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A Media Era Comes to An End: Jann Wenner Totally Out of Rolling Stone as Penske Media Buys Up Rest of Company

Roger Friedman
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A Media Era Comes to An End: Jann Wenner Totally Out of Rolling Stone as Penske Media Buys Up Rest of Company

Jann Wenner is out.

It’s been 51 years since Wenner started Rolling Stone as a broadsheet from San Francisco. It used to fold in half and come out twice a month. Everything was fresh, and if you loved music, you were instantly dependent on it.

But you know, Time Life is gone. Conde Nast teeters, as does Hearst. Everything’s different now.

Tonight, Penske Media bought up the rest of Rolling Stone from Wenner and Singapore-based BandLab Technologies, the people Wenner had sold a minority interest to a couple of years ago. The announcement was made in Deadline.com, also owned by Jay Penske.

Penske now has full control of Rolling Stone, which believe it or not is still a worthwhile brand name. Even the website produces traffic. Alexa.com ranks it at 596 in the US, which is pretty good.

The Deadline story quotes an internal release Penske sent to the RS staff: “In the 12 months since PMC’s initial investment into this incredible team and legendary brand, the need to consolidate the Rolling Stone business has become abundantly clear and something that BandLab and their leadership team also recognized and were in full support of. It’s with their confidence and blessing that we were able to put together a deal that was best for all parties. We continue to have shared goals and will continue to collaborate in the future. This strategic transaction is a key move for what will be many years of future growth and expansion for Rolling Stone, both domestically and abroad.”

The end of Wenner is not bittersweet, it’s just bitter. Rolling Stone was his fiefdom. For years he ran it petulantly, as described in at least two biographies. He loved making and breaking writers, rock stars, photographers. He used the magazine as leverage in running the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And now the party is over.

Penske has achieved what Wenner could not: a media empire. Wenner at one point had US Weekly and Mens Journal. They’re all gone now. Penske owns RS, Variety, WWD, Hollywood Life, Deadline, TV Line.

Goodbye, Jann. It was…interesting.

 

“Hello, Dolly!” Opens in Los Angeles to Raves, and Wow, Wow, Wow with Betty Buckley in Carol Channing’s Signature Role

Leah Sydney
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“Hello, Dolly!” Opens in Los Angeles to Raves, and Wow, Wow, Wow with Betty Buckley in Carol Channing’s Signature Role

Betty Buckley, playing Dolly Gallagher Levi in the National Tour of “Hello Dolly”, proves she is one of our shining divas of stage, screen and TV. Betty grabs the role with gusto; infusing her Dolly with pathos, humor, regret, love and hope. Betty has played numerous iconic roles on stage, TV and film, think “Carrie,” “Sunset Blvd,” “Eight is Enough,” “Split.” Buckley’s talent lies in instantly making the characters she plays human, accessible and relatable. Betty’s Dolly is singularly Buckley.

Based on Thornton Wilder’s 1955 play “The Matchmaker” with a book by Michael Stewart, directed by Jerry Zaks, and of course the glorious score by Jerry Herman which includes such classics as “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It Only Takes A Moment,” and the crowd adoring showstopper “Hello, Dolly!” The costumes and sets by Santo Loquasto add to the magic of it all. The cast and chorus are all wonderful, exuberant and perfection.

Legendary Carol Channing, who played Dolly for over thirty years and is most associated with that role, would have turned 98 today. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is front and center outside the Pantages. She would most certainly have approved of Betty’s powerhouse performance, so says her longtime publicist Harlan Boll who was there last night. “Carol would have considered Betty Buckley to be her kind of Broadway. She’d be comforted to know that her dear Dolly will indeed never go away.”

Oscars: Best Song Crisis Is Over as Academy Tweets that Songs from “Mary Poppins Returns,” “RBG” Will Be Performed Along with “Star is Born” and “Black Panther”

Roger Friedman
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Oscars: Best Song Crisis Is Over as Academy Tweets that Songs from “Mary Poppins Returns,” “RBG” Will Be Performed Along with “Star is Born” and “Black Panther”

UPDATE The Academy now says four of the five nominated songs will be performed on the Oscars including those from “RBG” and “Mary Poppins.” They’d already scheduled songs from “A Star is Born” and “Black Panther.” All that’s left is the song from “Buster Scruggs.”

They seem to indicate star Emily Blunt isn’t performing “The Place Where Lost Things Go.” A special guest? Hmmmm….

 

 

The Big Best Song crisis is over.

The Academy tweeted a few minutes ago that Jennifer Hudson would be singing “I’ll Fight” on the show.

The controversy was over having two of the five nominated songs performed instead of all five. Originally the word was the Academy and ABC wanted to keep the show short by limiting the performances.

Now Jennifer Hudson will join Lady Gaga and the others singing her guts out on live TV. The audience will go crazy. No one brings down a house like JHud!

