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Jimmie Allen‘s management company The Familie and booking agency UTA both announced they were suspending their work with the country singer-songwriter on Friday (May 12), following a new lawsuit alleging him of rape, sexual assault and battery.
“Given the nature of the allegations in the lawsuit filed on Thursday, The Familie has decided to suspend management activities with Jimmie Allen effective immediately,” a spokesperson for the management firm told Billboard in a statement. The Familie began working with Allen in 2022, after he parted ways with his former management company, Wide Open Music.
“We have suspended our representation of Jimmie Allen due to the recent allegations against him, which we take seriously,” said a UTA spokesperson in a separate statement.
In a civil lawsuit filed Thursday in Tennessee federal court, an anonymous “Jane Doe” accuser says that Allen “manipulated and used his power” over her job as a day-to-day manager in order to “sexually harass and abuse her” over a period of 18 months from 2020 to 2022.
“Plaintiff expressed in words and actions that Jimmie Allen’s conduct was unwelcome, including pushing him away, sitting where he could not reach her, telling him she was uncomfortable and no, and crying uncontrollably,” the woman’s attorneys wrote in the complaint. “However, Allen made clear that plaintiff’s job was dependent on her staying silent about his conduct.”
Allen denied the allegations in a statement to Billboard, saying, “It is deeply troubling and hurtful that someone I counted as one of my closest friends, colleagues and confidants would make allegations that have no truth to them whatsoever. I acknowledge that we had a sexual relationship — one that lasted for nearly two years. During that time she never once accused me of any wrongdoing, and she spoke of our relationship and friendship as being something she wanted to continue indefinitely.”
The artist continued to say he intends to “mount a vigorous defense to her claims and take all other legal action necessary to protect my reputation.”
Since the report came to light, Allen has also been suspended by his record label, BBR Music Group, which includes halting of promotion for his latest radio single, “Be Alright,” which fell 57-60 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart dated May 20. He has also been pulled from the performer lineup at CMA Fest, which is slated from June 8-11 in downtown Nashville.
The suit follows previous news that Allen and his wife Alexis Gale announced their separation on April 21; at that time, they also shared that Gale is pregnant with their third child.
Assistance on this story provided by Melinda Newman.
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information. (edited)
So far this year, much of the discussion around the touring business has been about ticketing, with high-profile tours by the likes of Taylor Swift and Drake putting Live Nation and Ticketmaster in the spotlight. But underlining that throughline is one undeniable fact: three years on from the onset of the pandemic that shut down events across the world, the live music business is fully back, with the biggest stars in the world hitting the road for their first outings in years.
That has meant that all facets of the touring business are once again operating at full speed. Or, as UTA partner and music agent Mike G puts it, “Post-pandemic, the live business has been on fire.”
The longtime agent would know. This year, he’s booked a series of major tours and shows for some of the biggest acts in multiple genres, including Lil Wayne, Romeo Santos, Wizkid and The Kid LAROI, each with some significance: Wayne’s charting an underplay in anticipation of a broader tour around his upcoming album Tha Carter VI; Santos is playing stadium dates in four cities, almost a decade after he became the first solo Latin artist to sell out Yankee Stadium; Wizkid has a headlining arena tour on the way, after he became just the second Nigerian artist to sell out Madison Square Garden in November; and The Kid LAROI kicked off a college tour of secondary and tertiary markets this week. And all that activity has helped earn Mike G the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, he talks about the strategy behind several of those outings, as well as the difficulties and opportunities that have arisen as the pandemic increasingly appears to be in the rear view mirror. “[The pandemic] created a demand,” he says, “and the live industry is healthy.”
This week, The Kid LAROI kicked off his college tour in Syracuse, New York, one of a number of big tours you’ve locked in in the last few months. What was the strategy behind this one in particular?
The strategy behind touring these college towns was to touch a significant fan base for LAROI in secondary and tertiary markets. The idea of going on a reputable college tour hasn’t been executed since Jay Z. So, we saw an opportunity to continue to build his live business with this run and market it in a specific way. The pop-up pep rallies on the day of the show have been a special touch by LAROI to connect with his fans on campus.
You also booked the upcoming Lil Wayne tour ahead of his next album, which sold out in presale and moved 70,000 tickets with a mix of theaters and arenas. What goes into the routing of a tour like this for a superstar like Wayne?
The idea behind Lil Wayne was to create an intimate touring experience for his fans by playing at venues like the Wiltern in Los Angeles and the iconic Apollo Theater in New York. The concept of playing these rooms was to leave tickets at the door for his more extensive run in the fall while pre-promoting Tha Carter VI with this tour as a marketing vehicle. It is an understatement to say this has played out the way we wanted it to. This tour will be such a great experience for the fans.
