Merlin has appointed Charlie Lexton as its next CEO, effective Jan. 1, the indie licensing organization announced Wednesday (Nov. 12). Lexton will succeed Jeremy Sirota, who announced his exit in May after serving in the role since 2020.

Lexton has worked for Merlin since its 2007 founding and has served as the organization’s COO since April 2020. He has played a key role in a number of important developments at the agency — from negotiating licensing deals with streamers and social media platforms to forming a recently announced partnership with AI audio company ElevenLabs, through which Merlin members can opt in to train ElevenLabs’ AI music model. He was also involved in Merlin’s 2012 settlement of a copyright infringement lawsuit against LimeWire, the transfer of parts of Parlophone Label Group to the independent sector after Universal Music Group (UMG) acquired EMI and the sale of Merlin’s equity interest in Spotify, which Merlin says resulted in a $125 million payout to its members.

Early in his career, Lexton co-founded London indie label Dorado Records after previously working as a DJ, songwriter and producer. As an attorney, he worked at UMG and EMI, where he led business affairs for EMEA (excluding the U.K.). Prior to helping launch Merlin, he ran the London indie label City Rockers as co-owner.

“I am delighted at the opportunity to lead this organisation,” said Lexton in a statement. “My focus is on our members — the most significant grouping of independent music companies in the world — and on the Merlin team, our incredibly hard working and dedicated staff. I can do nothing without the support of our team. And without our members, there is no Merlin.”

Added Sirota, “Charlie has been a great partner in evolving Merlin into what it is today. He consistently delivers — from his unwavering commitment to the Merlin team to pioneering the first significant AI deal with ElevenLabs to empowering our members via Merlin Insights. Next year, I’m proud he will champion Merlin Engage to empower the next generation of female leaders for independent music. I’m excited for Charlie and the team to write Merlin’s next chapter.”

Merlin chairperson and Secretly Group co-CEO Darius Van Arman said: “When we conducted our search for the new CEO, we met a number of extraordinary leaders, however one person stood out. Charlie Lexton has earned the trust of the Merlin membership by consistently delivering immense value throughout the organization’s history. I am extremely confident that under his stewardship and working closely with the exceptional Merlin team, Merlin will reach new heights and further enable the independence of the world’s leading music companies.”

Marie Clausen, Merlin management board member and MD of North America at Ninja Tune, added: “Charlie is a brilliant strategist and remarkable negotiator who has earned the respect of our membership, team, and partners. The industry is at a pivotal moment of change. With Charlie at the helm, Merlin is ideally positioned to turn that change into opportunity. Having worked with him over a decade, I am confident that under Charlie’s leadership Merlin is in the best hands.”

According to a press release, Merlin saw record-high revenue of $1.64 billion and a record-low administration fee of 1% in 2024.

Cleto Escobedo III, the longtime bandleader and saxophonist for Jimmy Kimmel Live, co-creator of the late-night staple’s theme tune, and best friend of its host, has died at the age of 59.

Kimmel broke the sad news on his social accounts, and gave a teary farewell to his good friend Tuesday night during his nightly show. “Early this morning,” he writes on Instagram, “we lost a great friend, father, son, musician and man, my longtime bandleader Cleto Escobedo III. To say that we are heartbroken is an understatement. Cleto and I have been inseparable since I was nine years old. The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers.”

The cause of death has not been revealed, though Page 6 reports Escobedo was hospitalized last week, with Kimmel canceling his Thursday episode to be by his side.

Born Aug. 23, 1966 in Las Vegas, NV, Escobedo’s group, Cleto and the Cletones, has been the house band for Jimmy Kimmel Live! since the show’s inception in 2003.

Escobedo and Kimmel, however, go way back. The pair hit it off as kids, when Kimmel’s family moved to Sin City back in 1977, directly across the street, two houses over from a young Escobedo.  

Kimmel was unable to hold back the tears, and he told of his best friend’s passing at the very top of Tuesday night’s Live. “We’ve been on the air for almost 23 years and I’ve had to do some hard monologues along the way. But this one’s the hardest,” he remarked. They weren’t just friends. They were 24/7 besties, enjoying countless sleepovers, crank calls, backyard ballgames, and “we definitely gave each other many concussions,” he recounted.

Across 22 minutes, Kimmel told hilarious tales of youthful pranks, parties, bad advice, and much more, the stuff that occurs only when two people live out of each other’s pockets.

“We loved all the same things. Baseball, fishing, boxing, [Muhammad] Ali, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Woody Allen, Michael McDonald, Huey Lewis, Stevie Wonder, and most of all, we loved David Letterman,” he admitted. “We never missed David Letterman. And the first time I was on the [Late Show with David Letterman] was 1999. It was a really big deal for both of us. That afternoon before the show, I was so nervous. I was walking in New York City, just walking fast, trying to burn off the nervous energy, and I called him just so we could be amazed together that this was happening and it was an amazing thing.”

As a saxophone player, he was nothing short of “phenomenal,” Kimmel enthused. “He was a child prodigy who would get standing ovations in junior high school, if you can imagine that.” Escobedo was a chip off the old block; his dad, too was a sax player in a band, but he called time on touring to spend more time with his family. “When Cleto junior became a professional musician, Cleto senior was thrilled, he got to live vicariously through his son,” Kimmel said.

Junior enjoyed an early breakthrough with Paula Abdul, initially performing with the pop star then joining her label’s roster. Later, Kimmel pitched the late-night show to ABC, with Escobedo and his father auditioning together for the gig. It was a winning formula.