Next step is announcing Emily Blunt will sing from “Mary Poppins Returns” and someone will sing from “Buster Scruggs.”

Kyle Buchanan wrote a great piece in the New York Times today about this whole fiasco. The fact is, people who watch and love the Oscars want to see EVERYTHING, the whole show, all the categories, no matter how long it takes. Three hours? Big deal. You got something else to do?

I do credit Donna Gigliotti, who’s the guest producer this year. She’s an Oscar winner, very smart, and very savvy. I predict she’s going to put together a great show, despite all these tempests in teapots!

The Very Supreme Diana Ross Will Add Some Superstar Glamour as Special Performer on This Year’s Grammy Awards

Roger Friedman
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The Very Supreme Diana Ross Will Add Some Superstar Glamour as Special Performer on This Year’s Grammy Awards

Superstar singer Diana Ross will be the special diamond performer on the Grammy Awards next month, says producer Ken Ehrlich.

Diana, who turns 75 in March, is still a huge touring act and one of our greatest performers. She once fronted The Supremes, featuring Mary Wilson, who I just saw at the Aretha Franklin memorial concert TV tribute taping.

Ross has been on our TV screens since The Supremes made their debut on Ed Sullivan way back in 1964. At one point, The Supremes were neck-and-neck with the Beatles on the singles charts.

No word yet on what Diana will sing, but the co-songwriter of one of her biggest hits– Valerie Simpson, of Ashford and Simpson fame– will bne in the audience. Valerie and late husband Nik Ashford wrote “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” which Diana covered in 1970. The songwriters are receiving one of the Special Merit Lifetime Achievement Awards this year along with Sam Moore, Dionne Warwick, and a few others.

Knowing Ken Ehrlich’s talent for setting up cool moments on The Grammys, I’ll bet he gets Diana’s award winning actress daughter Tracee Ellis Ross to introduce her.

Backstreet Boys Will Have Their First Number 1 Album Since the Year 2000 Thanks to Album/Concert Ticket Bundling

Roger Friedman
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Backstreet Boys Will Have Their First Number 1 Album Since the Year 2000 Thanks to Album/Concert Ticket Bundling

Believe it or not, the original boy band from the 1990s, Backstreet Boys, are back. Did you miss ’em?

Their “DNA” album is going to finish at number 1 tomorrow for the week. It may well sell over 200,000 copies. This isn’t because anyone bought it voluntarily. It comes as part of a bundle with tickets for their concert tour which begins in Las Vegas next week, goes to Europe, then comes back for summer in the US.

The tour is not aimed at cutting edge audiences. The closest it gets to New York is the Prudential Center in Newark.

The Boys’ last number 1 album was in the year 2000. Remember “I Want it That Way”?

The new album, “DNA,” sounds like the work of a lifeless, automated barbershop quartet. It’s more pedestrian than the people who roam Times Square. None of the songs are memorable. They are all written by committees. The Boys seem to have no publishing or producing credits, so their touring is where they will make money. I’m surprised they didn’t insist on a cut of each song. There’s one song actually called “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and it’s not Elton John’s. Not good.

But someone bought concert tickets, so let’s not quibble. At least 200,000 people, in fact, and they all got CDs in the deal counted by the RIAA. Is it fair to let “DNA” chart? Next week, it will drop 80% or more and leave the charts as fast as it came. That’s the way it works.

 

Former Neverland Boy Stands Up for Michael Jackson: I firmly believe Michael did no wrong…I solemnly swear that this kind-hearted, genius-of-a-man is innocent”

Roger Friedman
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Former Neverland Boy Stands Up for Michael Jackson: I firmly believe Michael did no wrong…I solemnly swear that this kind-hearted, genius-of-a-man is innocent”

The scandal surrounding the documentary “Leaving Neverland” is bringing out Michael Jackson’s defenders.

The latest is a 32 year old man named Talun Zeitoun. His mother, Janet. was Michael Jackson’s long time hair stylist. Tal writes in on a website he posted : “I was part of Michael’s life from the day I was born in 1987 until 2001. The last time I was literally close to him was backstage at the Staples Center when his casket wheeled past me. I knew him well because my mother, Janet Zeitoun, his sole hairstylist during the time, knew him even better. One could say that they might as well have been siblings. In fact, my mother was one of the few non-family members invited to the private memorial service at the cemetery hours before the public one in Downtown LA. Michael felt so comfortable with my mother because she made him laugh unlike anyone else, let alone the fact that she’s incredible at her craft. Michael even said in writing that she’s the “Michelangelo of hair.”

