Music Biz Headlines, Oct. 23, 2019
The art of Joni Mitchell (pictured), Elton John's swansong, and a graphic review of Charli XCX are in the news today. Also in the headlines: SSO, ASCAP, Amazon Music, Ben Cooper, Beyoncé, Lizzo, George Michael, Brandi Carlile, Baby Shark Live, Motorhead, and David Byrne.
By Kerry Doole
Is Elton John’s farewell tour really goodbye?
How do you bow out gracefully from rock ’n’ roll? Has anyone figured it out yet? And should anyone even attempt to bow out gracefully from rock ’n’ roll in the first place? Elton John appears to be trying. Again. – Ben Rayner, The Star
Turbulent indigos: glorious Joni Mitchell watercolours – in pictures
In 1971, Mitchell gave 100 of her closest friends a handmade copy of The Christmas Book, a collection of early songs, poems and watercolours. It is now being published more than 40 years later by Canongate as Morning Glory on the Vine. – Sam Briggs, Guardian
Halloween 2019: Toronto's best parties and concerts
Promise, Dudebox, TIFF, Dan Burke, Hotnuts, CATL, Do Right! Music, Silver Snail and Extinction Rebellion are getting spooky this year. – Staff, NOW
How paying artists for their work can help Toronto’s economy
Cultural work makes up a full eight percent of Toronto’s economic output. Imagine how much more we could do with a greater share of the profit from our own work. – John Degen The Star
Erwan Keravec and Hamid Drake shatter the silence at suddenlyLISTEN's season debut show
The Urban Pipes showcase should've felt like a peanut butter-tunafish sandwich but instead was much tastier. – Andrew Bethune, The Coast
Review: SSO aims for the stars with creative rendition of The Planets
This concert definitely felt like a "best-for-last" performance of Holst's work, ending with some of the SSO's best playing this year. – Matt Olson, Star-Phoenix
This quirky house was a hub for classical music in rural N.L. Now it's up for sale
Fairwind Villa fostered classical music in Pasadena for decades. It might just be the most ornate house concert space in Newfoundland and Labrador — and it's now on the market. – CBC News
Comic concert review: Charli XCX takes us to the next level
The British pop queen played a concert at Rebel in Toronto and we turned it into a comic. – Eric K. Williams, NOW
International
The epic story of a Grammy winner, $204,613 – and a legal battle with ramifications for songwriters everywhere
In March last year, Grammy-winning, Nashville-based songwriter Shane McAnally hit industry headlines due to a dispute with ASCAP regarding his decision to leave the PRO.– Tim Ingham, MBW
Amazon Music to sponsor MTV Europe Music Awards
The company is to be the main sponsor of the 2019 MTV European Music Awards, taking over from TikTok. Hosted by singer Becky G, the music-streaming platform will be involved in the EMAs' on-air, digital and out-of-home marketing campaign in Seville, Spain. – EIN News
Ben Cooper leaving the BBC after 8 years as Radio 1 and 1Xtra's Controller
Ben Cooper, the long-time Controller of two of the world’s most influential music-driven broadcast networks, BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, has decided to leave the BBC, MBW understands. London-based Cooper, who is responsible for driving Radio 1’s digital strategy in addition to its terrestrial output, is stepping down from his London-based position after eight years. – Tim Ingham, MBW
A night at the church of Lizzo, pop music’s patron saint of self-care
It’s entirely possible that one could launch themselves straight to the moon entirely fueled by the bursts of positivity Lizzo spread over a sold-out crowd at the Hollywood Palladium on Friday night. – Gerrick D. Kennedy, LA Times
A Church service inspired by Beyoncé, no halo required
The Beyoncé Mass explores how issues of race and gender impact the lives, voices and bodies of black women (It’s not, however, about worshiping Beyoncé). – Bill Friskics-Warren, NY Times
Billy Porter: ‘Hugely, violently homophobic’ music industry killed early music career
The Emmy-winning star said that racism also prevented him from establishing an acting career – Rhuaridh Marr, Metro Weekly
George Michael’s music companies rocket in value by almost £3million since 2016 death
The money comes from royalties for the late singer’s songs, showing his tracks remain hugely popular with fans. And their soaring profits come although there has been no attempt to ‘cash in’ on his death – with only a re-issue of the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 in 2017. – Michael Hamilton, Andy Buckwell, The Sun
Brandi Carlile drops out of women’s summit over former Trump official Kirstjen Nielsen’s involvement
There was one fewer guest in attendance at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women summit in Washington on Tuesday. Grammy Award-winning singer Brandi Carlile said Monday she would not participate in the conference because former homeland security secretary and "human rights violator" Nielsen would be a speaker. – Washington Post
David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia’: A heady swirl of hope for our anxious times
The concert-theater-dance spectacle on Broadway finds solace in human connections — with plenty of drum beats. – Jerry Portwood, Rolling Stone
Inside ‘Baby Shark Live,’ Pinkfong’s touring concert for musical toddlers
How can a 90-second track be effectively stretched into an 80-minute live show? Would the dance demonstration — which has over 3.5-billion views, making it the sixth-most-viewed video in the history of YouTube — simply be played 50 times, like some compilations do? – Ashley Lee, LA Times
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rethink Motorhead nomination
Hall of Fame bosses have added drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell to the list of eligible Motorhead stars on the ballot for the class of 2020 nominations following an outcry by fans. – Music-News
The sacred and profane genius of FKA twigs
With her long-awaited new album MAGDALENE, the experimental pop shapeshifter is mightier than ever. – Owen Myers, Pitchfork
