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The front door to the Record Plant — where Beyoncé once booked every room to record Lemonade, Kanye West and Pharrell rode motorized scooters through the hallways and Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Eminem, Lady Gaga and hundreds of others made classic albums — is locked. There are no cars in its parking lot across the street. And the 55-year-old studio, which moved to this location on North Sycamore Avenue in Los Angeles in 1985, is “set to close” forever, according to a July report in Los Angeles magazine that was widely repeated online.
But the truth is more complicated. The fate of the Record Plant is in the hands of a U.S. bankruptcy court in California, the result of a multimillion-dollar squabble between a fast-talking Italian music producer and a prolific hitmaker for Bruno Mars’ songwriting and production team, the Smeezingtons. Court trustees will sell the Record Plant’s assets to pay its creditors, then grant what’s left of the business to the highest bidder. The new owner could then decide to close it for good or keep it open.
“I think the brand means something,” says Rick Stevens, a former major-label executive who bought the studio in 1991. “The high-tech living room, the level of service and differentiating itself from most of the other recording studios on the planet — if somebody [buys it and] does that, the Record Plant brand could be revitalized and reborn.”
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The latest era of Record Plant turmoil began in 2016, when Stevens realized producers were eschewing expensive studios to make music with ProTools and Ableton in their bedrooms. “I had been planning an exit for a couple of years,” he says. “It was time to move on.”
At the time, Stevens was also working as CEO of an entertainment company run by billionaire Ron Burkle; they built an investment firm that sought to buy holdings in electronic dance music. Stevens found himself regularly visiting the dance-party island of Ibiza, “in the heyday of the EDM world,” as Stevens recalls. There, he befriended Marcel Boekhoorn, an accountant-turned-entrepreneur who was a billionaire and owned a yacht. Boekhoorn said he was working with Mars and a colleague, Philip Lawrence, the songwriter and producer whose name appears on the credits of just about every Mars song, plus hits by Adele, Justin Bieber and others.
A self-taught pianist who had been a performer at Disney World, Lawrence first met Mars through a mutual friend. They rose together, and Lawrence soon became an eight-time Grammy Award winner, mega-rich in the music business. He was also troubled. In a 2020 interview, he acknowledged cheating on his wife, celebrity stylist and fashion designer Urbana Chappa, then going to rehab. “I did not understand the impact of my behavior. I did not understand how damaging cheating is,” he said. “I had to get sober. That was my initial assignment — what is this thing that’s blocking me from becoming a whole person? … How can I be well?”
Boekhoorn and Lawrence partnered in a new company, Philmar, which bought the Record Plant from Stevens in late 2016. Their idea, according to Amsterdam filmmaker Remko Peters, a friend of Boekhoorn who wound up as a managing partner at the studio, was that Lawrence would scout and develop music talent and bring them to the Record Plant to record. (Boekhoorn declined to answer questions for this story.)
The plan worked — for a few years. Shawn Mendes, Chaka Khan, Mars himself and other top stars recorded at the Record Plant during this period. But soon, Lawrence and Patrizio Moi, the Italian producer who has worked with Bieber, Meghan Trainor, Pavarotti and others and had a long-standing deal to work in Record Plant’s upstairs studio, had a dispute over money. “Lawrence,” Moi says, “did not do what he was supposed to do.”
‘I WANT TO LIVE HERE’
The first Record Plant first opened in 1968 in New York City, and the Los Angeles installation followed a year later, debuting with a party invitation that read, “L.A.’s First Hunchy Punchy Recording Studio,” as co-founder Chris Stone later wrote. One of its founders, engineer Gary Kellgren, supplemented its state-of-the-art technology, including multitrack tape machines, large consoles and monitor mixers, with an innovation — studios resembling living rooms. “When we started Record Plant, recording studios were like hospitals: fluorescent lights, white walls and concrete floors,” Stone wrote. “The best and greatest compliment that any artist who came to work with us could make was, ‘My God, this is beautiful — I want to live here.’”
Soon megastars from John Lennon to Fleetwood Mac to Stevie Wonder were recording at the studio on 3rd Street in West Hollywood, and the off-duty activities, for many, had become at least as attractive as making records. “This place was a rock ‘n’ roll mecca complete with a hot tub room and other creative spaces specifically designed for orgies and drug use,” wrote Jim Peterik, a member of the ’80s band Survivor, in his 2014 memoir Through the Eye of the Tiger. “Each recording console was equipped with razor blades for chopping cocaine and at least three boxes of Kleenex.” Buck Dharma, guitarist for Blue Öyster Cult, which recorded its 1979 album Mirrors at the LA Record Plant, recalls to Billboard, “We were half-jokingly cautioned about getting into the hot tub. It had a reputation for being funky.”
