Johnny Brown, Comedian, Singer & ‘Good Times’ Actor, Dies at 84

Johnny Brown, the easygoing actor, comedian and singer best known for portraying the housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on Good Times, has died. He was 84.

Brown died Wednesday (March 2), his daughter, actress Sharon Catherine Brown, announced on Instagram. “Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond heartbroken. Barely able to breathe,” she wrote.

Further details of his death were not immediately available.

Brown also recorded songs and performed in a band with saxophonist Sam “The Man” Taylor, appeared twice on Broadway in the 1960s and was a regular performer for three seasons on Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.

Brown, who did a mean impression of Louis Armstrong and others, was a leading contender to play Lamont opposite Redd Foxx on Sanford and Son, but because his contract bound him to Laugh-In, the role went to Demond Wilson.

With former Laugh-In writer Allan Manings serving as a producer on Good Times, Brown joined the Chicago-set CBS comedy in 1975 midway through its second season. His character was often teased about his weight by the gangly J.J. (Jimmie Walker) and other members of the Evans family.

“Sometimes you can do too much of a thing, and it doesn’t come natural,” Brown said in 2019. “With everybody [calling Bookman] ‘buffalo butt’ in a scene, it loses something. … They even had Janet [Jackson], who had just come on the show, answering like Mr. Buffalo Butt.

“And they used it in every show. They used it when I walked in the show, all through the scene. When I left the scene, they used it. I couldn’t say anything because I have a wife and two kids to support. Now at my age, I would have to say something.”

Brown was born on June 11, 1937, in St. Petersburg, Florida, and raised in Harlem. He won an amateur night competition at the Apollo Theater; starred in nightclub acts with his future wife, June, and with tap dancer Gregory Hines Jr. and drummer Gregory Hines Sr.; and recorded songs for Columbia and Atlantic records.

While working in the Catskills, Brown met Sammy Davis Jr., and the legendary entertainer would prove to be an inspiration. “He did all the things I wanted to do,” Brown said in a 1996 interview. “I wanted to be a well-rounded, complete entertainer; I didn’t just want to sing or tell a joke.”

In 1964, when Davis was preparing to star in a musical adaptation of Golden Boy on Broadway, he got Brown a gig as Godfrey Cambridge’s understudy. (Brown said he had never even seen a Broadway show before that.)

But then Cambridge began bickering with director Arthur Penn. “In those days, a big thing for a comedian was an album. Like Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor and those guys, if an album sold, they could make big concert money,” Brown said. Cambridge couldn’t “get out of a contract, so he started arguing every day until two days before opening for previews.”

That’s when Cambridge was fired. Brown took over as Ronnie and took the lead on the show-stopping number “Don’t Forget 127th Street” as Golden Boy lasted more than 500 performances.

Brown made his film debut portraying a blind pianist in the Davis-starring drama A Man Called Adam (1966) — future Good Times co-star Ja’Net DuBois also was in that — and returned to Broadway in 1968 for Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights, directed by Sidney Poitier. Despite a cast that featured Cicely Tyson, Diane Ladd, Louis Gossett Jr. and David Steinberg, the comedy lasted but a week.

He came to Los Angeles when Neil Simon asked him to play a waiter on a train in The Out of Towners (1970). While in town, he met influential CBS casting director Ethel Winant, “and by the time I got back to New York, I had a series” — The Leslie Uggams Show.

Brown was on Laugh-In for a year before he learned why he was hired for that. Davis “had dinner with [Dan] Rowan and [Dick] Martin,” he recalled. “They were looking for new faces, and Sammy, without batting an eye, said, ‘Get Johnny Brown.’”

Brown also was a welcome sight on shows including Julia, Maude, The Rookies, Lotsa Luck!, The Jeffersons, Archie Bunker’s Place, Family Matters, Sister, Sister, Moonlighting and Martin and in such films as The Wiz (1978), Poitier’s Hanky Panky (1982), Life (1999) and Town & Country (2001).

He also pitched Write Brothers pens (“Write on brothers, write on!”) in a series of musical commercials for Papermate in the early 1970s and starred in The Gospel Truth, which played on stages around the country in the late ’80s.

In addition to his daughter and his wife of 61 years, survivors include his son, John Jr.

This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

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Executive Turntable: CMG Names Digital Marketing SVP, Atlantic Taps Viral Marketing Head

Rebecca “Dimplez” Ijeoma was named senior vp, digital marketing & content development at Capitol Music Group (CMG). Ijeoma will co-lead the company’s digital department alongside CMG senior vp, digital strategy, business development & operations Nicholas Osborne out of CMG’s Hollywood headquarters.

In the role, Dimplez will be tasked with strengthening marketing collaborations with digital and social media partners through campaigns and projects, while focusing on direct-to-fan engagement and commerce on a marketing campaign level.

