Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Inauguration Music: Sony Dominates with Hudson, Keys, Clarkson

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The music from the Inaugural ceremony and the balls show on TV are making one thing clear: Sony Music has all the major presidential artists. Kelly Clarkson, so good on “My Country Tis Of Three,” is on RCA-Sony. She’s one of Clive Davis’s artists from J Records and “American Idol.”

Jennifer Hudson, singing “Let’s Stay Together,” also comes from Davis roster and is now on RCA. Ditto Alicia Keys, who performed a rewritten version of “Girl on Fire” (still using the uncredited music from “Hey There Lonely Girl”).

And there’s more: Beyonce, who I thought was so-so (although she looked amazing) is on Sony. And James Taylor has most of catalog on Sony.

Jamie Foxx, now performing on CNN at the Inaugural Ball, is a Clive Davis find and a Sony-RCA star. (He’s doing his Ray Charles material.) I will never forget Jamie debuting his musical talents at a Clive Davis pre-Grammy dinner several years ago. The audience was gobsmacked. The rest is history.

PS Hudson’s version of Tina Turner’s take on “Lets Stay Together” was wonderful. Hudson should just do an album of great cover songs–including her “Holly Holy” Neil Diamond tribute from MusiCares and her “Will You Be There” from the Michael Jackson memorial.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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