Last November, Wizkid became the second Nigerian artist to sell out Madison Square Garden, and now he’s set for an arena tour later this year. What do you see as the touring market and possibilities for afrobeats artists in the U.S.?
The possibilities will be arena and amphitheater tours with afrobeats artists as well as headlining crossover festivals. The potential is unlimited in the live space and we’ve seen such incredible success with WizKid being on the forefront and one of the very few artists leading the movement in the U.S.
In 2020, you guys signed Romeo Santos, his first time signing with a major agency. How did you convince him to come aboard?
The signing of Romeo Santos in 2020 was one of the most significant signings for our department. We presented the full-service models that we live by at the agency. Touring is an artist’s most important revenue generator, but in conjunction with live, the thought was, “Let’s build out other untapped business areas.” Film, TV, digital and brand opportunities should be part of those daily conversations. That generated Romeo’s interest and, ultimately, led him to signing with us. It’s about everything we can deliver, not just touring. He wanted to build out a 360 business in all areas of entertainment.
This year, he’s doing stadium shows in four U.S. cities, just shy of a decade after he became the first Latin artist to ever sell out Yankee Stadium. What continues to make him such a big draw?
His loyal fan base and consistency in delivering fantastic music and a spectacular live show. Romeo took Bachata music to new heights. He revolutionized and modernized the genre.
What goes into booking artists of all sizes in the right venues — especially those artists who may have emerged during the pandemic, and don’t have much of a touring history, if any?
We study and understand where that artist is in their career. For some acts, we can gauge and see if playing a 500-cap room is the right step to begin their touring career in the major markets. Finding the right support slot on tour for other acts can expose the artist to new fans and build a base. Each artist is different, but you must be strategically aggressive and not afraid to lose to make a live career.
How has the touring business changed as the world emerges from the pandemic? And how has it changed how you do business?
Post-pandemic, the live business has been on fire. It created a demand, and the live industry is healthy. The business will continue to thrive, but being conscious of ticket pricing will be instrumental in our current economy.
Previous Executive of the Week: Jesús López of Universal Music Latin America
UTA has officially set up shop in Atlanta.
Along with its partner company KLUTCH Sports Group, the agency opened its new Atlanta bureau Wednesday (March 22) to extend its ability to discover and serve artists, athletes, musicians and brands in the region. Steve Cohen, Rob Gibbs and Arthur Lewis will serve as co-heads of the new office.
“Atlanta is an entertainment and cultural hub, and planting our flag here gives us the ability to support clients with investments and opportunities across the city’s growing creative ecosystem,” said Cohen and Gibbs in a joint statement.
UTA will offer representation in Atlanta across its multitude of divisions, including music, sports, film, television, digital talent, marketing, gaming, fine arts and more. This includes advising top global brands based in the Southeast on a range of growth initiatives, including ways to partner with the creative community.
“Atlanta is a vibrant city for music, sports and arts, and there is a ripe opportunity to create another center of gravity for film and television,” said UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer in a statement. “We are excited to bring our full range of services to the community of talented artists, athletes, musicians and creators who call the Southeast their home.”
The new office is located at 1401 Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta and occupies nearly 20,000 square feet across three floors. It was designed by the firm Hastings Architecture, which also designed UTA’s office in Nashville.
The Atlanta bureau will additionally feature a fine art gallery called The UTA Artist Space to showcase programming from the Atlanta art community and across UTA’s global fine arts roster. The inaugural show will feature Atlanta-based artist and musician Lonnie Holley in the first exhibition of his work in the city in over 10 years. Entitled “The Eyes Were Always on Us,” the exhibition will feature sculptures constructed from found materials in the tradition of African-American sculpture. The gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
UTA also boasts offices in Beverly Hills, Nashville, New York, Chicago and London.
Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Kelly Rowland has signed with UTA for global representation in all areas.
Rowland has won four Grammy Awards and has been a chart-topping performer since Destiny’s Child launched its self-titled debut album in 1998. She has released four solo albums and has launched hits like “Stole,” “Dilemma” with Nelly, “Like This” and “When Love Takes Over” with David Guetta. Her massive hit “Motivation” won top R&B song at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards and song of the year at the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards.
The 42-year-old has also built her film and TV résumé over the last two decades. She is set to star in and produce Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa on Netflix. Her other film credits include Paramount’s Fantasy Football, Netflix’s The Curse of Bridge Hollow, Bad Hair, The Seat Filler and Freddy vs. Jason, among others.