Dimplez’s hire marks a return for the executive at CMG, where she previously served as director, digital marketing from early 2017 through more than half of 2018. In that role, she was a key force in launching R&B singer Queen Naija, among other projects.

Most recently, Dimplez headed up her own marketing agency, IJEOMA, for four years. During her time there, she and her team handled lifestyle marketing, brand partnership and digital strategy agency for RCA Records, digital and social media strategy for Warner Music Group and commercial sales and DSP strategy for Rostrum Records, among other companies. While leading the company, Dimplez personally spearheaded all marketing, digital and project efforts with DJ Premier on the release of hip-hop duo Gang Starr’s 2019 comeback album One Of The Best Yet.

“Dimplez is a culture-builder and thought-leader in the digital space, and she is bringing to CMG all of the qualities that are synonymous with our new era: She is an artists-first executive who is highly innovative, creative, resourceful and inspiring to all who have the pleasure of working with her,” said CMG chair & CEO Michelle Jubelirer and president Arjun Pulijal in a joint statement.

“Capitol Records was the first major label I ever worked for, so this is a full-circle moment for me,” said Ijeoma. “Capitol Music Group has always represented the superstar artists that impact music for generations to come, and I could not be more excited to be rejoining the team!”

Before her 2017 hire at CMG, Dimplez served in roles in various parts of the music industry, including at Yo! Raps magazine, The Smoking Section (now Uproxx) and as director, digital marketing for Ne-Yo’s Compound.

In the wake of her departure at IJEOMA, the agency will continue under the leadership of Ijeoma’s former partner, John King.

Brian Dackowski was elevated to the newly created role of executive vp, viral marketing & analytics at Atlantic Records.

In the role, Dackowski will join Atlantic’s marketing senior leadership team alongside the label’s other marketing heads. He’ll continue leading his current roster while working with the entire marketing staff to identify and market both frontline and catalog opportunities on the viral side. Additionally, he’ll be overseeing a marketing analytics team and the video content team, who will focus on opportunities to build fanbases for Atlantic artists via short-form content on TikTok, Reels, Shorts and more.

Dackowski joined Atlantic in 2004 and went on to develop and launch the label’s new artist development incubator The Shop. More recently, he partnered with the A&R and digital marketing departments to amplify opportunities for Atlantic artists across various platforms.

Larry Mestel, founder and CEO of Primary Wave Music, was appointed to the board of directors at the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA). Coming in with 30 years of experience on both the label and publishing sides of the business, Mestel brings a well-rounded perspective to the board.

Irwin Robinson, NMPA board chairman, said of the appointment, “Larry has always had great vision about where the business is headed and has closely fostered the careers of some of the most talented songwriters in the world. I am thrilled to welcome him to the board and know he will make an immediate impact as we confront so many exciting changes and massive challenges.”

The association’s president and CEO, David Israelite, added, “I have known and respected Larry for many years and am so excited to have him on our board as we lead the charge for music creators to be properly valued, a mission Larry takes very seriously. He has been a strategic leader in all facets of our industry and was ahead of the curve on many of the biggest trends we’re seeing today. Known for his passion and commitment to creators, his insight and experience will be huge assets to our leadership.” – Kristin Robinson

Warner Chappell Music promoted David Goldsen to A&R head, Australia and vp, creative.

With the promotion, Goldsen will relocate from New York to WCM’s Los Angeles headquarters, where he’ll lead the A&R strategy for Australia while continuing to support the company’s U.S. and UK efforts. He’ll report to WCM co-chair and CEO Guy Moot while also working closely with WCM Australia managing director Matthew Capper, WCM North American president Ryan Press and WCM UK managing director Shani Gonzales as they look to connect WCM’s Australian songwriters with artists and songwriters in other countries.

“With music becoming increasingly more global, we’re prioritizing our A&R efforts in Australia, which is exploding with incredible talent,” said Moot and Warner Chappell co-chair and COO Carianne Marshall in a joint statement. “David has already built an internationally recognizable roster with acts like Tones and I, Vance Joy, and Cavetown, so his transition into this role is a natural one. His relationships and creative expertise will bring exciting international opportunities to both our current Australian hitmakers and future signings, connecting them with our global roster and beyond.”

“This is an incredible opportunity to help local songwriters broaden their reach and collaborate with different artists, writers, and producers across borders and genres,” added Goldsen. “I’m equally as excited to continue working closely with Ryan and Shani to introduce our U.S. and international writers to Australia’s explosive music scene and exceptional talent.”

Goldsen, who joined Warner Chappell in 2009, currently manages Tones and I, Cavetown, Nathaniel Rateliff, Vance Joy, Mitski, Two Feet and The Knocks for the company.

Wasserman Music hired two new agents and promoted six employees to agent. Matt Elam joined the Wasserman team after more than a decade at WME, while Sahil Mehta comes over from Madison House, where he developed a roster of primarily electronic music artists over the last three years.

