Shirley Halperin Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicFaZe Clan, the digital-native media, entertainment and esports platform, has hired music industry veteran Zach Katz for the role of president and chief operating officer.Katz arrives from music-tech investment venture fund Raised In Space Enterprises, which he cofounded in 2019 — in partnership with Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings — and led as CEO.In his new position, Katz will oversee FaZe Clan content, talent, merchandise, consumer goods, sponsorships and esports businesses. He will report to CEO Lee Trink.The company boasts 500 million followers across social platforms worldwide who engage with a range of entertainment offerings in esports and youth culture, including livestreams of popular gaming tournaments. Last year, the company announced its plans to go public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) with B.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicGloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Bad Bunny, Maluma … all are on a first-name basis with Bruno Del Granado, head of the global Latin music touring group at CAA, and our guest on this week’s edition of Variety‘s Strictly Business podcast. And it’s no wonder, seeing as he’s played no small role in their successes throughout the years, first as an executive at MTV, later as a manager, and for the last nine years, as an agent and executive at CAA — you could also throw onto his resume marketer, historian, PR strategist and even unofficial census monitor.Where music is concerned, the U.S.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicCamila Cabello is being honored today at Variety‘s Power of Women event, presented by Lifetime, for her work with the Movement Voter Fund to launch the Healing Justice Project.Alongside fellow honorees Drew Barrymore, Kim Cattrall, Queen Latifah, Amanda Seyfried and Venus Williams, Cabello took to the white carpet ahead of the event and used the opportunity to talk about the ongoing debate over abortion rights — it was revealed earlier this week that the United States Supreme Court has privately voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, striking down the case that has guaranteed basic abortion rights in the U.S. since 1973.“It’s atrocious,” said Cabello.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicYou wouldn’t know it from Sir Lucian Grainge’s tone in today’s Universal Music Group Q1 earnings call, but the chairman of the world’s biggest music company confirmed what had long been expected, but never to be announced: that Drake has entered into an expansive, multi-faceted deal with the company that encompasses recordings, publishing, merchandise and visual media projects.Such “expanded portfolios,” as Grainge noted in the call, spanning multiple creative lanes and revenue streams, also include the recently-announced extension and expansion of the Weeknd’s deal with UMG, which aligns him — like Drake — with Republic Records.Of course, the nagging question is: how big is Drake’s bag? One insider describes the arrangement as “Lebron-sized,” without putting a number on it. Drake himself has seemingly referenced such a deal in the lyrics to “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” (off of his “Scary Hours 2” EP), which includes the lyric, “Three-sixty upfront, it all comes full circle” — or $360 million.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicHarry Styles started off his headlining set at Coachella on Friday night with a simple greeting. “Good evening. My name is Harry.”We know, the masses must have thought in unison.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicTom Windish is the head of business development and A&R for the talent agency Wasserman Music, where his clients include the artists Lorde, the xx and Coachella headliner Billie Eilish. And like the most seasoned of booking agents, he got his start while still in college.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAbou “Bu” Thiam has been appointed executive vice president at Columbia Records. Reporting into chairman and CEO Ron Perry, Bu’s position will straddle A&R and strategic initiatives across all genres for the label that’s home to Lil Nas X, Harry Styles, Adele, the Kid Laroi and many others.Thiam has been working closely with Perry and Columbia via a joint venture, Buvision, where he signed the artists KayCyy and Rican.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicIsland Records founder Chris Blackwell will release a memoir on June 7 via Gallery Books. “The Islander: My Life in Music and Beyond,” co-written with Paul Morley, will tell the life story of the man whose musical intuition led to the international embrace of reggae and of the iconic singer and songwriter Bob Marley.Blackwell is himself a longtime resident of Jamaica, having grown up on the island, where his family held privileged roots, and interacting with the likes of Ian Fleming, Noel Coward and Errol Flynn.

Thania Garcia Since the 1980s, the city of Miami has been synonymous with fashion, art deco and, of course, Latin music.On Thursday, Variety and the City National Bank of Miami hosted the inaugural Miami Entertainment Town breakfast — an event celebrating The Magic City’s irrefutable influence over the entertainment and music industry. The Legends and Groundbreakers award was given to Miami’s most notable musical pioneers — Gloria and Emilio Estefan — who helped put Miami on the map with the revolutionary stylings of their Miami Sound Machine.In her acceptance speech, Gloria Estefan mused tales of the city, “Even as a little kid, I knew that one day someone would realize the gem that is Miami Beach,” she said.

William Earl Artists Den brings “Live From My Den'” back for another season, documenting today’s most extraordinary artists as they perform from the creative spaces of their homes, studios and cities most significant to their creative processes. New episodes of “Live From My Den” will premiere each week exclusively via Variety.com, beginning Friday, April 8, with an intimate performance and interview with indie rock band Pinegrove in Brooklyn, N.Y..

