Every year without fail, “All I want for Christmas” produces a lot of income for Mariah Carey.
Her new records don’t sell, but “All I Want” is a perennial.
So are “Hero,” and “One Sweet Day,” which she sang with BoyzIIMen.
All those songs were written by Walter Afanasieff, her longtime collaborator and producer.
Afansieff was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame last night in New York. Guess who didn’t show up, forget about perform? Mariah Carey.
Maybe Mariah was upset because she was inducted into the SHOF in 2022, when a lot of people including this column pointed to Afanasieff as the true composer of her hits.
Or maybe she doesn’t like splitting royalties with him.
Mariah’s absence reminds me of when Madonna didn’t mention any of her collaborators when she was inducted into the SHOF. She also didn’t show up Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, writers of “Like a Virgin,” when it was their turn.
Where could Mariah have been last night? She’s not on tour, and she’s not recording anything vital. She showed up recently at an event for the Gucci cruise line, but of course she was paid to sing — and not well — for the fashion company.
Walter deserved better. Instead, the SHOF was only able to come up with a singer named Shelea, who seems nice but no one knows.
Meantime, as we head into the fall and Christmas season, all Mariah will want is Afanasieff’s royalties.