Stephanie Aristakesian, Zach Berkowitz, Alex Guaraldi, Daniel Lee, Leigh Millhauser and Jeff Molek will move up the ranks at Wasserman and work as agents. Aristakesian, Berkowitz and Millhauser launched their careers with agency AM Only, which joined Paradigm in 2017. Wasserman Music acquired Paradigm’s live roster in 2021. Lee worked in the talent and comedy departments before landing on music at Paradigm in 2017. Molek launched his career with Chicago concert promoter mP Productions before moving to The Windish Agency in 2013. Guaraldi is now an agent in Wasserman Music’s corporate and special events department.

In addition to the eight new agents, Wasserman Music promoted Antonio Dell’Aglio to director, touring and Mohammad Shah to manager, touring. Dell’Aglio worked across electronic and Latin music with clients including Tiësto, David Guetta and DJ Snake. Shah liaises with Wasserman Music’s business & legal affairs team on issues affecting agent teams and is a member of Wasserman’s DE&I council.

“At Wasserman Music, we take great pride in emphasizing mentorship and positive career growth for all our people,” said Wasserman Music executive vp and managing executive Lee Anderson. “We’re so proud of this newly promoted group of agents, who’ve been important members of this team for years and are all richly deserving of this next step.” – Taylor Mims

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) revealed its 2022 Black Independent Music Accelerator (BIMA) advisory council.

Those named to the council include Fotemah Mba, A&R head, general market, Cinq Music Group; Courtnay Moriarty, senior digital rights manager, Pex; Kristine Mbadugha, manager, independent music partnerships, YouTube Music; Henoch Moore, creative director and A&R for NA, Warp Records; Madeline Nelson, head of indies, Amazon Music; Taryn Brown, founding principal, Taryn Brown & Co.; Marcus Hollinger, senior vp, marketing, Reach Records; Rachel White, director, social marketing & community engagement, Sub Pop Records; and Omega George, vp marketing, label relations & strategic partnerships, MNRK Nashville.

“I’m joining the council because I am passionate about amplifying anti-racist efforts within the music industry,” said White in a statement. “BIMA’s initiative removes barriers to entry and provides one-on-one industry mentorship for Black-owned businesses, which is an invaluable step towards equitable access.”

Moriarty added, “After being involved with BIMA’s inception, I’m so excited that it’s continuing into a second year. Seeing this program get closer to achieving its original vision is so inspiring and I can’t wait to meet the next group of fellows.”

“I’m joining the council because I am passionate about the progression of Black-owned businesses within the music industry,” said Mbadugha. “BIMA is an impactful initiative founded on the principle of amplifying black voices and I want to support that.”

In addition to its advisory council, BIMA revealed its 2022 BIMA fellows, who will take part in an initiative designed to amplify Black voices in the independent music community.

The 2022 fellows are: Formation Creative, MuSample, CleerKut, Mission Road Sound, Aces Nation, Good Stuff, The Bassline Group, Lend Me Your Ear, Like The Singer Records, Family First Music Group, TEAM, SAY THX, Culture Villains and 7000COILS.

Joshua “J1” Raiford was promoted to vp, music programming at SiriusXM/Pandora. He was previously director, hip-hop at Pandora and program director of SiriusXM Pandora Now.

Raiford will create new programming and content opportunities across the SiriusXM and Pandora platforms in his new role. He will continue to be responsible for hip-hop content on Pandora and programming for SiriusXM Pandora Now but will focus more on creating unique internal and external content and programming opportunities across both platforms.

“I promise to continue to innovate, work diligently and be an advocate of Black Culture within the company and music business as a whole, as well as create opportunities for the next wave of leaders and talent,” said Raiford in a statement.

YMU launched a new label, AmperSounds, that will serve as a home for new and emerging talent from YMU’s own management roster and beyond. The label will be led by Alistair White, head, streaming and audience at YMU.

The AmperSounds launch includes a global partnership with Believe to lend its expertise in A&R, marketing, digital exploitation and promotion and to manage and oversee all aspects of the new label’s artist campaigns. The partnership will be led on the Believe side by senior label manager Samantha Connaughton.

White joined YMU when the company acquired Machine Management in 2018. He has worked on numerous releases for YMU artists, including Clean Bandit.

Along with the launch, AmperSounds also announced it signed Irish singer-songwriter Lucy McWilliams and Essex indie-pop artist Oli Fox.

“We already have a wealth of amazing in-house talent at YMU, which has a fantastic track record of overseeing all aspects of numerous successful campaigns, so it made complete sense to launch our own label which can be a launchpad for new and emerging talent that we already represent or other great artists we discover,” said White in a statement.

Music Venue Trust (MVT) announced several changes to its board of trustees, including the appointment of new co-chairs Bonita McKinney and Phyllis Belezos, who jointly succeed Sarah Thirtle in the role. Meanwhile, Scott Taylforth joined the board as treasurer.