In 1991, Stevens, a former A&R executive at MGM and Polydor, read a Los Angeles Times article about the LA installment of the Record Plant, by now in its second location on North Sycamore Avenue, and assembled a group to buy it. His innovation was to pamper clients “at the highest level, the way they live,” he says. “My goal was to say, ‘I want these people treated like they’re at a five-star hotel.’” He also brought in a key employee: Rose Mann-Cherney, on-site manager, beloved by clients for decades. “Nobody knew better how to deal with the stars,” Stevens says. “She was able to help me execute my vision.” (Mann-Cherney did not respond to requests for comment.)
The reborn Record Plant returned to its former glory, drawing music’s biggest names for years: Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Eminem, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Bieber and dozens of others. Prince built his own studio there in the late ‘90s, and signed the studio’s guest book with his symbol. “Record Plant is the best studio I’ve ever been in. It’s unexplainable. I don’t know if it’s the piece of property it sits on or the stories in the walls,” says Paul Blair, the producer known as DJ White Shadow, who worked on Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP and other hits at the studio. “It was just like the perfect storm of awesomeness. There was this little glass room that had all the records. I’d go back there and Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones would be drinking red wine. Before Fifth Harmony took off — the girls were probably 14 — they were laying on the floor playing board games while taking turns cutting their parts.”
Adds CJ deVillar, a Record Plant staff engineer from 1997 to 1999 who worked with Michael Jackson and many other stars: “It was a really great culture there for a while.”
LAWSUITS, DIVORCE AND BANKRUPTCY
In 2014, Moi visited the Record Plant and decided he loved everything about it — “I had goosebumps,” he says — and made a deal with Stevens to rent a two-room upstairs studio, Digi-Plant, as resident producer. Moi spent earnings from his London real-estate portfolio to invest in equipment and renovations.
When Boekhoorn and Lawrence’s Philmar bought the studio two years later, Moi was disappointed. He and Stevens were close — Stevens calls Moi “my favorite Italian guy” — and Moi had suggested buying it himself, but they never advanced beyond the price-negotiation phase. Philmar won out with a better offer. “It’s business, right?” Moi says. “I was upset, but I was like, ‘That’s how it went.’”
In January 2017, Peters, the studio’s managing partner, proposed a deal to Moi: The Italian producer would relinquish Digi-Plant so BMG could rent it for a higher price. In exchange, Moi would receive equity in the Record Plant, making him a minority owner. Moi agreed. (Peters says the BMG story is “not correct.” He believes Lawrence and Moi initially liked each other but had their own ways of making and producing music, and their relationship eventually soured.) “It’s always about money,” Peters says. “What’s new?”
Moi declared himself an owner of Record Plant and insisted on receiving shares of its profits. But Lawrence and Philmar “began manufacturing excuses to string along Moi, and ultimately refused to share any profits,” Moi’s attorneys argued in court documents. A source close to Lawrence responds that Moi, “a difficult man,” took advantage of the proposed 2017 deal to “hijack” the Record Plant trademark, “somehow get control” of its email address and “started launching lawsuits.” The source adds: “He absolutely robbed the Record Plant.”
Record Plant Recording Studio
Remko Peters
Moi sued Philmar in 2018, arguing that he had a 20% stake in the Record Plant, according to court documents. (This later increased to 27%, when Moi bought out a minority partner, he says.) Two years later, Boekhoorn, the Dutch billionaire who was a partner in Philmar, left the business, selling his stake to Lawrence for nearly $2.8 million, according to court records. “It’s one of the most expensive studios in L.A.,” Peters says. “After Covid, people bought their own studios at houses.”
That left Lawrence as president and CEO of the Record Plant. And the litigation with Moi was taking a toll on Lawrence’s finances. According to Moi, Lawrence told him, “This thing is a money pit. This thing is not working financially. Take the Record Plant but dismiss the lawsuit.”
In October 2020, Lawrence and Moi began negotiating a legal settlement. Moi says he met with Lawrence in New York for several hours, four or five days in a row, hammering out a handshake deal. On Nov. 8, 2020, Moi visited Lawrence’s house in Los Angeles for a one-on-one meeting, with no attorneys present, and asked the Smeezingtons songwriter to sign a complicated, 89-page agreement that would make Moi and Lawrence co-owners of the Record Plant. As court records show, Lawrence signed a “Purchase and Sale Agreement” transferring ownership of the studio to Moi, as well as numerous other documents, such as a transfer of the Record Plant trademark and its website domain.
As part of the agreement, Moi paid Lawrence $1. Why such a low amount? Because Lawrence owed so much money to Moi, as a Record Plant partner who owned 27% of the company but had not received any equity payments, they executed the deal basically for free — and in exchange for wiping out Lawrence’s debt to him, Moi took ownership of the studio. “The dollar was whatever,” Moi says. “He had to put some price in there.”
