Lamond of past attendees. “They are there like everyone else, trying to find the next part of their sound. There’s this sense that we’re all just trying to perfect our craft, and find this nirvana of the perfect chord or the perfect note. That’s what happens when they’re at the NAMM shows. They get to be players around other players.” But NAMM, as a trade organization, seeks more than the perfect chord in promoting its business. Strengthening the music products business means strengthening the role of music-making in modern culture. The organization has done so throughout its long history. One notable example: NAMM funded the research in 1993 by physicist Gordon Shaw and psychologist (and cellist) Frances Rauscher at the the University of California Irvine into what’s been called the Mozart effect — which suggested classical music could have a short-term benefit on cognitive performance. “That was the big bang of music brain research,” says Lamond. The NAMM Foundation continues to support the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, which was founded by the late neurologist Oliver Sacks to research the link between music and neurological conditions including strokes, trauma, dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. And NAMM has been in the forefront of promoting music education — celebrating a victory last month with the passage of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. In that legislation, for the first time, a “wellrounded education” is defined as including music and the arts, and obligates states to fund those classes. “That phrase, `a well-rounded education,’ is going to allow millions of kids next fall to have music and arts that didn’t have it now, especially in the most under-served districts,” says Lamond. So it was appropriate that the first stop for some NAMM members in Anaheim this week was a local school. The NAMM Foundation on Jan. 19 sponsored a day of service at the James Guinn Elementary School where the NAMM members worked with students to play guitars, ukuleles and to create a drum circle. “We love music,” says Lamond, “and we believe music should be part of every child’s education. Hollywood Studios Ask Court to Reject Lawsuit Over Song Lyrics in Movies BY ERIQ GARDNER With examples of the way music has served films like Rain Man, Major League and the Guardians of the Galaxy, a group of Hollywood studios on Wednesday asked a federal court to reject a lawsuit that contends Hollywood is violating various laws by refusing to provide more captioning or subtitling of song lyrics. Members of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing filed the lawsuit in California in October. Their legal action follows a quarter century of Congressional action, FCC rulemaking and past litigation over a campaign to provide those with hearing disabilities, estimated to be 10 percent of the population, with equal access to creative works. This particular lawsuit raises the contention that studios are falsely advertising their products and violating the civil rights of deaf consumers. “While the dialogue of some movies or shows are indeed fully subtitled, the practice of not subtitling song/music lyrics is frustratingly widespread,” states the complaint. “Movies or shows that do not include the subtitled song/music lyrics withhold the full enjoyment of the movie or show from deaf or hard of hearing consumers. If parts of the movie or show are not captioned or subtitled, then deaf and hard of hearing consumers should be told as such before making a decision to rent or purchase the DVD, theater ticket, or streaming.” After having the case removed to federal court, Disney, Warner Bros. Universal, Paramount Sony and Buena Vista Home Entertainment have now filed a pair of Page 15 of 17 [In Brief] dismissal motions (see here and here). One is based on California’s anti-SLAPP law and figures to have a judge address the First Amendment factor much like what happened when CNN went head-tohead with a deaf group a few years ago. The defendants give three reasons why the lawsuit should fail. First, they argue there has been no misrepresentation — that while products might be described as “captioned” or “subtitled,” the plaintiffs haven’t made any suggestion that a reasonable consumer would understand those terms to mean all song lyrics too. Take the fact that plaintiffs say that the lack of captioning of song lyrics is “frustratingly widespread.” “Plaintiffs know from the ‘numerous’ movies and TV shows they admit watching, and the ‘many, many other examples’ they describe, that not all song lyrics are captioned or subtitled,” the studios respond. “Plaintiffs’ admission that they understood the terms ‘captioned’ and ‘subtitled’ to mean captioning and subtitling of some but not all song lyrics directly undermines their misrepresentation claims.” This deals with whether Hollywood is falsely advertising or breaching