McKinney, who is label & partnerships manager at Ingrooves, joined MVT as a trustee in 2019. Belezos is the director of Heliocentric Entertainment, a music talent booking & consultancy agency. She became an industry patron for MVT in 2013 and joined the board of trustees in March 2019.

According to a press release, both McKinney and Belezos played a key role within MVT throughout the pandemic, including work on the successful #SaveOurVenues campaign.

Taylforth serves as finance manager, UK client settlements at Ticketmaster.

Stepping down from the board after four years is Bengi Unsal, formerly head of contemporary music at Southbank Centre. Unsal, who is now director of the Institute of Contemporary Art, moves to the role of industry patron of MTV.

MVT will continue to develop its board. Those interested are being directed to visit musicvenuetrust.com/team/.

Travis James has left UTA to join Action Entertainment Collaborative (AEC), which was founded last year by Nick Meinema and partner Greg Baker. James will bring country artists John Michael Montgomery, John Anderson, Collin Raye, Aaron Tippin, Confederate Railroad and The Kentucky Headhunters to the boutique agency.

“I met Nick in 2014 and worked with him daily through 2020,” said James in a statement. “The pandemic changed the touring landscape forever and gave many of us enough pause to reprioritize our approach to booking. I’m a ‘Greatest Hits’ agent. My passion and happiness lies within the box set artists. As I looked around town, it was no surprise that Nick, Charley and staff were redefining that agency model in a way I’ve never seen.”

AEC’s Nashville-based office also represents Trace Adkins, TLC, Terri Clark and Lonestar.

James can be reached at travis.james@action-ent.com and at 615-208-9596.

Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) hired Rick Myers as senior vp, finance. Myers will oversee the company’s finance and royalty departments and will report to BMLG CEO/chairman Scott Borchetta, as well as HYBE America CFO Eric Holden.

During his 25 years of industry experience, Myers has served as founder/president of 12South Financial; vp, corporate controller and program management officer for Integrity Music; owner/operator of Solomon Financial; and most recently, as COO/managing director of Courage Music.

“Rick has an incredible reputation for leading successful finance teams with integrity,” Borchetta said in a statement. “He will be a great asset to our team, our artists and our partners as we continue to grow our footprint in music and beyond.”

“I am excited to join Big Machine Label Group and continue the legacy that Scott Borchetta, Andrew Kautz and the rest of the team have built. I am honored to serve this dream team,” Myers added. – Jessica Nicholson

Nashville-based business management and consulting firm O’Neil Hagaman promoted Craig Owens and Sam Powers from principals to co-heads of the company’s intellectual property group (formerly the special projects division). In their new roles, Owens and Powers will oversee all aspects of intellectual property issues for O’Neil Hagaman’s clients, including purchase and sale of publishing, overseeing the administration of active artist-owned labels and more.

Owens has worked for O’Neil Hagaman since 1994, while Powers has worked in the special projects division since 2007.

“Everyone who knows Craig and Sam knows that they are the backbone of this growing area of our business. Truthfully, I have been working in support of their front-line efforts for many years. We are pleased to formalize their leadership positions in this area,” said O’Neil Hagaman co-founder and partner Kerry O’Neil. – Jessica Nicholson

Brian Thiele joined Curb/Word Entertainment as vp, Christian promotion, and Jeri Cooper was promoted to senior vp, Christian promotion. Jen Allen and Samantha Evangelista will continue in their respective roles as national director, promotion and coordinator, national promotion.

It was concurrently announced that Black River Christian artist Hannah Kerr, known for singles including “Warrior” and “Split The Sea,” also joined the Curb/Word Entertainment roster.

“We welcome Hannah to the Curb | Word family,” said Mike Curb, chairman of Curb/Word Entertainment. “Black River has done a tremendous job establishing Hannah, and we look forward to building on that success in the future.” – Jessica Nicholson

The Syndicate hired Shane Greenberg as senior manager, publicity.

Greenberg arrives at the company from Planetary Group, where he served as head of the press department and spearheaded PR campaigns for clients including The Babe Rainbow, Parisian record label Kitsuné Musique, Lisa Heller and Vapors of Morphine. Before that, he was junior publicist at Grandstand.

Greenberg started his career in 2013 at the indie record label and boutique PR agency Friends of Friends. He started interning at Motormouth Media the following year before moving to Grandstand in 2017.

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With ‘Donda 2’ Stem Player Release, Kanye West Skips Streamers — And the Charts

After releasing 16 tracks from Donda 2 to his Stem Player last week, Kanye West is so far staying true to his promise to hold back the album from streaming services.

The artist and entrepreneur, who now goes by Ye, reported $1.3 million in Stem sales via Instagram in the 24 hours after announcing Donda 2 would be released exclusively on his $200 proprietary hockey-puck-sized streaming devices, which allow users to remix songs as they listen. While new Stem purchases appear to come preloaded with 2019’s Jesus Is King, last year’s Donda and Donda 2, anyone who purchased the device when it was released last year can also upload the Donda 2 songs — or others — using their computer and a USB-C cable.