Moi moved to take over ownership of the Record Plant, but Lawrence objected, claiming the November 2020 agreement he signed was made under false pretenses — “specious,” his attorneys later called the agreement in a lawsuit. Miles Cooley, an attorney for Lawrence, later declared in court that Moi had neglected a “proposed transaction,” a “closing” and several other requirements outlined in a letter of agreement in order for him to take over the Record Plant. “Without those items resolved, it was illogical, absurd and entirely without any factual basis for Moi to assert that he was ‘owner’ of Record Plant,” Cooley said.
The source close to Lawrence says the Smeezingtons songwriter was characteristically “trusting, probably over-generous, not contentious” and “was just trying to find an amicable solution with Moi.” The source adds that Lawrence “just took Moi’s word he was going to do the right thing,” but “Moi just went in and grabbed everything,” including Record Plant’s trademarks. In court documents, Lawrence and Philmar accused Moi of “international misrepresentation” and “fraudulent inducement.” In his statement, Cooley added, “No court in this state would ever believe that Lawrence transferred the Record Plant business to Moi for $1.”
Moi’s response in court was to declare the Nov. 8 agreement to be “binding and enforceable” and accused Lawrence and Philmar of acting with “malice, fraud and oppression.” The dueling lawsuits are elaborate and ugly. They became uglier still when Lawrence threw in an unexpected curveball — last August, he filed for bankruptcy.
Moi’s attorneys dug up Lawrence’s 2022 divorce proceeding with his wife, Chappa. In April, Robb Report described their Los Angeles mansion — which contained a Moroccan-inspired spa — as a “lavish Encino spread … loaded with every amenity imaginable and then some.” The cost of the house was $11.5 million. The article did not mention that Chappa had hired a forensic accountant to look into Lawrence’s financial affairs, in order to determine his obligations to her and the couple’s four young children. According to court records, Lawrence had nearly $22 million in property assets from three homes and $90 million from selling his song catalog to Tempo Music Investments, a music-investment company that partners with Warner Music Group. Lawrence also borrowed $15 million from Hipgnosis, the music-catalog company that has purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of songs from top songwriters, using his own catalog as collateral.
But Lawrence also had massive debts, including more than $23 million due in back taxes, according to court records. And as part of their divorce proceeding, Chappa accused Lawrence of withholding key financial details about his assets. According to court records, Lawrence asked a business manager to hold $2.3 million of his money — an amount he had not disclosed in the divorce proceeding.
“Look, he knows he made mistakes,” the source close to Lawrence says. “He got himself in a bit of a mess.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE RECORD PLANT?
The type of bankruptcy Lawrence’s company Philmar filed in March was Chapter 11 — a reorganization of the company’s debts and assets under court supervision. But in June, Moi requested that the bankruptcy court change the designation to Chapter 7 — a more extreme form of bankruptcy that would require Philmar to liquidate all of its assets to pay off its many creditors. The court agreed.
“He couldn’t keep up the legal fees,” says the source close to Lawrence. “His only option, at that point, was bankruptcy.”
Where does that leave the Record Plant? It’s unclear. Moi is aggressive about wanting to be the studio’s owner, and has plans to renovate the studios, buy more equipment and work with the landlord, CIM Group, to resume the studio’s rent payments. (A CIM representative declined to comment.) He claims he owns the Record Plant trademarks, while bankruptcy-court trustees control the furniture, speakers, consoles and microphones contained in the building.
Due to Philmar’s Chapter 7 status, the trustees in the bankruptcy proceeding are required to sell the Record Plant assets to pay off the creditors (which include CIM for back rent payments, and Moi for equipment, as the Italian producer argues in court). But another buyer could come in and take over the assets. Amy L. Goldman, a court trustee, said in a July filing she has had sale discussions with “Mr. Moi, the landlord, [Philmar’s] principals, and at least two others.” “When you sell in bankruptcy, you are required to get the highest and best price,” says Mary Whitmer, a bankruptcy attorney in Cleveland who is not involved in the case. “[The trustee] will tell all of them, ‘Whatever bid you make, I’m going to shop it around.’”
Despite his bankruptcies, Lawrence, who identifies himself as the Record Plant’s owner and CEO, plans to keep the studio open if he winds up as the permanent owner, sources close to him say. Boekhoorn, the Dutch investor, could potentially be involved. (“Perhaps,” says Peters, Boekhoorn’s filmmaker friend who worked at the Record Plant. “I cannot say yes, I cannot say no.”) But if Moi emerges as the studio’s owner through the bankruptcy proceeding, he will keep running it as a music studio. “I will double down and invest whatever it takes to relaunch it,” he says. “Three more studios upstairs, and renovate four studios downstairs. A major Italian renovation.”
Adds Moi: “We want the Record Plant to survive. I’m trying my best.”
After a year of playing host to more than 960 live events and 6.3 million ticket holders, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. said on Friday revenues rose 13% in its first full year since spinning off from the Sphere.
