39 minutes ago

LONDON (Reuters) - Music company EMI, home to Robbie Williams and Coldplay, will cut up to 2,000 jobs as part of a restructuring being planned by its private equity boss Guy Hands, Sunday newspapers reported.

Hands plans to cut the marketing budget to 12 percent of projected sales, from 20 percent, but raise spending on A&R (artist and repertoire), which looks for new talent, The Sunday Telegraph said.

The Sunday Times said EMI would also ditch thousands of artists when he announces his plans on Tuesday.

EMI was taken private by Hands's Terra Firma last summer in a 2.4 billion pounds ($4.7 billion) deal.

Record companies are struggling to make up for declining CD sales and illegal downloading of music over the Internet.

Although legal downloads are growing fast, it is not enough to make up the shortfall, and artists are increasingly turning to touring, merchandise and online innovations to make money.

Hands has warned artists they would be dropped if they did not work hard enough for the group and called for a "fundamental shift" in the way the company did business.

(Reporting by Dan Lalor; Editing by Rory Channing)

By MIKE HOUSEHOLDER, Associated Press Writer 11 minutes ago

DETROIT (AP) — Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5, summed up the reason his hitmaking pop group agreed to appear at the GM Style event Saturday night: “They said: `There will be hot girls and cars,’ and we said `Yes!’”

Equal parts automotive exhibition, fashion show and concert, GM Style was unlike most runway events.

Maroon 5 were joined on the bill by Grammy-winning R&B songstress Mary J. Blige and rock-rapper and local hero Kid Rock, but the cars were the stars of this show.

While the performers did their thing, General Motors Corp. was giving the stylish set a first look at its Chevrolet E85 Hot Rod and Camaro convertible concepts as well as 17 other offerings.

GM Style was held in a football field-size, climate-controlled pavilion on the Detroit River, just east of GM’s global headquarters. It came on the eve of the opening of the North American International Auto Show’s press preview days.

Blige, who celebrated her 37th birthday a day earlier with a surprise dinner with her father at a Detroit restaurant, strolled into the interview area ahead of the event in an ensemble that included knee-high Alexander McQueen boots.

“I’ve seen the cars, and they are off the chain,” Blige said of the evening’s vehicle lineup.

Rock, born Robert Ritchie in nearby Romeo, Mich., was similarly impressed with GM’s vehicle collection. He owns a 1962 Impala among other vintage autos, but said his everyday vehicle is a Cadillac Escalade.

Rock wore a sweatshirt with “Detroit” emblazoned on the front “so I can remember where I’m at.”

His Made in Detroit fashion line was shown at GM style, as were looks by Marciano, Kevan Hall and the William Rast Denim Collection by Justin Timberlake.

GM executives mingled during the pre-show period with the likes of NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, retired NFL star running back Jerome Bettis and actor and singer Nick Cannon in a cramped cocktail area.

Hundreds of people dressed in casual chic sipped mixed drinks and munched finger food as an oversized clock counted down to the beginning of the night’s festivities.

GM Style kicked off with Blige walking purposefully the length of the runway all the while belting out her new hit “Just Fine.” When she reached the end of the runway, she waved hello to those in the front row — GM CEO Rick Wagoner and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, among others.

Following closely behind Blige was a vintage 1953 Chevrolet Corvette and six leggy models sporting the latest from Marciano.

Blige gave the crowd two more songs, and male models sporting hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons Argyle Culture collection made their way down the catwalk. Simmons himself appeared at the end of Blige’s set to slap hands with his models and receive a warm ovation from the crowd.

As the opening guitar riff of Maroon 5’s set began, six sunglasses-wearing models dressed in Mark Zunino assembled before Levine and the band, then headed down the runway followed closely behind by a shiny Saturn Astra Tuner concept.

In most fashion shows, the designer ends the show by walking down the runway to applause, and GM Style was no different — in this case Ed Welburn, GM’s vice president of design.

By Deborah Evans Price 18 minutes ago

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - Call it unique artistic vision or simply creative chutzpah, but few artists would feature such disparate duet partners as Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Spanish vocalist Fernando Lima and Kiss' Paul Stanley on the same album.

