Music Biz Headlines, May 28, 2018
Drake's beef with Pusha T escalates, Grammy chief under fire, and a look at Stones producer Jimmy Miller. Also in the headlines are Amazon, Kpop, SOCAN, Jennifer Castle, Shawn Mendes, Sherry Ryan, Big Shiny Tunes, Stratford musicals, Wynton Marsalis, and Great Escape.
By Kerry Doole
Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller: 15 things you didn't know
We remember the man who added cowbell to "Honky Tonk Women" and manned the boards for the band's classic late Sixties and early Seventies LPs – Jim Merlis, Rolling Stone
Drake actually sent Pusha T an $100,000 invoice for reviving his career
The Toronto star has continued the Pusha T beef in monumental fashion by sending the rapper an invoice for boosting his career – Lisa Bowman, nme.com
Donald Trump will not rest until Amazon is a smoldering pile of radioactive ash
The president reportedly tried to gouge Jeff Bezos for billions – Bess Levin, Vanity Fair
Fired MusiCares exec accuses Grammy chief of steering money from charity to cover shortfall
A 25-year veteran of the Recording Academy’s philanthropic arm also claims harassment and wrongful termination – Jem Aswad, Variety
SOCAN nears gender parity with election of 5 more women to Board of Directors
Performing rights organization SOCAN has stepped up with today's announcement of its new board of directors for 2018-21, electing five additional women (now totaling eight out of 18 members), "bringing near gender-parity to the team" – Karen Bliss, Billboard
Greil Marcus’s Real Life Rock Top 10: Angels, demons, and Philip Roth
Toronto singer/songwriter Jennifer Castle's new album tops the list compiled by the renowned US music scribe – Greil Marcus, Village Voice
Why your inbox is crammed full of privacy policies
Under GDPR, companies are required to have a legal basis for collecting personal data, such as the user’s consent, or face serious fines. The law applies to companies processing data of people in the EU, which means most major American companies are also affected – Nitasha Tiku, Wired
New Sherry Ryan album, named for destructive NL winds, could take the roots scene by storm
Hailed as Newfoundland’s “answer to Lucinda Williams” Wreckhouse features Sherry’s signature cut-to-the-chase lyrics, rocking country rhythms, and 60’s vibe – Alison Corbett, Roots Music Canada
New album’s standout cuts show Shawn Mendes’ vulnerability
Shawn Mendes is slowly letting the world capture a glimpse of his soul.While the Pickering, Ont.-raised pop singer has gained millions of fans singing about crushes and breakups, it’s his new album that carries a number of fresh revelations – David Friend, CP
Does Big Shiny Tunes still matter?
Mark Teo, the author of the new book Shine, explains why the MuchMusic compilation series' legacy endures, then creates a tracklist for a hypothetical 2018 edition – Cam Lindsay, NOW
Adam Lambert, Troye Sivan, gay hitmakers talk homophobia in the industry
"There’s room for all LGBTQ people to succeed, not just one," said songwriter Justin Tranter at the inaugural "Out to Brunch" event hosted by Milk & Honey's Lucas Keller – Variety
Wynton Marsalis: Rap is more damaging than Confederate statues
Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis didn’t hold back during a new interview in which he discussed the impact rap music has had on the Black community – Jessica Bennett, Ebony
Great Escape music convention puts social consciousness at the forefront
From mental health to gender parity on line-ups, The Great Escape's conference portion took on the issues facing the industry – Taylor Mims, Billboard
Stratford Festival’s two musicals this season couldn’t be more different. Donna Feore is directing and choreographing both
The key to musical revivals, director Donna Feore says, is to make them feel relevant to modern audiences – Debra Yeo, Toronto Star
What it was like attending the Toronto Kpop Conference with a 10-year-old
With the South Korean genre exploding in North America, the fan-meet for rising solo star Amber provided a window into a growing and shifting fan culture – Rea McNamara, NOW