Last April, MSG spun off from MSG Sphere, the next-generation music venue in Las Vegas, leaving behind the rest of its live events business under the company name MSG Entertainment. MSGE includes venues such as Madison Square Garden, Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre and The Chicago Theatre, an entertainment and sports booking business, the Radio City Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular production, and long-term arena license agreements with New York Knicks and New York Rangers, which play their home games at Madison Square Garden.
Executives attributed this year’s revenue growth to a record number of shows at the Garden in the fourth quarter, which included Billy Joel‘s 150th show at Madison Square Garden and two sold-out shows by the breakout singer songwriter Noah Kahan, and said they expect even more next year.
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“The world’s most famous arena ended the year on a particularly strong note with robust year over year growth in the number of concerts in fourth quarter,” MSG Entertainment chief financial officer Mike Grau said on a call with investors. “This reflects our efforts to increase venue utilization within the Knicks and Rangers playoff window, as well as our success in attracting acts that are headlining the Garden for the first time.”
A majority of events at the company’s venues sold out in the quarter and saw higher per capita spending on food, beverage and merchandise. Grau said a higher number of shows in the coming fiscal year are expected to boost the company’s adjusted operating income by high-single to low double-digit percentage increase.
MSG Entertainment reported revenues of $959.3 million for the full fiscal year ending June 30, up 13% from fiscal year 2023. It reported an operating income of $111.9 million, up $6.9 million, and adjusted operating income of $211.5 million, up $9.9 million, both compared to fiscal 2023.
On a quarterly basis, the company’s $186.1 million in revenue for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2024 was up 26% from the year-ago quarter. MSG recorded an operating loss of $8.9 million in the quarter and adjusted operating income of $13.1 million, both improvements over the prior year’s quarter.
Revenues from food, beverage and merchandise sales in the fourth fiscal quarter rose 48% to $34.7 million compared to the prior year period.
Welcome to another edition of Executive Turntable, Billboard’s comprehensive(ish) compendium of promotions, hirings, exits and firings — and all things in between — across music. While you’re here, we also have a weekly interview series spotlighting a single executive and a regularly updated gallery honoring many of the industry figures we’ve lost throughout the year.
Warner Chappell Music promoted David Goldsen to senior vp of North America A&R. Los Angeles-based Goldsen will continue to sign and develop songwriters and artists across multiple genres, help with leadership efforts for the North America A&R department, and continue supporting songwriters in international markets and overseeing the publisher’s A&R efforts in Australia. Goldsen joined Warner Chappell in 2009 and in 2022 was named vp of creative and head of A&R for WCM. Over the past year and change, he has signed a string of top-tier country, rock, jazz and alternative artists, including Zach Bryan, Teddy Swims, The Red Clay Strays, Laufey and Sleep Token. Goldsen also continues to work closely with Mitski, whom he signed in 2018 and who had a hit in 2023/2024 with “My Love Mine All Mine.” He’ll continue to report to Ryan Press, president of North America.
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“David has consistently proven his natural ability to discover and sign top talent,” said Press. “He has steadily built a star-studded roster, and in the past year alone, has brought in many of the artists and songwriters leading today’s charts. I’ve had the opportunity to work with him for over 15 years, and I’m proud of everything he’s accomplished on our team as an A&R executive and inspiring leader.” –Jessica Nicholson
Meanwhile…
Isadora Kamotskin was promoted to marketing director at Warner Music Finland, where’s she’s been a staple since 2016. It’s a step up from her previous role as marketing manager of the label’s domestic marketing department, where she’s worked on partnerships with radio and streaming partners and been pivotal in pushing several Finnish acts including Antti Tuisku, BEHM, Kaija Koo and others. With this promotion, Kamotskin will join the management team of both Warner Music Finland and Warner Music Live, and will report to the territory’s managing director, Ramona Forsström. “She has a strategic vision, strong marketing skills, a deep understanding of our roster and the ability to help artists achieve success,” said Forsström. “Her passion for music, her people oriented management style and ability to inspire her team are invaluable strengths.”
Audio Up‘s record label, Audio Chateau, has secured $4.5 million in additional funding through investors including Glen Barros, managing partner at Exceleration Music, as well as Gillian Hormel and Jonathan Schulman. It has also on-boarded Grayson Flatness, formerly of InGrooves, who will act as an A&R consultant, and industry veteran Kate London, who’ll act as head of legal & business affairs for the label, overseeing business and legal dealings across all music endeavors. This is in addition to London’s responsibilities overseeing business and legal affairs for Audio Up Media. She has previously held executive roles at Global Music Rights, Interscope Records and Warner Records, in addition to her private practice experience.