“I went to Neverland, several times of which Michael was there and he gave us the full tour of his home. I remember my favorite golf cart to get around had a Peter Pan emblem on it. I remember his movie theater concession stand being filled with candy that you could go behind the counter and take to watch whatever movie you wanted. I remember riding the big steam engine train that would take you from one end of the ranch to the other…”

“The bulk of my experience with Michael was during the 90s right when the FBI investigation began on account of child molestation allegations. Knowing that this was happening and that these charges were set against him, I don’t think my protective and well-aware mother would’ve allowed me to continue hanging around Michael or head up to Neverland had she not trusted him.”

“I firmly believe Michael did no wrong. You don’t have to take my word for it, though; know that his truth was proven in a court of law. The stories being presented in Leaving Neverland are incredibly one-sided. This film is merely the Wade Robson & James Safechuck Story because I, too, remember leaving Neverland, as does my mother, and as do many people in his life who’d be glad to have a say in a film so generically titled; now wrongfully entitled to depict Michael’s life and his misunderstood relationship with children. Any credible director of a documentary seeking truth on the matter would do his/her/their due diligence and present the full story from a carefully chosen and meaningful variety of sources. With four hours of film time to spare, I’m sure there could have been room. This is why I’m deeply disappointed in HBO and Channel 4 UK for picking it up with plans to air it later this spring. The networks snagged a falsity and will be responsible for disseminating a poorly researched film based on the highly skewed opinions of a select few that many of its subscribers will conclude as true.”

You can read the rest of Tal’s story here. I’ve put out requests to a few other “Neverland boys” to see if they’ll respond about their time spent on the ranch and with Michael. Updates when or if they chime in…

 

Sundance: Amazon Studios Adds $15 Mil Film to Shopping Basket for Third Big Purchase at Festival, Jillian Bell in “Brittany Runs a Marathon”

Roger Friedman
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Sundance: Amazon Studios Adds $15 Mil Film to Shopping Basket for Third Big Purchase at Festival, Jillian Bell in “Brittany Runs a Marathon”

Amazon’s check out basket at Sundance now has three big ticket items.

I told you already that Amazon Studios had spent $13 million on one film– Mindy Kaling’s “Late Night” and $14 million on “The Report” with Adam Driver. They want hits, and they want Oscars.

Now Amazon has added to its collection Paul Downs Colaizzo’s “Brittany Runs a Marathon” with Jillian Bell, an actress mostly known from television. Bell doesn’t have a movie career yet, and none of the other actors in the film have a high profile either. So this is more of a gamble.

So yes that’s $42 million on three movies. But Jeff Bezos can afford it. Will they all pay off? This is the opposite philosophy from Amazon’s previous schedule of indie movies from auteurs. Those didn’t work. Maybe these will.

 

Clive Davis Plans Annual Pre-Grammy Soiree with A List Guests from Aerosmith to Nancy Pelosi to Ricky Martin and Apple Chiefs Cook and Cue

Roger Friedman
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Clive Davis Plans Annual Pre-Grammy Soiree with A List Guests from Aerosmith to Nancy Pelosi to Ricky Martin and Apple Chiefs Cook and Cue

We are getting ready for Grammy week, which means the annual Saturday night Pre-Grammy gala aka the Clive Davis party. Already revealed: Nancy Pelosi will be there in the Beverly Hilton Ballroom. Pelosi loves the Grammys. She always comes to MusiCares Person of the Year– this year it’s Dolly Parton.

No one knows yet who Clive has gotten for the show part of his night. Could Lady Gaga make a special appearance? You don’t know. But the guest list is already shaping up as a night of nights.

I’m already hearing that Apple chiefs Tim Cook and Eddy Cue will make the scene, as well as Quincy Jones, the members of Aerosmith, Brandi Carlile, New Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Swizz Beatz (but no Alicia Keys– she’ll be at rehearsal since she’s hosting the Grammys), Netflix’ Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant– her dad, Clarence Avant, is getting the Industry Icon Award. That’s not all:  Rita Ora, ABC News’ David Muir, NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, Stephen Stills, G-Eazy, Rob Thomas, Ricky Martin, Dua Lipa, and Lou Adler. And I would be very surprised if we didn’t see some others — like Earth, Wind & Fire, and maybe even Zayn Malik– in the audience.

And that’s only the beginning. This year, Clive and co. return to the Beverly Hilton after last year’s turn in New York. The New York guests were blown away– they’d only heard about Clive’s dinner over the years. Now back to Hollywood, which should also mean lots of legendary stars like Joan Collins and Jane Fonda.

 

 

 

Beatles Film “Let it Be” Finally Being Restored for 50th Anniversary Release, Plus Peter Jackson Making Documentary

Roger Friedman
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Beatles Film “Let it Be” Finally Being Restored for 50th Anniversary Release, Plus Peter Jackson Making Documentary

Buried at the end of a press release this morning is excellent news: Michael Lindsay-Hogg is restoring “Let it Be,” the Beatles’ infamously semi-released final film, for its 50th anniversary in 2020. “Let it Be” was first released briefly in May 1970 and then vanished as the Beatles broke up. It’s been the subject of heated discussion for decades: what happened to it?