Yet that's exactly what mega-selling English soprano Sarah Brightman does on "Symphony," which arrives in stores January 29 via Manhattan Records.

"I just wanted to back away from everything and do something a little different. That, of course, takes a little time," Brightman says of "Symphony," her first collection of new material in five years. "Sometimes you have to step back a little and create something new."

Innovation and reinvention have been trademarks of Brightman's 30-year career. Born in 1960, she began dancing at local festivals when she was only 3. By the time she was 16, she earned a spot in Pan's People, the resident dance troupe on BBC's "Top of the Pops." Her next step was as a member of progressive dance troupe and pop group Hot Gossip.

It was as lead singer for Hot Gossip that Brightman's recording career began with the 1978 hit "I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trouper," which propelled her to pop star status in the United Kingdom. Not content to reign on the pop charts, Brightman went on to forge a successful career in musical theater, most notably originating the role of Christine in ex-husband Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera" on the West End and later reprising the role on Broadway.

CROSSOVER PIONEER

As a recording artist, Brightman has covered a wide territory, including pop, dance, opera and classical music.

"She created this genre that we now call 'classical crossover' or 'pop opera,"' Manhattan Records GM Ian Ralfini says. "She opened the door for other artists, including Bocelli, Hayley Westenra and Josh Groban. She was there first.

Indeed, since 1997, Brightman has scored 11 top 10 albums on Billboard's Classical Crossover chart, including two No. 1s and three No. 2s. But she modestly downplays her role in the classical crossover boom, preferring to speak of her love for her art.

"I'm very passionate about my classical music," she says. "I've also had a lot of success in popular music, like pop music and dance music. I've also worked for many, many years in theater. All these styles that I have worked within, especially in music theater, created something very unique to me."

According to her label, Brightman has sold 26 million records worldwide. The best-selling soprano in history, she's earned more than 150 gold and platinum certifications in 34 countries. Among her most successful albums are 1998's "Time to Say Goodbye," which has sold 1.4 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan; the title track is the best-selling single in German music history.

For "Symphony," Brightman headed to Germany to record with longtime producer Frank Peterson. "This album has such a new twist to it," Brightman says. "It has classical qualities in it that I've always enjoyed, but it has a slightly dark quality. Within everything that happens in life, there's a heavenly side to it and then there's a dark side to it. I know it sounds fairly abstract, but when you go through the album, you get this feeling of heaven and hell within it."

MORE INVOLVED

And while five years may be a long time for the industry to wait, Brightman believes that the preparation time served the music well. "I was involved much more in the songs than I normally (am) because I had more time to do so," she says. "For the last four years, I've been going all over the world and doing concerts and I've done a movie recently (the April release "Repo! The Genetic Opera"), which was great fun. So there have been lots of other things going on, but I did have lots more time to be involved in the writing side of it."

Has the turmoil and uncertainty in the world had an impact on her songwriting process? "Yes, of course it has," she says. "I think it has with a lot of people who are artists. It's very natural. All of those things are coming into our creative output because all human beings are touched by what is happening and they are becoming more and more aware."

In Peterson, Brightman has found a creative compatriot, skilled at helping the artist breathe life into the diversity of sounds that her repertoire comprises. "When you find collaborations with people that just work, they just work," she says, noting that she and Peterson have worked together so long they have developed a kind of shorthand between them. "I seem to be working with the same people for many, many years and relationships actually get better and the work becomes more deep because of it."

DIVERSE DUETS

Brightman also enjoys forging new partnerships, such as the duet with Kiss' Stanley on "I Will Be With You (Where the Lost Ones Go)." "It's unlikely and likely," she says of the pairing. "There is obviously the very theatrical side, which we both have. It's interesting with rock music and with classical music — there is a similarity there in a way. They are both very dramatic."

"Symphony" also marks the first time Brightman has worked with Lima. "His management asked if I'd be interested," says Brightman, who recorded "Passion" with the Spanish vocalist. "I listened to the song and I said, 'This is quite different for me to do, but I just feel it will work.' I went into the studio not knowing what was going to happen and really like what came out of it."

The duet with Bocelli on "Canto Della Terra" followed Brightman's appearance on Bocelli's recent PBS special in Tuscany.