RADIO, RADIO: iHeartMedia appointed Angela Reed to senior vp of its Inside Sales division, overseeing the company’s slate of broadcast, events, digital and podcast products across all markets. Reed, who previously held leaderships roles at Miradore, KnowBe4 and Time Doctor, will report to Julie Donohue, iHeartMedia’s president of multimarket partnerships … Cumulus Media promoted Carolyn Chauncey to senior vp of marketing and podcasting, a role that will see her lead day-to-day operations, content acquisition, editorial and production at the Cumulus Podcast Network. Chauncey will continue to direct corporate marketing for Cumulus Media, Westwood One and the Cumulus Podcast Network, reporting to Collin R. Jones, president of Westwood One. Elsewhere at Cumulus, Megan Devine was promoted to vp of podcast sales planning and yield optimization.
Outback Presents hired Christine Melko Ross to lead the company’s Canadian operations as senior vp of global operations. As her title implies, the Montreal-based live executive will also spearhead international expansion strategies beyond North America. Melko Ross arrives at Outback following a 23-year run at the Just For Laughs Group, producer of the legendary comedy festival. At JFL, she was instrumental in running the flagship Montreal festival and in expanding it to Toronto. [This year’s festival was canceled in March amid a bankruptcy filing and layoffs.] Before joining JFL, Melko Ross was lead talent buyer for Donald K. Donald/Universal Concerts/House of Blues Concerts, managing tours for artists as diametrically different as The Backstreet Boys and Leonard Cohen. “Everyone at Outback Presents is excited to have Christine join the team,” said Outback Presents co-CEO Michael Smardak. “Her extensive achievements and experience in comedy will be invaluable to our global growth. We are very proud to have her join us.” Melko Ross is reachable at christine.melkoross@outbackpresents.com.
NASHVILLE NOTES: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum promoted Haley Houser to associate director to the CEO, Aaron Helvig to director of school and music programs, Dana Romanello to director of museum sales and Joe Bridges to director of security … Southwest Value Partners, developer of Nashville Yards, the nearly completed 19-acre mixed use entertainment district in downtown Nashville, announced Christian Parker as chief operating officer, Steve Lewis a director of security, and Rocky Ryan as vp of operations of the massive project. When completed, Nashville Yards will boast several Class A+ buildings including offices for CAA, AEG Presents and Messina Touring Group, as well as The Pinnacle, a 4,500-capacity music venue … Daywind Music Group promoted Joe Dan Cornett to director of publishing of its bluegrass label Billy Blue Music. Cornett has been with DMG for 10 years, serving as both catalog manager and creative director.
Grammy Award-winning pianist, composer and arranger John Beasley succeeded Chuck Owen as president of the International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers (ISJAC). Other 2024 appointments at ISJAC, a non-profit advocacy organization for jazz composers and arrangers, include Mike Conrad as vp of membership and Erica von Kleist as vp of development, with board of directors Billy Childs, Patrice Rushen and Rio Sakairi. Owen, who co-founded ISJAC in 2016, remains on the board. “I am fortunate to receive the baton from Owen, who has left a solid and well-marked footprint,” Beasley said. “I’m most excited to bond and exchange ideas with our current and new members across the globe to help each other further our personal and collective artistic growth, which ultimately furthers the art of arranging and composing.”
Big Loud Records promoted Eric England to senior vp of insights and analytics. England joined the team in September 2021 and established the label’s Insights & Analytics department, leading the label’s data-forward methodology. England has a PhD from Virginia Tech, and started his music industry career following time at The Ohio State University, The Kraft Heinz Company and Mars Petcare. –J.N.
YOU DOWN WITH NEW JVs? BrickHouse Entertainment’s Scott Brickell, Ron Smith and Chase Swayze, along with former Hootie and the Blowfish manager Rusty Harmon, partnered up with Vere Music on Hit and Run Music, a new ADA-distributed marketing, distribution and label venture based in Nashville. The label’s inaugural artist is Micah Christopher … Origins Records and Hitmaker Music formed a new venture that will focus on developing Black country and Americana artists. Leading the JV are Origins executive Kadeem Phillips and ex-MNRK Music Group svp/GM Gina Miller.
ICYMI:
Elliot Grainge
Shari Bryant stepped down as co-president of Roc Nation‘s record label, which has been merged with the company’s distribution wing to form ROC Nation Distribution … Elliot Grainge, son of the industry’s most powerful person, will soon take the helm at Atlantic Music Group. Those who have worked with Grainge predict how the transition may go in this inside look at the abrupt generational shift at Atlantic, the storied label co-founded by music legend Ahmet Ertegun in 1947.
Last Week’s Turntable: Big Noise Amped About New GM
As country music consumption on streaming services has surged in recent years, so has the slate of country songs reaching the coveted milestone of being certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying 10 million units moved (with each permanent digital download counting as one unit, while 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams count as one unit).
Earlier this week, it was revealed that Luke Combs notched the 10th and 11th country singles to earn Diamond status from the RIAA, with his songs “Hurricane” and “When It Rains It Pours.” These are added to his previous RIAA Diamond-certified song “Beautiful Crazy,” which reached the milestone last year, making Combs the country artist with the most Diamond-certified singles.