Ye said at time of his Feb. 18 Instagram post that he had sold 39,500 Stem Players to date — for total net sales topping $8.6 million.

While that revenue far surpasses what an artist can earn from streaming or sales in the same time period, one thing this release strategy will not be earning Ye is placement on the Billboard charts. That’s because the album is being sold with a device that can be used for other means besides the playing of the album. As such, the Stem/Donda package would fall within Billboard’s latest merch bundle policy, where albums sold with merchandise are not chart eligible.

Since the Stem Player is a fairly new concept, however, people familiar with the matter from both Billboard and MRC say they plan to continue to monitor its evolution as it relates to chart eligibility.

Ye released four Donda 2 tracks to his Stem Player on Feb. 23 following a listening party and live performance in Miami the night prior. The next day, he released 12 more songs, calling the 16-track collection the “Miami Version.”

When Ye released Donda on Aug. 29, it topped the Billboard 200 albums chart with 309,000 equivalent album units moved, according to MRC Data, becoming 2021’s top single-week release to that point. He was later surpassed by Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Adele’s 30 and ended 2021 with the calendar year’s 39th biggest album, according to the Billboard 200 year-end chart.

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Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino’s 2021 Bonus Worth $10.5M

Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino is set to collect $10.5 million in stock as part of his annual performance bonus after hitting certain financial goals, defined by the company’s Compensation Committee, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday (March 4). Rapino also receives a $3 million annual salary, but is expected report a salary below $3 million for 2021 because of a voluntary pandemic pay reduction.

The value of the shares will certainly change by the time they fully vest based on the company stock price at that time. Friday’s shares are valued at $114 per share based on the company’s most recent closing price, with about $5.3 million worth of shares (46,272 shares) vesting by May 10 and equal amount vesting by Aug. 16.

Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold received 22,279 shares as a bonus but donated 10,000 of those shares to a donor-advised charity fund. The company’s general counsel Michael Rowles received 14,139 shares as a bonus, while executive vp John Hopmans received 23,479 shares. Combined, the four executives’ shares were worth $17.3 million.

The bonuses come one week after the company reported its year-end results for 2021, with a $1.1 billion uptick in revenue over 2020 after the company was effectively shut down for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, the company saw more fans attend outdoor events during the third and fourth quarters than during the same period in 2019, which itself was a record year for Live Nation. Rapino also reported that sponsorship and advertising operating income reached the same levels for the second half of 2021 as 2019 and that fourth-quarter ticketing revenue jumped 118%, while sponsorship income rose 37%. The news pushed the company’s stock price to new heights, hitting $126 per share on Feb. 26, up 375% from April 2020 when the share price crashed to $33.57 a share.

Live Nation also faced scrutiny for the deadliest accident to ever happen at one of the company’s festivals following the deaths of 10 concert goers at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival in Houston on Nov. 5. The tragedy at Astroworld has led to hundreds of lawsuits from attendees and the families of those who died at the concert. Live Nation officials wrote in the company’s 2022 annual report that it “expected liability insurance (would) provide sufficient coverage,” for its legal bills but noted that the cost to the company would not be fully realized until after investigations into the festival were concluded and civil suits involving the case had been settled.

In December, just six weeks after Astroworld, rapper Drakeo the Ruler was murdered backstage at a Live Nation festival in L.A. The promoter is also facing multiple lawsuits related to that incident

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The Ledger: The Majors’ $25B in Revenue in 2021 Is Just the Start

The Ledger is a weekly newsletter about the economics of the music business sent to Billboard Pro subscribers. An abbreviated version of the newsletter is published online.

Six years into the global music industry’s recovery, the largest labels and publishers are growing by leaps and bounds. The three major music groups — Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group — had combined revenues of $25.4 billion in calendar 2021, up 19.8% from calendar 2020, according to Billboard‘s calculations. That annual growth rate was more than a four-fold improvement from the companies’ 4.7% revenue growth in 2020 after a slowdown in physical goods sales during the pandemic. Combined, the companies had an operating profit was $4.1 billion in 2021, a 44.3% increase, with a combined operating profit margin of 16.3%, up from 13.5% in 2020.

Recorded music revenues were $18.7 billion, up 23.1%. Within recorded music, streaming revenues grew 27.8% to $12.5 billion and physical sales rose 16.2% to $2.8 billion. Combined publishing revenues climbed 19.3% to $4.1 billion. If Sony’s “visual media and platform” division is removed, which better reflects the companies’ music-focused operations, the majors’ combined revenue was $23.2 billion, up 22.2% from $19.0 billion in 2020.