"It's always wonderful working with him because years ago we did that love song called 'Time to Say Goodbye,' which became a hit all over the world. So there are treasured memories and the (new) song is very, very beautiful," she says. "I thought it would be a lovely song for this album. There's a lot of light and a lot of gold in this particular song.

"His voice and mine really blend. It's quite rare. I've sung with different duet partners all over the world — classical, nonclassical — and it's not very often where you come across a partner where the voices seem to fit with each other. And ours do."

MACY'S PARADE

To market and promote "Symphony," Manhattan Records is placing Brightman in a variety of high-profile situations to give her mass-market exposure. She sang from a float during Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and will be the featured vocalist on the NBC special "Fashion on Ice," which airs January 20.

Label executive Ralfini says there are plans to work a single to adult-contemporary radio, but the label hasn't yet decided which song. On the TV side, Brightman will shoot her own PBS special, slated to air during the March pledge drive.

Later in the spring, Brightman plans to launch a tour, a prospect that excites her.

"I think the secret to my success is the audiences," she says. "They come to see me and are really, really behind the projects. When I start albums, I can actually see the tours and how I'm going to create them and what I'm going to do. It's a big picture."

Reuters/Billboard

3 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - “The Simple Life” just got more complicated for Nicole Richie: She’s a first-time mom.

Richie, 26, gave birth Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to a daughter named Harlow Winter Kate Madden, People magazine reported on its Web site.

The father is Richie’s 28-year-old boyfriend, Joel Madden, of the rock group Good Charlotte.

“We are very blessed she’s healthy and beautiful and so good already,” Madden told People on Saturday. “We are very happy.”

Calls to the couple’s representative at Handprint Entertainment, Richie’s publicist and the hospital were not immediately returned Saturday.

Richie, the socialite daughter of singer Lionel Richie, is perhaps best known for costarring with Paris Hilton in the reality show “The Simple Life.”

Last year, she spent 82 minutes in jail after being convicted of driving under the influence of drugs. She was arrested in December 2006 after witnesses reported seeing her Mercedes-Benz SUV headed the wrong way on a freeway in Burbank.

By Clover Hope 20 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - After failing to crack the million mark with her last two albums, Janet Jackson is wary of using the "c" word to describe her upcoming release, "Discipline," which hits stores on February 26.

"I think a comeback is when you leave and then you … come back," Jackson said with a laugh during a recent interview. "People are always quick to use that word 'comeback,' but I never went anywhere, really."

"Discipline" marks her 10th studio disc, and her debut release for Island Def Jam after more than a decade at Virgin Records. Her last album, 2006's "20 Y.O.," stalled at 648,000 units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while 2004's "Damita Jo" moved 999,000.

After a round of underwhelming singles from those albums, the lead single "Feedback" has been gaining momentum at urban and pop radio formats, thanks to its robotic bassline and voice-modulated effect tailor-made for the clubs. It jumped 32 places to No. 52 on the latest Billboard Hot 100.

"This song is definitely one of those feel-good, make-you-get-up-out-your-seat, maybe dance-on-the-table-a-little-bit type songs," said Deon Cole, music director of urban WPEG Charlotte, N.C.

If "Feedback" keeps rising, it could become Jackson's first top-10 hit since 2001's "Someone to Call My Lover," which peaked at No. 3.

CLASSIC JANET

Heavier on dance tracks than seductive jams (Jackson's other forte), "Discipline" is classic Janet. The title track is one of her typical frisky bedroom cuts, featuring lyrics like, "I need some discipline tonight/I've been very bad" and "Daddy, make me cry."

Yet, there is an air of newness to the album that is partly the result of Jackson creatively straying from her longtime go-to production team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

"I was hoping we could do something together, but sometimes you have to explore and kind of kick yourself out of the nest," Jackson said of her decision to escape her production comfort zone. "It was something that I needed to do for myself, but I think (Jam and Lewis) felt it coming, too, 'cause I kept working with a different producer here or there."

In addition to production by Jackson's longtime boyfriend Jermaine Dupri, Island's head of urban music, "Discipline" also features tracks by newcomers the-Dream and Tricky Stewart ("Umbrella," "Bed"), Lil Jon, Stargate and songwriters Ne-Yo and Johnta Austin. Rodney Jerkins produced and wrote "Feedback" with Dernst Emile. The beats and lyrics that these contributors initially presented to Jackson were, serendipitously, true to her choreography-based roots.