RIAA Chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier said in a statement, “The power of artists’ voices and their ability to create connections with fans through music resonates across live shows and playlists that builds community and shapes culture. RIAA has the honor of celebrating the impact of those moments, and today we acknowledge the 10th (and 11th) country singles to earn Diamond recognition for US sales and streams — each surpassing 10 million. Congratulations to these amazing artists and incredible label partners who continue serving hits to loyal fans and those just discovering them!”
In addition to Combs, the country artists who have had songs reach the RIAA Diamond milestone include Lady A, Kane Brown, Brett Young and Darius Rucker.
During a celebration held in Nashville in March to celebrate the Diamond certification for Brett Young’s “In Case You Didn’t Know,” the singer-songwriter stated, “This has truly been the song that keeps on giving. As grateful as I am to this song, and what it is meant to my career, I’m even more grateful to all the people behind the scenes that works so hard to make sure it would be the successful. I think we all had high hopes, but never imagined this song earning an RIAA Diamond certification. Thank you to everybody that came out, and everybody that had a hand in all of the success.”
Notably, the Bebe Rexha/FGL hit “Meant to Be,” which is certified Diamond by the RIAA and topped the Hot Country Songs chart for 50 weeks (and rose to No. 2 on the Hot 100), is classified in the pop genre in the RIAA’s tally, while the Diamond-certified Lil Nas X/Billy Ray Cyrus collaboration “Old Town Road” is classified in the country genre in the RIAA’s tally — based on how the songs were classified when submitted for certification. There are, of course, more country songs on the cusp of being added to the Diamond club, such as Morgan Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses,” which is currently certified 9x Platinum by the RIAA. Meanwhile, songs from Taylor Swift, pre-pop stardom ascension, are also close in the running, such as “Love Story,” which has been certified 8x Platinum.
Here, we look at the 11 country songs that have earned the Diamond certification distinction from the RIAA, starting with the most recently certified.
Luke Combs, “When It Rains It Pours”
Primary Wave Music has acquired the producer royalty and neighboring rights royalty streams for artist manager, music critic, and record producer Jon Landau.
This deal includes Landau’s points and neighboring rights royalties to songs by Bruce Springsteen, whom he worked with as a co-producer for Born To Run, The River, Darkness on the Edge of Town, The Promise, Born in the U.S.A., Live 1975-1985, Human Touch, Lucky Town and Tracks. The deal also entails his producer and neighboring rights royalties for his production on Jackson Browne’s The Pretender.
A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Landau was a pivotal figure in rock music during his decades-long career. Landau got his start writing about music for publications like Crawdaddy and The Boston Phoenix and by 1967 he was hired by Jann Wenner as the lead writer for the brand new Rolling Stone publication, a position he held for a decade.
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By 1970, Landau was simultaneously writing for Rolling Stone and getting back to his roots as a lifelong musician by producing MC5’s studio album debut Back In The USA.
He got to know Springsteen in 1974 after he reviewed a performance by the singer-songwriter and called him the “future” of rock music. The following year, he co-produced Born To Run, cementing both his relationship with The Boss and his career as a producer. He would go on to co-produce eight more of his records. During this time, he also befriended Browne and produced 1976’s The Pretender, featuring songs like “Here Come Those Tears Again” and the title track.
Two decades later, Landau experienced another career peak as the manager for Shania Twain. He helped build the country-pop artist’s career, leading her to true super stardom with her 1997 album Come On Over, featuring the song “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and “You’re Still The One.”
Landau has also worked with artists like Natalie Merchant, Train, Alejandro Escovedo, Livingston Taylor and more.
“I thank all at Primary Wave for recognizing my contributions over the last fifty years and look forward to having an ongoing and productive relationship with them,” says Landau of the deal.
Marty Silverstone, president of global synch at Primary Wave, adds: “We’re honored to be partnering with Jon Landau and all of the legendary music he helped shape. He’s an influential figure in music, and we’re proud to welcome him to the Primary Wave family.”
The transaction between Landau and Primary Wave Music was facilitated by David Simone and Winston Simone.
Roc Nation and its music distribution wing, Equity Distribution, have merged to form Roc Nation Distribution, sources tell Billboard. As part of this new formation, all artists currently signed to Roc Nation the label will be under ROC Nation Distribution.
Sources add that ROC Nation Distribution will continue to sign artists and offer myriad services similar to those provided by Equity Distribution. Established in 2019, Equity Distribution works with independent artists who wish to retain ownership of their masters. Under the leadership of president Krystian Santini, Equity offers a range of services including in-house marketing and publishing administration. Notably, they have worked with independent artists like Mach-Hommy and Tinashe and brought Jay-Z‘s 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt, to streaming services in 2019.