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She starred in and produced the Lifetime holiday franchise Merry Liddle Christmas and has appeared in TV series like CBS’ The Equalizer, L.A.’s Finest, HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show and Fox’s Empire. She won the 2020 NAACP Image Award for outstanding guest performance in a comedy or drama series for her portrayal of Gladys Knight in BET’s American Soul.
Rowland has also appeared as a judge and coach on several competition shows including The X Factor and The Voice.
She will continue to be represented by Jennifer McDaniels and Del Shaw Moonves.
This article originally appears in THR.com.
UTA has added two new hires to its Nashville office, with Brian Hill joining as music agent and Jaime Roberts joining as tour marketing director.
Hill brings more than three decades of talent agency experience, including stints at Monterey Peninsula Artists/Paradigm and Creative Arts Agency (CAA). Hill has been named Pollstar‘s Third Coast Agent of the Year twice and has worked with artists including Eli Young Band, Aaron Lewis, Frankie Ballard and Home Free.
New York native Roberts launched her career in live entertainment by promoting live family entertainment experiences with Feld Entertainment, followed by more than a decade leading in marketing and promotions at Live Nation and The Bowery Presents for events in the New York and New Jersey region. Most recently, Roberts spent seven years in Austin, Texas, where she developed and executed multi-channel marketing campaigns for major touring artists with Messina Touring Group. During her time there, she led successful tour marketing efforts for artists including Shawn Mendes, Tim McGraw/Faith Hill, Little Big Town and Kelly Clarkson.
Over the past year, UTA Nashville has added Tyler Hubbard, Bobby Bones, Chris Janson, Parmalee, Dalton Dover and more to its roster and helped develop music newcomers including Megan Moroney, Alana Springsteen, Brittney Spencer and Chase Matthew.
“We are excited to have Brian and Jaime join us at UTA as we continue to expand and elevate the music department,” said UTA co-head of global music Scott Clayton in a statement. “Their decades of experience and stellar track record of going above and beyond for their clients make them perfect additions to our world-class team in Nashville.”
United Talent Agency is making significant changes to its board of directors.
The company, led by CEO Jeremy Zimmer, is adding two new independent directors, expanding the board beyond its own executives and investors for the first time.
The new directors are Paul Wachter, the founder and CEO of investment firm Main Street Advisors, and Ceci Kurzman, the founder of Nexus Management Group. Wachter will also become chairman of the board for UTA.
With Wachter becoming chairman, UTA co-founder Jim Berkus will step aside from that role, which he has held for the last 25 years, a source close to the company confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. The source added that while Berkus will no longer be on UTA’s board, he remains “very active” at UTA. Berkus co-founded UTA in 1991 with Zimmer and Peter Benedek, and became sole chairman of the firm in 1997, THR reported that year.
The changes to the board come as UTA has spent the last few years transforming its business via expansions and acquisitions. Last summer, the agency secured an investment from EQT Partners and said at the time that it would use the cash to pursue an expansion and growth strategy. EQT is now UTA’s largest minority investor.
And while its agency competitors CAA and Endeavor have pursued megadeals (with CAA acquiring ICM, and Endeavor pushing further into live sports via its acquisition of the rest of UFC and a betting data firm), UTA has made a number of smaller, more targeted acquisitions.
The company acquired the U.K. literary and talent agency Curtis Brown Group last year, and last month acquired the literary agency Fletcher & Company in a push to grow its publishing business. The company also bolstered its UTA IQ data business by buying analytics firm MediaHound, and perhaps most notably made a big expansion into marketing and consulting via the $125 million acquisition of Michael Kassan’s strategic advisory firm MediaLink.
The additions of Wachter and Kurzman are sure to raise questions about UTA’s future, as they will be the first independent directors on the company’s board. UTA has had investors on the board, but never independent directors, who are often tapped to provide more neutral guidance, particularly as a company pursues further growth.
In a statement, Zimmer said that the company and EQT “together recognized the value of adding experienced outside voices to the board to help us continue to pursue our goals.”
“The addition of Paul and Ceci, with their web of expertise in entertainment and technology, finance and corporate governance, is another powerful signal about the trajectory of our company and the work we are doing on behalf of our clients,” he added. “Both Paul and Ceci are passionate about artists and culture and recognize the importance of how UTA can continue to lead into the future.”