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicMusic fans were out in force on Hollywood Boulevard this morning for the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Hollywood Walk of Fame star dedication ceremony. With a soundtrack provided by the USC marching band, and in front of hundreds of cheering spectators, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith and John Fruiscante made the most of the photo opp, going so far as to lick the star once it was revealed.The band, which is releasing a new album on Friday — “Unlimited Love,” the Chilis’ 12th full-length release, via Warner Records — holds a deep personal connection with the famous boulevard.

Variety Staff Follow Us on TwitterChris Willman, one of the industry’s most-respected music journalists, has been promoted to Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic for Variety.Willman is a key player in Variety‘s breaking news coverage with an emphasis on country, Americana and roots artists and well as touring and venues. The promotion to Chief Music Critic recognizes his role in steering Variety‘s critical commentary on music and music-related media.“Having long been a fan of Chris Willman’s writing, it thrills me that Variety will continue to be his home,” said Shirley Halperin, Variety‘s Executive Editor of Music.

Thania Garcia Def Jam Record­ings celebrated Women’s History Month — in partnership with LUCID Motors — with a special event recognizing its own female staff. Held March 28 in Beverly Hills, “The Women of Def Jam” brought out the iconic label’s executive team, staff and VIP guests as well as artists like Kendra Jae, DaniLeigh, Pap Chanel, Nevaeh Jolie, Ilham and Kaash Paige, who joined a “Future Leaders” panel moderated by Variety executive editor Shirley Halperin.After closing statements from newly installed Def Jam chairman and CEO Tunji Balogun, the event concluded with a performance by Coco Jones, a new label signee and star of Peacock’s “Bel-Air.”Def Jam’s female execs were also celebrated earlier this month with the release of “The Women of Def Jam” — a 24-track compilation album showcasing music by Nikki D., Foxy Brown, Boss, Ashanti, Amerie, Teyana Taylor, Alessia Cara, Rapsody and Jhené Aiko, among others.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAudio content production studio Audio Up has signed a publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) that will identify and sign songwriters to create original music for the company’s stable of podcasts. In addition, Audio Up CEO Jared Gutstadt will be represented by UMPG as a songwriter and producer.Original music for podcasting, particularly in scripted programs, has been in greater demand as listening hours for the format continue to rise.

William Earl Andrew Hampp has been named Senior Director of Music and Consumer Partnerships at Variety.Hampp is a brand partnerships specialist, content strategist and former full-time journalist. Prior to joining Variety, Andrew founded consultancy 1803 LLC in 2018, where he worked closely with blue-chip clients across the media, advertising, music, data and nonprofit spectrum, utilizing a wide range of capabilities to help the group achieve its goals.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicThe Guild of Music Supervisors held its 12th annual awards ceremony virtually on March 20.Recognizing those who excel at the craft of music supervision in film, television, documentaries, games, advertising and trailers, the night’s big winners included HBO’s “The White Lotus,” supervised by Janet Lopez, who gave an impassioned acceptance speech, thanking the music makers of Hawaii for taking her call, and Liza Richardson for “Lovecraft Country” season 1. The Netflix film “Tick, Tick… Boom!,” supervised by Steven Gizicki, took home the prize for film budgeted over $25 million.