The resumption of the touring business in 2021 also helped a smaller but important part of their businesses, merchandise. At Bravado, UMG’s merchandise division, revenue grew 28.9% to $429 million. WMG’s artist services segment, which includes revenue from both merchandise and touring, improved 25.9% to $651 million.

(UMG reported 2021 earnings on Thursday. SME’s and WMG’s fiscal years — both reported in February — are different than the calendar year. Billboard converted currencies into U.S. dollars using annual average exchange rates from IRS.gov.)

Between strong growth in streaming royalties and the resumption of touring, the majors can expect double-digit organic growth in 2022. But that’s just the beginning: Acquisitions and investments will bolster top and bottom lines this year and beyond. For UMG, catalog acquisitions will help its 2022 income statement. According to its earnings report, UMG spent 388 million euros (about $459 million) on catalog acquisitions in 2021, less than half the 929 million euros ($1.06 billion) it spent in 2020, when it purchased Bob Dylan’s song catalog for an estimated $400 million-plus. UMG has continued its M&A activity in 2022, purchasing the songwriting catalogs of Sting and Neil Diamond.

WMG and SME are growing with acquisitions of catalogs and entire companies. WMG’s acquisition of 300 Entertainment — which it previously distributed — for $400 million is a frontline label with a roster that includes Megan Thee Stallion and Young Thug. WMG also acquired the David Bowie songwriting catalog, bought a majority stake in the Africori digital distributor and picked up the assets of Doug Morris’ 12Tone Music. SME’s 2021 deals included Bruce Springsteen’s recorded music and publishing catalogs, Bob Dylan’s recorded music catalog, Paul Simon’s songwriting catalog and a majority stake in Alamo Records. SME’s purchase of Brazilian label Som Live was cleared by regulators in February, and its acquisition of label services company AWAL was provisionally cleared by a U.K. regulator last month.

Separately, SME should get a boost from its strategic investment in merch company Ceremony of Roses, announced in January. Sony’s Thread Shop merch division will remain a brand under Ceremony of Roses.

STOCKS

Through March 4, the % change over last five trading days and year to date.

Spotify: $135.17, -11.2%, -42.2% YTD
Universal Music Group: 18.20 euros, -7.9%, -26.6% YTD
Warner Music Group: $33.02, -9.6%, -23.5% YTD
Live Nation: $114.38, -9.1%, +8.7% YTD
Eventbrite: $13.77, -7.8%, -21.0% YTD
CTS Eventim: 57.38 euros, -9.9%, -10.8% YTD
iHeartMedia: $19.94, -9.1%, +8.7% YTD
Anghami: $13.50, -31.1%, +32.2% YTD
NYSE Composite: 16,120.61, -1.8%, -6.1% YTD
Nasdaq: 13,313.44, -2.8%, -14.9% YTD

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Endeavor Sued For Allegedly Stealing Marketing Ideas for IPO Effort

A consultant is suing Endeavor claiming he gave the company the blueprint to salvage its debut on the public market, which led to a successful $10.3 billion IPO, but he wasn’t compensated or given credit.

David Carde began his complaint, which was filed Thursday in L.A. County Superior Court, by comparing this alleged theft to when the founders of Endeavor left ICM in 1995 and in the middle of the night “stole a bunch of client files and stuffed them into a SUV parked by a freight elevator.”

“Following the embarrassment of the failed first IPO, Endeavor’s crushing debt became an existential threat after the COVID pandemic ground the Company’s business to a halt,” reads the complaint, which is embedded below. “However, once Endeavor stole and then embraced Mr. Carde’s approach of communicating about its business to the market a pathway to a successful IPO became apparent and was ultimately realized.”

The complaint also notes analyst criticism of Endeavor’s “spending spree” over the past decade plus. Carde specifically points to its acquisition of a what has been described as a “hodgepodge” of unrelated businesses, including mixed martial arts organization UFC, art fair company Frieze and Professional Bull Riders. He also emphasizes that the company lost $554 million in 2019 and had racked up $4.5 billion in long-term debt.

The company planned to hold its IPO in 2019 but pulled it amid skepticism from the market.

“Simply put, no one thought Endeavor had ‘structure’ to their Company,” writes attorney Devin McRae in the complaint. “No one thought Endeavor made any sense as an enterprise.”

No one except Carde, according to the lawsuit.

One week before Endeavor called off its first IPO, an attorney for Carde sent to CEO Ari Emanuel a copy of his blueprint that he says properly communicated Endeavor’s value to the market. He claims it illustrated how Endeavor’s infrastructure of supposedly unrelated businesses is actually good for the company because it drives network effects, which is the concept that the value of a product increases are more people use it.

Carde claims there was an enforceable implied contract because his attorney emailed Emanuel and WME president Ari Greenberg his analysis.