“I’ve watched Jeremy and UTA build one of the most dynamic businesses in entertainment, sports and media. These industries are going through a generational transformation, and UTA is uniquely positioned to be one of the companies at the center of it,” added Wachter in a statement. “I’m very honored to join as board chairman and thrilled to be a part of how UTA continues to innovate for their clients and investors.”
“Culture, entertainment and sports are universal throughout the world, creating new forms of disruption and opportunity every day. UTA touches every corner of these ecosystems and has the growing reach and capabilities to continue to drive success for the extraordinary artists, athletes and clients they represent,” Kurzman added. “I’m excited to work with the rest of the UTA board to continue to innovate and pursue their vision.”
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
Zayn has signed with UTA for representation across music, film and television, among other areas.
Currently at work on his fourth studio album, Zayn launched his career as a member of One Direction in 2010 before departing the group in 2015 to embark on a solo career. In 2016, he released his debut solo album, Mind of Mine, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. The album’s lead single, “Pillowtalk,” also topped the Billboard Hot 100 and has since been certified five-times platinum by the RIAA. He has garnered several accolades for his music throughout his career, including a Billboard Music Award, an American Music Award, an MTV VMA and two Brit Award nods.
Zayn’s catalog, which encompasses three studio albums (2018’s gold-certified Icarus Falls, 2021’s Nobody Is Listening and Mind of Mine), has earned 4.6 million on-demand official U.S. streams, according to Luminate.
Outside of music, Zayn has also ventured into the fashion world, having collaborated on capsule collections with the likes of Giuseppe Zanotti and Versus Versace while gracing the cover of numerous fashion publications including Vogue, GQ, ELLE UK, Highsnobiety, PAPER and The FADER. In 2017, he was named “Most Stylish Man” at the British GQ Men of the Year Awards.
Elsewhere, ZAYN has advocated for free school lunches for children living in poverty in the UK, penning an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Zayn is also represented by Nicola Carson at ZenKai Management and Taryn Zimmerman.
In a week when everybody seems to be talking about touring, Post Malone pulled off his biggest feat yet: wrapping his 39-date Twelve Carat Tour with four sold-out shows in Los Angeles, the most he’s done in the city in his career. The run marked his return to touring, after a pandemic pause, and featured the hitmaker re-connecting with a fan base that has only grown with the release of his latest album, Twelve Carat Toothache, which he released this year.
Across the first 33 shows of the tour that were reported to Billboard Boxscore, Post moved 413,000 tickets between Sept. 10 and Nov. 6, bringing in $59.7 million, according to Billboard Boxscore — with the L.A. dates not even factored into those totals as yet. And it helps Post’s agent, UTA partner Cheryl Paglierani, earn the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Paglierani — who also reps clients like Dominic Fike, who played the Palladium this week, and Flo Milli, who just wrapped her own tour at The Roxy — speaks about booking the Post Malone tour, the challenges caused by the pandemic and the return to live music, and the differences in booking an artist as their career grows from the club level to arena headliner. “We’ve seen a lot of success by not skipping any steps and staying focused on consistent growth with each tour,” she says.
This week, Post Malone wrapped his Twelve Carat Tour with four sold out shows in L.A., after having sold 413,000 tickets across the tour’s first 33 dates. What key decisions did you make to help make that happen?
It’s always a team effort amongst myself, his managers Dre London and Austin Rosen, and our tour promoter Colin Lewis. Each tour starts with mapping out the markets we want to play and then building out a strategy that allows us to hit all the major cities while also making sure we’re able to weave in smaller markets we may not play as often. Post already has such a massive fanbase, but the goal is to always continue expanding and make sure that we’re reaching more people each time than we have in the past. On the last tour, we did two nights in L.A. and New York and now we are doing four. We’ve seen a lot of success by not skipping any steps and staying focused on consistent growth with each tour.
This was Post’s first tour since the pandemic. How did you want to re-introduce him to audiences with this tour?
Post is an artist who needs no introduction. This tour was more about a re-connection with the fans after three years of being out of the spotlight. He really stepped up the production and put his all into creating not just an incredible show visually, but an experience that fans will remember forever. The stage is set up with two GA pits that allow fans to get right up against the stage. During the entire show, he is dapping their hands, taking items from the crowd and truly engaging with them in a way I have never seen an artist do. When the show ends, he stays on stage for an extra 30 to 40 minutes signing autographs and taking pictures with fans as the venue is clearing out. It’s truly mind blowing to watch one of the biggest stars in the world show so much love to his fans and go above and beyond. I think it’s a big part of what differentiates him from other artists.
How has touring changed since the pandemic?