William Earl Variety announced today that Emilio and Gloria Estefan will be honored with the Variety Legends and Groundbreakers award at the inaugural Miami Entertainment Town breakfast held on Thursday, April 7. The event will celebrate those featured in the Miami Entertainment Impact Report, which profiles media, music and entertainment individuals based out of Miami who have made a great impact in their respective fields this year.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAton Ben-Horin is extending his tenure at Warner Music Group with a new title and just-announced publishing partnership. Although he’s been in the position for some time, it was made official today by Atlantic Records Group, which announced Ben-Horin’s promotion to executive VP, global A&R. Covering Atlantic, Elektra Music Group, Big Beat and other subsidiary labels, he’ll report to Atlantic chairman and CEO Craig Kallman and be based out of Los Angeles.In addition, Ben-Horin, who has long been a hitmaker executive, seasoned scout and producer, has launched a publishing partnership with Warner Chappell Music.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, Music“Care is a weird word in the music industry,” says Kara DioGuardi, who, in addition to being a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer, also runs her own music publishing house and record label, Arthouse Entertainment. As a former artist herself, she’s seen the business from all sides, and as an advocate for creators, she’s incensed that streaming giants like Spotify are under-compensating songwriters.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicThe road to UTA was a circuitous one for Mike Guirguis, better known as Mike G, one of the top agents working in music today with a roster that includes Young Thug, The Kid Laroi, Burna Boy and Wizkid, among others. The Los Angeles-born and -bred industry veteran, who’s of Egyptian descent, started out in radio, segued to management and landed at UTA in 2017, where he capitalized on relationships built over his 20-plus years in the business. The diversity of his experiences, from doing sales at L.A.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicBrazilian superstar Anitta has signed with UTA for worldwide representation in all areas excluding Brazil. She was previously with WME.At UTA, she will be represented by an all-star team that includes CEO Jeremy Zimmer, global head of music David Zedeck and Jbeau Lewis.Anitta is managed by Brandon Silverstein, founder and CEO of S10 Entertainment, and signed to Warner Records.“We are thrilled to work with Anitta and her team at S10,” said Zimmer. “She is a brilliantly talented and charismatic star with a keen sense of the entertainment business.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicA new but familiar voice is coming to Los Angeles’ Alt 98.7. Starting Feb. 1, KROQ veteran Stryker is joining the station’s Chris Booker for “ALT Afternoons with Booker and Stryker,” airing weekdays from 3 p.m.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicThe singer Meat Loaf, whose “Bat Out of Hell” album is among the best-selling and most enduring rock albums of the 1970s, has died at the age of 74. A consummate performer, he also appeared as an actor in the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” as well as “Crazy Alabama,” “Fight Club,” “Wayne’s World” and “The NeverEnding Story,” among dozens more film and television credits.Meat Loaf, whose real name is  Marvin Lee Aday, won a 1994 Grammy Award for best solo rock vocal performance for the song “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).”A cause of death was not given, but Deadline reports that his wife Deborah was by his side as he took his final breaths on Thursday, January 20.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAs the barrier of entry to podcasts has lowered, it seems anyone with a gripe, sour grape or grievance to air is now able to reach the biggest megaphone on the planet with just a few clicks. That rant, delivered as an episode on the heels of a firing or a breakup or any manner of dramatic flareup — the revenge pod, if you will — seems to be gaining in popularity in recent years.Is there entertainment value to the fury and raw emotion of someone who believes they’ve been wronged? Absolutely.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicWhen radio hosts Cane and Corey were fired from their morning show gig on New York’s Alt 92.3 FM a month ago, it took them less than a half-hour to decide to take their shtick to a podcast.“As of 20 minutes ago, via Zoom, we have been let go,” said Cane Peterson at the top of a Dec. 16 episode called “WE GOT FIRED” (emphasis is theirs), which spilled all the duo’s dirty laundry in one 27-minute long rant.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicThe estate of George Michael has extended its global publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music U.K.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicMichelle Jubelirer has been promoted to chair and CEO of Capitol Music Group. She joined the company in 2013 as EVP and was upped to COO in 2015.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicThe numbers are in on Harry Styles’ Love on Tour trek. Over 42 U.S.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicTravis Scott will not perform at this weekend’s Day N Vegas Festival, Variety has confirmed. The headlining appearance at Las Vegas Festival Grounds was scheduled for Saturday, Nov.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicThe Miss Universe Competition will hold its 70th edition in Israel on Dec. 12, the Miss Universe Organization, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism and the city of Eilat announced today (Oct.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAndrea Bocelli, the Italian singer whose instantly recognizable tenor has moved more than 90 million albums and generated five billion streams to date, has entered into an exclusive, expanded global recording agreement with Universal Music Group (UMG). The strategic alliance finds UMG signing Bocelli directly and covers multiple albums worldwide.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAs the NFT — or nonfungible tokens — marketplace has found its footing among the crypto rich, spurring the digital collectibles to reach sales highs of over $2 billion in the first quarter of 2021, per CNBC, Hollywood has increasingly looked to the emerging sector as a space ripe for representation.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAudio Up, the podcast production studio founded in 2020 by audio innovator Jared Gutstadt, has entered into a creative programming and strategic agreement with SiriusXM which will see the development of new original scripted series and audio entertainment concepts.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicVeteran music manager Larry Rudolph has launched a new company, 724 Management, which will extend his affiliation with Live Nation. The 724 roster includes Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, Jessie J, Kim Petras, Nessa Barrett and Jaden Hossler aka jxdn, among others.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicRCA Records has a new head of publicity. Jamie Abzug, who first joined the company in 2004 as an assistant in the publicity department, and most recently served as vice president of publicity, has been promoted to senior vice president at the Sony Music company.Leaving RCA are Mika El-Baz and Sarah Weinstein-Dennison.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicColdplay has extended its deal with Warner Music Group via a new long-term agreement with Parlophone and Atlantic Records, Variety has learned. The news arrives ahead of the UK band’s ninth studio album, the Max Martin-produced “Music Of The Spheres, which is due out on Oct.