As part of the move, Shari Bryant, co-president of Roc Nation’s record label, has stepped down from her post. Bryant became co-president alongside Omar Grant in 2019 after former label president Benny Pough departed. Bryant and Grant signed new acts to the label during their tenure, including Maeta, Ambre, Reuben Vincent and Kalan FrFr.
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Roc Nation was originally founded in 2008 as a joint venture with Live Nation to cover Jay-Z’s touring and future recordings; the company signed its first artist, J. Cole, the following year. Since then, Roc has expanded into a full-service entertainment company, with management, sports, publishing and distribution divisions, as well as a long-running festival, Made In America; the company also has a deal with the NFL to oversee the programming for its Super Bowl Halftime Show and its social justice initiatives. Over the years, the label released several chart-topping albums from Jay-Z, J. Cole, Rihanna and a slew of others; the roster had more recently included artists such as Rapsody, Vic Mensa, Belly, Snoh Aalegra, and Jaden and Willow Smith.
In March, Maeta landed her first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Adult R&B Airplay chart with the success of “Through the Night” featuring Free Nationals. Grammy-nominated MC Rapsody released her new album, Please Don’t Cry, through Roc Nation and Jamla Records in May with features from Erykah Badu and Lil Wayne.
Roc Nation Management remains formidable, boasting names such as Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Uzi Vert. In June, Megan released her eponymous album, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200; it featured her Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper, “Hiss.” Tinashe, also managed by Roc, regained momentum this year when she notched a hit with “Nasty,” her first Hot 100 entry as a lead artist since 2014’s “2 On.” The management division also reps DJ Khaled, J Balvin, Yo Gotti, Robin Thicke, Mustard, Christina Aguilera and more, according to its website.
For most of the last decade, three labels have dominated the U.S. recorded music business: Universal Music Group’s Republic and Interscope, and Warner Music Group’s Atlantic. So on Aug. 1, when Warner announced that as part of a management shakeup it had appointed Elliot Grainge as CEO of Atlantic Music Group, the move came as a surprise. Co-chairmen Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman had led Atlantic for two decades, through the hardest years of the music business, to become two of the most respected executives in the industry. Now, after two years of declining market share, leadership will pass to a 30-year-old executive who comes from outside the major label system.
Within a week, Greenwald, who had been elevated to chairman of Atlantic Music Group, announced that she plans to leave at the end of January. (Kallman, one of the all-time A&R greats, will stay on as CEO of Atlantic Records, under Grainge.) And the entire business seems to be wondering, What does this mean? It’s a big gamble for WMG CEO Robert Kyncl. Grainge, the son of UMG chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge, has an impressive track record of success on a smaller scale, but not much on the kind of scale major labels usually operate. What’s going on?
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The obvious answer is that this is the acceleration of a youthquake in the music business. Streaming payouts are determined disproportionately by younger listeners who spend more time online. The industry’s top executives aren’t getting any younger, and the music business has never been much for succession planning.
One industry executive I spoke with asked sarcastically if I thought Grainge was familiar with Ruth Brown, the R&B icon who had so many hits in the 1950s that Atlantic was nicknamed “the house that Ruth built,” in a nod to Yankee Stadium. I have no idea, but I also know that most young listeners don’t, so, as much as it pains me to say this, maybe that doesn’t matter so much. Greenwald is now regarded as an industry leader, but she wasn’t so much older than Grainge is now when she became president of Island Records in 2002.
Grainge does seem to have a skill for identifying artists who are building an audience online and putting resources behind them in a smart way. Is his 10K Projects, which became part of WMG last year, a model for the label of the future? He hasn’t built the careers of any household-name superstars, which has been the traditional strength of the majors, though some of the acts he signed, like Ice Spice, are still on the rise.
As recently as two years ago, the trend lines seemed clear: Hip-hop was conquering the world, not only growing but also shaping emergent genres from Latin urbano to Afrobeats. Now it’s a bit harder to make sense of what’s working. Pop is getting bigger, but so is country. Latin is growing faster than ever, but tastes are changing there, too. And fans are more fickle than ever. Katy Perry’s comeback is faltering. The new album from Dua Lipa, which seemed like a sure thing, has had a slow start. Are listeners just hungry for new artists? Maybe. But Sabrina Carpenter released her first album before Dua did. Only Taylor Swift endures. As for everyone else, all we are is dust in the wind.
Amid this uncertainty, it’s tempting to think that someone must have the answers — especially if that person is young. Sure, the feeling goes, I don’t understand what’s happening, but I bet that guy does. And maybe he does! Grainge built a successful company by focusing on finding, developing and marketing talent in the digital world. The major labels have generally made bigger bets that paid off, or didn’t, in a bigger way. That’s harder to do now — there are fewer real superstars partly because there are fewer real paths to superstardom.
