Universal Music Publishing Disputes Hipgnosis’ Statements About Acquiring Songs by Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Bonnaroo Music Festival, scheduled to begin on Thursday, has been canceled, organizers announced on Tuesday afternoon. The reason given was not Covid-related, but rather due to heavy rains from Hurricane Ida soaking the festival’s grounds.More to come… We are absolutely heartbroken to announce that we must cancel Bonnaroo.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAs next month’s Universal Music Group public listing moves closer, parent company Vivendi announced early Tuesday that billionaire Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square Holdings is acquiring another 2.9% of the company for just under $1.5 billion, based on a valuation of €35 billion, or around $41.3 billion.This follows Pershing Square’s acquisition of 7.1% of UMG for $2.8 billion, fulfilling Ackman’s stated goal of racking up 10% of UMG’s share capital.Earlier this year,

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRCA Records has announced the appointment of Carolyn Williams to the newly created role of executive vice president. According to the announcement, she will work with RCA’s executive team to oversee the company’s artist and label brand-management and marketing operations.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRemember those new Abba songs and “virtual tour” that were supposedly on the way three and a half years ago? First it was two new songs, then six new songs, for a “Virtual Abba” experience in collaboration with “American Idol” creator Simon Fuller? Well, finally something is on the way, judging by a vague social media post from the group that appeared in the wee hours of Thursday.Join us at https://t.co/AAFQLIrqJu #ABBAVoyage pic.twitter.com/7LYw3kojzB— ABBA Voyage

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLegendary singer-songwriter and eight-time Grammy-winner Joni Mitchell will be honored as the 2022 MusiCares Person of the Year, the Recording Academy announced on Wednesday. She will be the honoree during the 31st annual Person of the Year benefit gala, which will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Saturday, January 29, 2022, two nights before the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorWithout stretching the comparison too far, Charlie Watts was the Elvis Presley of rock and roll drumming: There was BC (Before Charlie) and after, and he can’t be compared realistically with anyone who followed because he’s an integral part of the foundation not just of the “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band,” but rock and roll itself.Watts was wry and rock-steady in both his playing and his personality.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMiley Cyrus has parted ways with longtime manager Adam Leber and joined the team at Crush Management, two sources confirm to Variety.There, she joins a roster that includes fellow female pop luminaries Sia and Lorde as well as such veteran rock acts as Green Day, Weezer and Fall Out Boy, all three of whom are currently on the Hella Mega stadium tour, which was rescheduled from 2020 (although Fall Out Boy had to sit out a handful of dates due to a positive Covid test

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSiriusXM and TikTok launched TikTok Radio (located on channel 4) at noon ET on Friday (August 20), which seems to be a way for people who have satellite radio but can’t figure out TikTok to hear the top songs trending on the wildly popular platform.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAn attorney for R. Kelly attempted to discredit one of the accusers leveling allegations of sexual abuse against the singer on Thursday, after she’d claimed he had slapped and choked her during what she described as their final sexual encounter more than 10 years ago.Jerhonda Johnson Pace, the first witness testifying for prosecutors in Kelly’s long-delayed racketeering trial in New York, is among multiple women leveling claims of sexual abuse against Kelly.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorDowntown Music Holdings has announced that its founder and current CEO Justin Kalifowitz will take on a new position as executive chairman, with current COO Andrew Bergman assuming day-to-day responsibilities as the company’s CEO.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn a major shakeup at the Recording Academy, longtime chief awards officer Bill Freimuth has left the organization, along with VP of communications Lourdes Lopez and chief marketing and innovations officer Lisa Farris, Variety has confirmed. Freimuth had overseen the complex and often controversial nominating and awards process for the Grammy Awards since 2004.Reps for the Recording Academy did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMadonna, the top-selling female artist of all time, will bring her entire catalog of recorded music under the Warner Music umbrella as part of a career-spanning global partnership announced Monday.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorLegendary singer Tony Bennett — who celebrated his 95th birthday just last week, performing with Lady Gaga at two-sold out shows at New York’s Radio City Music Hall — has canceled his Fall 2021 tour dates.The tour — consisting of pre-pandemic shows dates had been rescheduled — was slated to begin in September. The affected dates include New York, Maryland and Connecticut as well as Oklahoma and Canada.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFrance-based Vivendi, parent of Universal Music Group, has sold 7.1% of that company’s share capital to Pershing Square Holdings, the investment firm managed by billionaire Bill Ackman, for $2.8 billion, with the possibility to sell him a further 2.9% by September 9, 2021.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIn the wake of reports of widespread sexual harassment at Sony Music Australia, Universal Music has become the second major label in the country to launch an investigation into inappropriate behavior at its offices, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.The allegations surfaced in posts on an Instagram account called Beneath the Glass ceiling, claiming multiple cases of bullying, harassment, racism, homophobia, discrimination, as well as more serious

Fleetwood Mac‘s Christine McVie, who wrote iconic hits such as ‘Little Lies’ and ‘Don’t Stop’, has become the latest artist to sell her back catalogue of hits to Hipgnosis.The singer-songwriter sold the copyright of 115 songs to the London firm for an undisclosed fee, which gives investors the chance to take advantage of royalties from a selection of classic hits.Merck Mercuriadis, the founder and chief executive of Hipgnosis, said: “In the last 46 years the band have had three distinct writers

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie has sold her 115-title song catalog to Hipgnosis, the fast-growing music company that has spent more than $2 billion in three years acquiring rights to a vast number of popular songs.McVie, who first joined Fleetwood Mac in 1970, is the writer of many of the long-running group’s biggest hits, including “Don’t Stop,” “You Make Loving Fun,” “Over My Head,” “Songbird,” “Say You Love Me” and others.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMost fans have a favorite Beatle, but there’s not much debate about which Beatles solo album is the best: George Harrison’s epic “All Things Must Pass.”Released in November 1970, just seven months after the group’s breakup was belatedly confirmed, it has become synonymous with the concept of suppressed brilliance.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMike Chester has been upped to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Promotion & Commerce for Warner Records. According ot eh announcement, in his expanded role, Chester will continue to lead the label’s promotion department while also overseeing its strategy across streaming, digital, and commercial platforms and accounts.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOlivia Rodrigo, whose ‘Drivers License’ single and ‘Sour’ album have made her the breakout music star of 2021, has signed with Sony Music Publishing, the company announced on Wednesday (August 4).