an implied warranty, but doesn’t address the civil rights issue. The studios have a different response there. Express legal obligations to caption came via the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, and once those laws were passed by Congress, the FCC swung into action with an attempt to write regulations and enforce them. But the studios say the standards pertain to broadcast television, not to DVDs, theaters or streaming. “Simply put: No law requires the Studios to caption all song lyrics, for all movies and TV shows, across any — much less all — of the distribution channels Plaintiffs target here,” states a motion to strike. The defendants point to some of the ways they’ve been captioning, and areas where they haven’t. In Rain Man, when Tom Cruise teaches Dustin Hoffman to dance, the background song’s name and first line of the lyrics are captioned, but once the characters speak, the captioning focuses on what they are saying instead of the song lyrics. In Major League, when the crowd sings “Wild Thing” upon Charlie Sheen coming out of the bullpen to pitch, the lyrics of the song are captured in subtitles. But when opera plays in the background of a scene in TheTheory of Everything, deaf audiences are told the type of music playing, but not the precise lyrics. “The Studios remain free to caption or subtitle some but not all song lyrics, exactly as Plaintiffs admit they have done,” say the defendants. “To hold otherwise would improperly limit the Studios’ exercise of creative discretion.” It remains to be seen whether the need for “creative discretion” beats the allegation that studios are providing inferior services to disabled patrons, and thus violating their civil rights. But the studios are also making a third argument based on what happened in a 2006 class action lawsuit over failure to close caption DVDs. That case was settled, and the agreement is said to have acknowledged that song lyrics would not always be captioned. The plaintiffs are represented by John Girardi at Girardi Keese while the defense is being handled by Glenn Pomerantz and others at Munger, Tolles & Olson. This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter. Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman’s Pay Falls to $36.9 Million BY PAUL BOND, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER Viacom, under fire from activist shareholders who have been complaining of a dwindling stock price amid lavish exec- utive compensation, took the unusual step Wednesday of disclosing that CEO Philippe Dauman made at least $36.9 million in fiscal 2017. Dauman’s salary and some bonuses came by way of a statement ahead of the disclosure of the conglomerate’s SEC filing, so Dauman’s total compensation could be a bit higher than $36.9 million, which represents a 17 percent decline over his 2014 pay. In fiscal 2015, shares of Viacom tumbled 43 percent. According to the statement, Dauman’s salary was $4 million, he earned an equity award of $18.9 million and a bonus of $14 million. A regulatory filing due later, though, will include some other items that should push his compensation north of $37 million. Sumner Redstone, the physically ailing executive chairman and controlling shareholder, received $2 million in compensation, down 85 percent from the $13.2 million he earned a year earlier, according to the Viacom statement. Viacom said Redstone’s salary was unchanged in fiscal 2015 but he became ineligible to receive a bonus beginning in the fiscal year. Dauman is routinely near the top of the list of highest-paid CEOs in the country, even though investors haven’t fared so well lately, as MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central have faced ratings declines. A year earlier, Dauman’s pay rose 19 percent to $44.3 million while shares fell 8 percent. Dauman’s contract is up at the end of 2018, though he can step down with perhaps tens of millions in severance if anyone but Redstone, 92, becomes his boss. This article was first published by The Hollywood Reporter. Page 16 of 17 [In Brief] Madonna, Fleetwood Mac & Elton John Lead New Hot Tours Roundup BY BOB ALLEN Madonna heads up the weekly tally of Hot Tours (see list, below), ranking No. 1 based on grosses from the final four venues of her Rebel Heart tour’s European trek during November and December. She wrapped the 16-city fall run in Scotland on Dec. 20 at Glasgow’s 13,000seat arena, SSE Hydro. Concerts at two more U.K. venues, Manchester Arena and Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena as well as the Swiss arena Hallenstadion in Zürich led up to the fall finale. Revenue from all four sold out performances totaled $7.5 million from 47,267 sold tickets. The Rebel Heart tour’s opening jaunts through North America and Europe amassed sold ticket revenue totaling $88 million during its 15-week span. From 49 sold out concerts at 36 venues on both continents, overall 2015 