At the same time, Apple Records really announced this morning that they’ve turned the outtakes over to “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson to make a documentary about the making of the rooftop concert. I’ve inverted the importance of these two headlines from the press release. News of the restored actual film was a footnote to the Jackson news.

Well, all of this is good news. It’s actually quite interesting because “Let it Be” is said to show the band as it was falling apart. Paul McCartney himself has said he doesn’t come off well in it. So to counter that, very cleverly, we’ll get a pro-band film.

One of the issues at the time of “Let it Be” was that Yoko Ono, long before she became a beacon for peace and wise sayings on Twitter, was a controversial figure in the studio. Lennon had there as almost a fifth member of the group. When she appeared in the video for the song “Let it Be” shown for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show, fans freaked out about this looming figure in the background.

Jackson’s quote in the press release is a clear indication that history will look brighter and shinier. He says: “I was relieved to discover the reality is very different to the myth,” Jackson said. “After reviewing all the footage and audio that Michael Lindsay-Hogg shot 18 months before they broke up, it’s simply an amazing historical treasure trove. Sure, there’s moments of drama, but none of the discord this project has long been associated with. Watching John, Paul, George and Ringo work together, creating now-classic songs from scratch, is not only fascinating. it’s funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate. … I’m thrilled and honored to have been entrusted with this remarkable footage. Making the movie will be a sheer joy.”

Here’s another interesting twist: yesterday the New York Post had a really great piece by Michael Starr, who interviewed Lindsay Hogg about the film but didn’t mention any of this other stuff. Coincidence? Are there any?

Of course, none of this addresses the next Beatles 50th project, “Abbey Road.” Apple is just coming off the very successful “White Album” anniversary. It’s been a big hit, just like “Sgt. Pepper” was the year before. “Abbey Road” was released on September 26, 1969. It continues to be a best seller for the Beatles, topping this past year’s Vinyl Record sales. Unlike “Sgt. Pepper” and the “White Album,” “Abbey Road” was recorded at much higher level of technology in the first place. McCartney has been reluctant to remix it. A remastered version from 2009 is now the CD of record. But The Beatles won’t miss the anniversary this fall. We can expect some kind of commemoration.

All of this lands on the shoulders of Giles Martin, son of the late Beatles producer George Martin. I guess he just sleeps and eats in the studio at Abbey Road until this is all over!

Joni Mitchell Birthday Celebration Concert Film, “Joni 75,” Will Play One Night in Theaters Across the Country with James Taylor, Chaka Khan, Graham Nash, More

Roger Friedman
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Joni Mitchell Birthday Celebration Concert Film, “Joni 75,” Will Play One Night in Theaters Across the Country with James Taylor, Chaka Khan, Graham Nash, More

Joni Mitchell and her music are coming to a movie theater near you for one night on February 7th. In what looks like a wide digital release, Trafalgar Releasing is sending out a film made from Joni’s 75th birthday concert held last November over two nights. There’s an all star cast of musicians performing Joni’s music (see below). Joni was in the audience and obviously loved every bit of it.

The list below is for the CD, which will be out on streaming services on March 8th. I don’t know if there are more songs in the concert film. But if you’re not up on Joni Mitchell, now is the time. She’s one of the most important and innovative artists of all time. Start with “Blue,” then “Court and Spark,” then my favorite, “The Hissing of Summer Lawns.” After that, there’s so much to choose from including “Ladies of the Canyon,” “Hejira,” and “Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter.”

PS It’s a nice touch that James Taylor is included. Before he met and married Carly Simon, James had a fling with Joni. She appears on his first two Warner Bros. albums, which also feature Carole King at the time she was making “Tapestry” and “Carole King Music.” Read Sheila Weller’s book, “Girls Like Us,” for more info.

1. Dreamland – Performed by Los Lobos
2. Help Me – Performed by Chaka Khan
3. Amelia – Performed by Diana Krall
4. All I Want – Performed by Rufus Wainwright
5. Coyote – Performed by Glen Hansard
6. River – Performed by James Taylor
7. Both Sides Now – Performed by Seal
8. Our House – Performed by Graham Nash
9. A Case Of You – Performed by Kris Kristofferson & Brandi Carlile
10. Down to You – Performed by Brandi Carlile
11. Blue – Performed by Rufus Wainwright
12. Court And Spark – Performed by Norah Jones
13. Nothing Can Be Done – Performed by Los Lobos
14. The Magdalene Laundries – Performed by Emmylou Harris
15. Woodstock – Performed by James Taylor
16. Big Yellow Taxi – Performed by La Marisoul, James Taylor, Chaka Khan, and Brandi Carlile

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