“In the Analysis itself, the document advises that Plaintiff is represented by a lawyer, Giordano, under the unambiguous heading “REPRESENTATION:” In the entertainment industry, it is axiomatic and a custom and practice that when ideas and intellectual property are submitted through representation, those materials may not be used by the recipient for free, but rather compensation will be required for any use,” writes McRae.

According to the suit, Carde’s analysis was used in the marketing materials for Endeavor’s second IPO by “each of the top 3 Endeavor executives who repeat Mr. Carde’s thesis and objective.”

Adds McRae, “After introductions which establish the contextual framework for the Company’s network effects, Endeavor then proceeds to co-opt Mr. Carde’s proprietary technical Diagram to generate the visual marketing materials which animate the Company’s network effects.”

WME does not accept submissions of any kind through its website, according to its terms of use. Anyone who does make an online submission grants the company “an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free license (including the right to sublicense to third parties) to exercise the intellectual property rights in any submissions.” The TOS doesn’t mention ideas submitted through email, but the major Hollywood agencies typically discourage unsolicited pitches.

The complaint, which seeks punitive damages, claims breach of implied contract and unjust enrichment.

Endeavor has not yet commented in response to the complaint.

This story was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.

Cardes v. Endeavor by Billboard

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Patrick Stewart & Whoopi Goldberg Reunite in ‘Picard’: How to Watch Season 2 Online

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Captain Jean Luke Picard is back! And he’s meeting up with a couple of familiar faces from the Star Trek franchise. Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard landed on Paramount+ on Thursday (March 3), with Patrick Stewart returning as Captain Jean Luke Picard alongside Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan (from Star Trek: Next Generation).

The show’s returning cast includes Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Santiago Cabrera, Michelle Hurd, Brent Spiner and Orla Brady. Jon de Lancie is also returning as the character Q, who appeared in Star Trek: Next Generation, Stark Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Lower Decks.

In the season 2 premiere, the Starfleet must once again lean on Picard after crew members Cristobal Rios, Seven of Nine, Raffi Musiker and Dr. Agnes Jurati uncover an anomaly in space that threatens the future of the galaxy.

How to Watch Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard Online for Free

Paramount+ is the streaming home for Picard, but if you’re not already subscribed, now would be a great time to sign up. This week marks a year since Paramount+ launched, to celebrate the streaming platform is offering new customers 80% off its monthly packages, which start at $4.99 per month to stream (with ads). New subscribers can use the code BIRTHDAY to sign up for either the Essential Plan for $1 a month for three months, or the ad-free Premium Plan for $2 a month for three months.

The streaming platform houses over 40,000 episodes, movies and must-watch originals along with breaking news and an impressive sports lineup. Paramount+ is home to series like 1883, Seal Team, Mayor of Kingstown, as well as original movies and specials such as Clifford The Big Red Dog and South Park Post-Covid.

Additionally, Paramount+ will be rolling out a fleet of originals this month including Star Trek: Picard, the premiere of the highly anticipated Halo series due out March 24, and The Fairly Odd Parents: Fairly Odder, which arrives on March 31.

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Prince Estate Told Morris Day He Could Not Use ‘Time’ Band Name, Docs Show

Attorneys for the Prince estate sent a letter warning longtime collaborator Morris Day that he could not use the name of his band The Time “in any form,” according to documents obtained by Billboard — sparking a sharp response on Thursday (March 3) in which Day accused the estate of trying to “rewrite history.”

Day, the lead singer for the Prince-affiliated funk band The Time, claimed in a social media post Thursday that the Prince estate had told him he could no longer use the name “Morris Day and The Time.” He said he had “spent 40 years of my life” building the name and that Prince had “no problem” with him using it.

“Now that Prince is no longer with us, suddenly, the people who control his multi million dollar estate want to rewrite history by taking my name away from me, thus impacting how I feed my family,” Day continued. “So as of now, per the Prince Estate, I can no longer use Morris Day & The Time in any capacity.”

In response to the post, the Prince estate responded with a statement that said “given Prince’s longstanding history with Morris Day and what the Estate thought were amicable discussions, the Prince Estate was surprised and disappointed to see his recent post. The Estate is open to working proactively with Morris to resolve this matter. However, the information that he shared is not entirely accurate.”

Later on the Thursday, Day’s camp took exception to the allegation that he had lied and released the estate’s exact letter to Billboard.

In a Dec. 13 letter penned by attorneys at the firm Fredrikson & Byron, the estate took issue with the fact that Day had tried to secure a federal trademark registration for “Morris Day and The Time.” As the justification for its claims, the estate cited a 1982 agreement in which Day had allegedly agreed that Prince’s company would own the rights to the band’s name.

“Accordingly, Mr. Day has no right to use or register ‘The Time’ in any form,” the estate’s attorneys wrote in the December letter. “That includes use and registration of the trademark ‘Morris Day and the Time.’”

The estate threatened to file legal action at the federal trademark office to block the registration, but said it would “prefer to discuss this matter with you and resolve it through an agreement.” The letter said under such a deal, Day would license his name back from the estate.