“I’ve often said that the single best thing about doing this show was getting the opportunity to allow Cleto senior to pick up where he left off in 1966 and become a musician again with his son,” he remarked.

Cleto’s parents, who were watching on, were, for 47 years, like his own folks. Only they never yelled at Kimmel, he quipped.

“Cherish your friends, we’re not here forever,” Kimmel explained, through tears. Live will take a break for several days to allow its leader and team time to grieve. Watch Kimmel’s eulogy below.

SYDNEY, Australia — After a 17-year partnership, TEG makes it official by bringing Twenty3 Live into the fold.

TEG, the Sydney-based live entertainment, data and tech giant, snaps up Twenty3 Live, a leading marketing, media, sponsorship and activation agency.

The so-called “strategic acquisition” further enhances TEG’s in-house marketing and digital capability in its global touring portfolio, and is announced on the eve of AC/DC’s Australian POWER UP tour opener Wednesday night (Nov. 12) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, produced by TEG Van Egmond.

Through the new agreement, Twenty3 Live’s team of six music marketing professionals move across, led by long-standing marketing director Edwina Tarrant, who joined TEG’s Melbourne office in early October.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed on the deal, which formalizes a relationship between TEG and Twenty3 Live, which, over nearly two decades, delivered marketing, media, and digital campaigns for many of Australia’s biggest concert tours, including TEG Dainty-produced treks for Bon Jovi, Eminem, George Michael, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and more.

TEG Dainty Entertainment Company president and CEO Paul Dainty, whose business was acquired by TEG in 2016, is a major shareholder and long-serving director in Twenty3.

Meanwhile, TEG launches Ovation amp, a full-service, data-led creative agency that is said to unite expertise across media, digital, strategy, and storytelling within the group.

The new agency is led by Larissa Best, general manager, live entertainment and head of Ovation amp, whose team is “dedicated to amplifying the connection between artists, fans, and partners,” a statement reads.

As it expands commercially, Ovation amp will be expected to collaborate with promoters, artists, and brands to deliver creative strategy, data-led marketing, and more.

“This milestone represents an exciting evolution for our agency,” comments Michael Leeds, managing director of Twenty3 Group. “We’re excited to see our colleagues continue their journey within one of Australia’s leading entertainment businesses, and the outstanding work of the Twenty3 Live team has been recognised by TEG as integral to their future growth.”

According to TEG, all current client campaigns and major tours managed by Twenty3 Live will continue throughout the transition, with existing leadership and relationships maintained.

It’s rare that the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton: An American Musical is not No. 1 on Billboard’s weekly Cast Albums chart. (After all, it’s been No. 1 for 454 weeks out of the 528 it has been on the chart since its debut in 2015.) So when Hamilton is not No. 1 — as is the case this week — it’s notable.

But the title that bumps Hamilton down to No. 2 this week is actually another album related to the show. A 10-song highlights edition, Hamilton: 10 Shots, arrives at No. 1 on the Nov. 15-dated chart, with 17,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the week ending Nov. 6, according to Luminate.

The original Hamilton debuted at No. 1 on the Cast Albums chart dated Oct. 17, 2015, and has never left the chart.

Hamilton: 10 Shots was issued as a streaming set, digital download, CD and on an array of vinyl variants. It also debuts on a number of other Billboard charts: No. 3 on Vinyl Albums, No. 5 on Indie Store Album Sales, No. 6 on Top Album Sales, No. 6 on Top Current Album Sales and No. 28 on the overall Billboard 200.

Meanwhile, as for the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton, it is No. 69 on the latest Billboard 200, spending its 528th consecutive week on the chart. It extends its record for the most weeks on the chart ever for a cast recording. It peaked at No. 2 in 2020, marking the highest-charting cast recording since Hair hit No. 1 in 1969.

The Billboard 200 and Cast Albums charts rank the most popular overall albums, and cast recordings, respectively, of the week in the U.S. based on multimetric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

Kodak Black is collaborating with the music discovery platform Audius to launch a new artist coin.

Timed to Yak’s annual Kodak Day celebration in his hometown of Pompano Beach, Fla., the rapper will distribute the artist coin, called $YAK. $YAK holders will be able to access unreleased music, stems and other behind-the-scenes material that Kodak will provide on a regular basis. Not to mention, Kodak has already uploaded an unreleased $YAK-gated track on Audius.

“Kodak Black is beloved by legions of fans as a true innovator in hip hop,” Roneil Rumburg, cofounder and CEO of Audius, said in a statement. “He’s taking that same pioneering spirit to create an entirely new way to engage and reward his most passionate fans, using Audius technology to unlock special moments for them and build a more meaningful relationship.”

Kodak added: “You already know – YAK.”

Kodak’s annual Kodak Day celebration kicks off at 11 a.m. at the Golden Acres housing projects, where Yak was raised. The event goes until 6 p.m. and will be focused on community support for the local kids, with “groceries, food, gift cards” and “games” being listed on the event flyer.

The party comes shortly after Kodak dropped off his latest mixtape, Just Getting Started, in October, which features appearances from Don Toliver, Lil Yachty, Gunna, Chance The Rapper and others. Prior to that, the Florida native linked with former NFL player Anthony “AB” Brown for a song called “I LUV ALL THE OPPS” in late May.

Check out Yak’s Instagram post on both the coin and the celebration below.