At first there were a lot of new hoops to jump through to follow vaccination policies and COVID regulations. We are starting to see a lot of regulations that were put in place post-pandemic get lifted and touring feels to be on its way back to normalcy. I can’t say there’s any one thing I could point to that is drastically different as a result of the pandemic.
What challenges are you facing with routing, pricing and venue selection these days that perhaps weren’t there in the past?
The biggest challenge has been avails and oversaturated markets. With so many artists looking to get back out on the road we saw so many tours going out during the same time periods. You always want to make sure your clients are playing the right venue and we would often encounter venues that had no avails for weeks, so routing became a lot more challenging. We are starting to see things level out a bit but I think it will take another 12 to 24 months to truly go back to normal.
How is booking an arena tour different from booking theater or club outings these days, as for some of your other clients?
The booking process is very similar but there are more intricacies to work through as an artist grows into larger rooms on the deal-making side. As the show grows, so does the production, the amount of crew that needs to be out on the road, and the amount of money being offered to the artist. There are more deal points that need to be negotiated than at the club level. Ticketing also becomes a lot more complex at the arena level where you’re scaling rooms at different price levels versus general admission clubs. Paying attention to the ticketing and how fans are buying is crucial to maximizing show grosses and needs to be done in real time. If you’re doing it right it can be very time-consuming but also greatly impact the amount of money the artist makes, and as agents it’s our job to ensure that we get the best deal for our clients.
UTA has signed country singer-songwriter Dalton Dover to its roster for global representation in all areas, the agency tells Billboard.
Last month, it was announced that Dover signed with UMG Nashville’s Mercury Nashville imprint. He’s aligned with Sony Music Publishing Nashville as well as Droptine Music Publishing, which was launched by Nashville music industry veteran Jim Catino. Dover continues to be represented by Charly Salvatore at Underscore Works.
(L-R): Jeffrey Hasson (Co-Head of UTA Nashville), Matthew Morgan (Partner & Co-Head of UTA Nashville), Scott Clayton (Partner & Co-Head of Global Music, UTA), Charly Salvatore (Founder & Manager, Underscore Works), Dalton Dover, Josh Garrett (Music Agent, UTA), Brett Saliba (Music Agent, UTA).
Courtesy Photo
Dover’s most recent song, “Damn Good Life,” which dropped in September, followed previous releases including “You Got a Small Town” and “Baby I Am.” He was Billboard‘s Country Rookie of the Month in February.
“I’ve had the Hot Country playlist from Spotify on my phone for a while. My friends have it, everybody has it,” Dover told Billboard at the time. “The coolest thing is you can hear Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs — and then you can hear my songs. Coming from where I’m from, this kind of thing just doesn’t happen.”
Dover first came to attention when he appeared on Season 16 of The Voice in 2019, earning a chair turnaround from coach Blake Shelton. From there, he developed his fanbase via his #CatchMeOffGuard series on TikTok, which drew praise from artists including Jimmie Allen, Luke Combs and more. This summer, he graduated to opening for Combs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and performed a seven-date run of concerts at various Shelton’s Ole Red locations around the country.
Dover is currently opening shows on Priscilla Block‘s Welcome to the Block Party tour and will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Dec. 3.
UTA has signed rapper, singer, songwriter and actress KaMillion in all areas, the company tells Billboard.
In music, KaMillion’s single “Twerk 4 Me” recently racked up over 1 billion streams in its first six months on TikTok and other social platforms, according to the agency. Her follow-up single, “Fine Azz,” served as the opening theme song for the second season of HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show. In May she released her second EP, Self Made, which was preceded by the lead single “Rich Bitch Walk” and released by her label Pink Money Musiq. As a songwriter, she has written for artists including H.E.R., penning tracks for the singer and guitarist’s Grammy-winning self-titled 2017 album. She has also toured both nationally and internationally and performed at shows including the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards.
“It’s underdawg season, & I’m Lawry’s!“ said KaMillion in a statement on the signing.
On the small screen, KaMillion is best known for her starring role in Issa Rae‘s HBO Max series Rap Sh!t, on which she plays Mia, an aspiring Miami-based rapper trying to make her way in the music industry alongside high school friend Shawna (Aida Osman). That series was renewed for a second season in September 2022. In July, the fictional freestyle performed by her and Osman’s characters on the show was released as the lead single from the series’ season 1 soundtrack via Rae’s Raedio record label. KaMillion was also a cast member on the third season of VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Miami in 2020.
KaMillion will continue to be represented by Eric Feig Entertainment & Media Law and managed by Dream Lab Music.