It may be more important than ever, though. Hit albums remain popular longer than ever, boosting the success of previous music by the same artist. Of the top 10 albums of the first half of 2024, Morgan Wallen had two of them, one each from 2021 and 2023; Zach Bryan’s 2023 album was the 8th biggest of the first half of 2024, so he could well have two of the biggest releases this year. (That top 10 list for the first half of 2024 has only seven artists.)
That’s the kind of success Grainge needs to bring to Atlantic, whether it comes from new acts or old ones, big bets or small ones the label doubles down on, or some combination of the two. All of the questions this raises about the future of the music business — What does this mean? What’s going on? — will be answered, at least to some extent, by how he does at that.
Sonos is letting go of 6% of its workforce — more than 100 people — after a disastrous redesign of their app and mounting customer complaints forced the company to lower its projected sales and delay product launches. The layoffs, first reported by The Verge, were announced in a company filing on Wednesday (Aug. 14). […]
City of Hope will present Jay Marciano, chairman and CEO of AEG Presents, with its prestigious Spirit of Life Award at a Oct. 22 gala headlined by legendary singer and songwriter Elton John.
City of Hope is one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and a leading research center for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. The Spirit of Life Gala, organized by the City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry (MFEI) volunteer and fundraising group’s, will take place at the historic Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Marciano is the 51st executive to be honored during the annual affair, recognizing individuals for their longtime philanthropic and humanitarian efforts. Besides managing some of the largest tours in history — Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” and Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” — Marciano is focused on galvanizing the industry to accelerate cancer research at City of Hope so that more people around the world may benefit from its findings.
In addition to the performance by John, attendees will experience a curated menu by chef Evan Funke, a master of the old-world techniques of handmade pasta, and an unprecedented act by magician and mentalist David Blaine — both experiences promise to round out an evening of magic. Comedian, actor, musician and writer Fred Armisen will emcee the event.
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“I am honored to be receiving The Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope and to be able to contribute to raising awareness and funds to speed its important work of eradicating cancer and improving lives for so many,” Marciano said in a statement. “I am also humbled and grateful that Elton John, a true superstar in every regard, has agreed to lend his immeasurable talents to this event with a performance that’s sure to inspire support for a cause that unfortunately touches so many lives.”
John’s historic, final tour saw the musical icon play 330 shows worldwide to over 6.25 million fans across the UK, Europe, North America and Australia. The U.S. leg of the tour concluded with three sell-out shows at Dodger Stadium. The concert was livestreamed on Disney+ in every territory the channel broadcasts in, a global first. He later headlined Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage in June 2023, the final UK show before the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour concluded in July 2023, marking the end of more than 50 years on the road. Now, the stage has been set for another very special performance at the Spirit of Life Gala.
“Jay is more than a colleague; he is a dear friend,” John said. “It is my pleasure to lend my support to him as he receives the Spirit of Life honor, especially given City of Hope’s dignity-giving supportive care for people who face cancer, along with its unmatched research for other life-threatening illnesses. Their important work has led to advancements in the field that have fortunately enabled so many people to live beautiful, long lives. Everyone should have that opportunity, and I’m honored to play a part in City of Hope’s work towards that goal.”
Founded more than a century ago to serve people who had trouble accessing high-quality, effective cancer treatment, City of Hope combines inclusive, compassionate care with big dreams realized through breakthrough scientific research.
“Our longstanding supporters in the entertainment industry are helping us deliver on our most important goal: saving lives,” said Robert Stone, CEO of City of Hope and the Helen and Morgan Chu Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair. “Thank you, Jay, and our partners for helping us ensure that people with cancer, regardless of race, socioeconomic status or geography, have equitable access to the most advanced cancer treatments available.”
In its 50-plus year history, MFEI raised over $150 million to benefit City of Hope research and care programs.
“The music industry has the power to unite millions of people for a cause, and when that cause is cancer research, the impact can be transformative,” said Kristin J. Bertell, chief philanthropy officer at City of Hope. “Jay’s support will amplify awareness, raise crucial funds, and inspire hope for millions of cancer patients and their families. It’s not just about entertainment; it’s about saving lives through the power of philanthropy,” Bertell continued.
“City of Hope’s MFEI Board cannot thank Jay Marciano, and his entire team, enough for all they are doing to help fight these horrible diseases,” said Evan Lamberg, president of Universal Music Publishing Group. “There is not a single person I meet that has not, in some way directly or indirectly, been affected by cancer. City of Hope continues its battle against cancer around the clock and looks to continue to make the quality of people’s lives better.”
MFEI’s Spirit of Life Gala will conclude a year-long fundraising initiative which will also include auctions and a dinner series to benefit City of Hope. Tickets and sponsorship information can be found here.
Mobile learning platform Duolingo has struck a partnership with Sony Music that will bring more than 60 recordings from Sony artists including Whitney Houston, Hozier, Pink and Meghan Trainor to Duolingo’s music education course, it was announced Thursday (Aug. 15). The tracks, which are now available on the Duolingo platform, will help music learners “study […]