attendance reached 669,315. The pop star kicked off her 2016 schedule early in the year, beginning with a two-night stand in Mexico City on Jan. 6 and 7. A string of U.S. dates began on Jan. 10 in San Antonio, Texas, and continues through the end of the month. Shows in Asian markets are booked in February, and the Rebel Heart tour will wrap in March with a final swing through Australia and New Zealand. Two more veteran acts, Fleetwood Mac and Elton John, follow Madonna on the Hot Tours recap, earning Nos. 2 and 3 respectively with concert grosses reported from Brisbane Entertainment Center during their tour’s Australian legs late in 2015. Fleetwood Mac’s On With the Show tour ended with an Oceania run, wrapping on Nov. 22 after stops in nine cities in New Zealand and Australia. The Brisbane date was a two-night sold out stint on Nov. 10 and 12 that grossed $3.1 million from 22,725 sold seats at the 13,500-seat arena. Elton John took his 2015 All the Hits tour for a final stretch through Asia and Australia during November and December after jaunts through North American and Europe earlier in the year. His Brisbane show on Dec. 8 drew a crowd of 9,713 fans, generating $1.3 million in box office revenue. The tour’s Aussie trek ended on Dec. 19 in Sydney. Justin Bieber’s ‘Sorry’ Breaks No. 1 Record on Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks BY TREVOR ANDERSON It’s a lucky seven for Justin Bieber, whose “Sorry” returns to No. 1 for a seventh nonconsecutive week on the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks chart dated Jan. 30. With the 4-1 move, “Sorry” claims the longest running No. 1 in the chart’s history, surpassing Bieber’s own six-week run with his previous single, “What Do You Mean?” (The still-young Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks chart launched on June 14, 2014.) Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks is a weekly ranking of the most shared and/ or mentioned songs on Twitter in the U.S., ranked by the volume of shares over a seven-day period (Monday to Sunday). “Sorry’s” rebound to No. 1 coincides with the track’s fifth week leading theStreaming Songs chart, as it piled up 20.5 million U.S. streams for the week ending Jan. 14, according to Nielsen Music. As previously reported, the cut also earns a second week ruling the Billboard Hot 100. Bieber also collected 992,000 Twitter mentions for the week ending Jan. 17, according to Next Big Sound. He remains No. 1 on the Social 50 chart for a 28th consecutive frame. Bowie on the Rise: Elsewhere on Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks, David Bowierockets 26-3 with “Lazarus” following the first full tracking week since the rock legend died on Jan. 10. “Lazarus” received special attention due to its music video, released only three days before Bowie’s death from cancer, and fans picked up on symbolism placed in the clip. The video shows Bowie in a dark hospital room before ultimately receding into a dark closet. The official video sprinted to 6.8 million U.S. views in the week ending Jan. 14, according to Nielsen Music, helping the song bow at No. 16 on the Streaming Songs listing. In addition, “Lazarus” also powered Bowie to break the one-day artist streaming record on Vevo on Jan. 11, surpassing Adele’s previous benchmark. Bowie’s catalog earned 51 million plays on the platform that day, eclipsing Adele’s former record of 36 million on Oct. 23, 2015. “Lazarus” features on Bowie’s 25th LP, Blackstar, which debuted at No. 1 on theBillboard 200 this week – the late icon’s first chart-topping set. Ariana In Top Five ‘Again’: Meanwhile, Nathan Sykes achieves his first top 5 entry on the Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks chart as “Over and Over Again” re-enters at a No. 4 peak, thanks to a reworking of the song with new vocals from former girlfriend Ariana Grande. The now-duet’s resurgence easily bests the No. 35 peak of the original from December. With the cut’s comeback, Grande obtains her ninth top five-charting song on the survey, surpassing Taylor Swift for the most by any female artist in the chart’s history. Ariana Grande’s Top Five-Charting Hits on Billboard + Twitter Top Tracks: Title — Peak Position, Weeks at Peak Page 17 of 17 [In Brief] “Problem” (featuring Iggy Azalea) – No. 1, two weeks “Break Free” (featuring Zedd) – No. 1, one week “Bang Bang” (with Jessie J & Nicki Minaj) – No. 2 “Best Mistake” (featuring Big Sean) – No. 2 “Love Me Harder” (with The Weeknd) – No. 2 “Santa Tell Me” – No. 2 “One Last Time” – No. 1, two weeks “Focus” – No. 3 “Over and Over Again” – (Nathan Sykes featuring Grande), No. 4 (to date) “Again” marks the second collaboration between Sykes and Grande, following “Almost Is Never Enough” from the latter’s debut album, Yours Truly, in 2013. As part of the vocal group The Wanted, Sykes notched four entries on the Hot 100 , including the top 10 hit “Glad You Came.”