In a statement on Thursday evening, Day’s attorney Richard B. Jefferson argued that the estate’s legal arguments about the rights to the band name were “not accurate.”

“The written agreement between the parties gives our client the exclusive right to continue as Morris Day and the Time and is consistent with Prince’s long-standing consent,” Jefferson told Billboard.

Prince died of a fentanyl overdose in April 2016 at the age of 57. Though legendary for his tight control over his IP rights, the iconic artist died without a will – sparking a complex process known as probate in which courts decide how to disperse a deceased person’s estate.

After six years, those messy proceedings are just about complete. But they haven’t formally ended yet, meaning the estate is still currently under the control of Comerica, a bank that was appointed as the trustee for the estate during the probate process. That means it’s Comerica and its advisors that are in the dispute with Day, not Prince’s actual heirs.

When the legal process finally ends later this year, control of the estate will be transferred to two groups of legal heirs. On one side is Primary Wave, a well-funded music industry group that has purchased a 50 percent stake in Prince’s estate. On the other side is a group of Prince’s siblings and their advisors, who make up the other half of the estate.

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Primary Wave pointed Billboard to Comerica, saying the music company “does not currently have any say in the affairs of the estate while it remains in probate.” An attorney for the other heirs declined to comment on the dispute.

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How to Snag Karol G’s Red-Hot Billboard Women in Music Look for Less

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Karol G took the stage at the 2022 Billboard Women in Music event on Wednesday night, where she performed a soft-yet-powerful rendition of “El Barco” backed by an all-female band.

She then accepted the Rule Breaker Award — which honors female artists who use their music and platform to defy expectations — to venue-shaking cheers from the audience. “The world teaches us all the time to see bad things in each other and in ourselves, and what about if we just see the beautiful things in us? I try to do that every day,” she told the audience.

She was then presented with a custom music pendant that jewelry designer Maggi Simpkins designed for all this year’s honorees. The special edition Women in Music pendants are available for pre-order to the public starting now for $250 on Billboard’s online shop here.


Billboard x Maggi Simpkins WIM Pendant: Buy It Here $250

Billboard Women in Music necklace

Billboard Women in Music special edition pendant, designed by Maggi Simpkins.

Karol G

Karol G arrives for the 2022 Billboard Women in Music award at the YouTube theatre at SoFi stadium in Inglewood, Calif. on March 2, 2022.

One of the most beautiful things about the evening was Karol G’s stunning red, off-the-shoulder gown paired with white gloves à la Jessica Rabbit.

Thankfully, there are so many options online to re-create the “Tusa” singer’s sultry look without breaking the bank. Windsor is offering a near-identical gown (thigh-high slit and all) for just $59.90. Pair it with these elbow-length gloves from Amazon and this sparkling choker from Revolve, and your Karol G-inspired outfit is complete.


Windsor Red Gown: Buy It Here $59.90

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Man Pleads Guilty to Killing Wife of Music Legend Clarence Avant

A 30-year-old man pleaded guilty Thursday (March 3) to the murder of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, the wife of legendary music executive Clarence Avant.

Aariel Maynor pleaded guilty in the fatal shooting of Avant and the attempted murder of her security guard at her Beverly Hills home in December, Los Angeles County prosecutors said.

Maynor also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and two counts of burglary.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30 and could be sentenced to up to 170 years in prison, prosecutors said.

“This crime continues to shock the conscience,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “Mrs. Avant’s death was a tragic loss felt by our entire community.”

Gascón said Maynor will be ineligible for elderly parole.

Police were called to the Avants’ home early on the morning of Dec. 1 and found Jacqueline Avant, 81, with a gunshot wound. She was taken to the hospital but did not survive.

He also fired on a security guard, authorities said. Neither the guard nor Clarence Avant was hurt.

An hour later, Los Angeles police officers arrested Maynor, a parolee who had shot himself in the foot at a home in the Hollywood Hills about 7 miles away. He was arrested for burglary, and hours later was tied to the Avant shooting.

Authorities have said he was burglarizing both homes, and they don’t believe he was targeting the Avants.

Jacqueline Avant was a longtime local philanthropist who led organizations that helped low-income neighborhoods including Watts and South Los Angeles, and was on the board of directors of the International Student Center at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Grammy-winning executive Clarence Avant is known as the “Godfather of Black Music” and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year. The 91-year-old was also a concert promoter and manager who mentored and helped the careers of artists including Bill Withers, Little Willie John, L.A. Reid, Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

The Avants were married for 54 years and had two children, Alexander Du Bois Avant and Nicole Avant, a film producer and former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas who is married to Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.

Jacqueline Avant’s charitable work and personal connections made her a widely beloved figure. After her death, tributes to her came from former President Bill Clinton, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Quincy Jones, who said “The heaviness of my heart today is unlike any other that I have ever experienced.”

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