"I never had to tell them, 'No, this is what it should be,"' said Jackson. "I felt like they really did their homework and whatever they felt a Janet song was — rock, pop or urban — they hit it right on the nose."

With "Discipline," the aim was to innovate without totally reinventing the wheel. "There are some things that maybe I'll try for right now and some things I'll wait later on to try. It's (about) sticking to who I am. Even lyrically, something that I've experienced or someone that I know has experienced, it has to relate to my life and myself."

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

Starting her musical career at age 16, Jackson released her first five albums through A&M, including her self-titled 1982 debut and her 1986 breakthrough "Control," on which she first started collaborating with Jam and Lewis. But it wasn't until 1989's "Rhythm Nation 1814" that multiplatinum sales started becoming a norm. For 1993's "janet.," which has sold more than 7 million copies, Jackson relocated to Virgin and revealed a sexier image, with more sensual music to boot. The reinvention yielded her most successful single, "That's the Way Love Goes," which topped the Hot 100 for eight straight weeks. Subsequent albums "The Velvet Rope" and "All for You" each sold more than 3 million units.

While Jackson's record sales have declined in recent years, the most drastic dip occurred in the aftermath of her infamous "wardrobe malfunction" during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. This is, of course, another hurdle — perhaps the hurdle — from which Jackson has been struggling to recover.

Though the incident is a bygone, it is still the elephant in every room she enters. Its aftershocks were felt not only in the Federal Communication Commission's crackdown on media smut, but also in her album sales.

Despite bowing at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, "Damita Jo" was largely overshadowed by the Super Bowl fiasco. According to Jackson, the project was poorly handled.

"Not to badmouth Virgin, 'cause it was my family for a very long time, but they kind of just lost touch," she said. "To only have support of the urban department and for (those two albums) to sell what they did, there's a lot to say for that. (At Island) they all come together, and one department knows what the other department is doing. You need that to really move forward. It's teamwork, and that's what Virgin lost."

Back when Dupri was president of urban music at Virgin, he'd expressed similar sentiments of nonsupport, which was part of the reason he left once the dust of "20 Y.O." had settled. According to him, the label felt it was the music that was the barrier.

"It was described to me that the music wasn't appropriate and that's what was making these outlets or certain places that usually would support her not willing to play the record," Dupri said. "I know better than that. In the music business, you at least get a shot."

But sources close to "20 Y.O." note that since Dupri was president of Virgin's urban department at the time of the album's release, he controlled virtually every aspect of the marketing and promotion of the project. (Virgin did not respond to a request for comment.)

Regardless, in February 2007, when Dupri was appointed to head Island's urban music department, Jackson soon followed. But while Dupri and Reid worked together on "Discipline," Dupri, who executive-produced "Damita Jo" and "20 Y.O.," willingly loosened the reins this time around, although he ended up producing all the vocals for the album.

"It's a crazy role for me, because I want the right things for her as my girl. I also want the right things for her as a label, but I also am the label president," said Dupri, who two years ago masterminded the comeback of another Virgin refugee, Mariah Carey.

As with "20 Y.O.," where fans got to design their own album covers, Jackson is offering another DIY promotional camp`ign for "Discipline." In January, her official Web site (http://www.janetjackson.com) launched a contest for fans to create their own homemade videos for "Feedback" and post them on her YouTube channel, Destination Discipline.

In mid- to late summer, Jackson hopes to tour in support of "Discipline." She avoids endorsement deals, instead using acting to supplement her musical pursuits. She starred in Tyler Perry's recent box office chart-topper "Why Did I Get Married?"

"I like more the creative aspect of things as opposed to coming home with a headache every night with stress up to here," Jackson says. "It feels great, because I still love what I do, and I'm not about to stop. It's nice to be able to do it but even nicer that the people still yearn for you after 20-plus years — that they still want to know what's to come."

Reuters/Billboard

By CHARMAINE NORONHA, Associated Press Writer 36 minutes ago

TORONTO - Pianist Herbie Hancock and singer Nancy Wilson were among the stars taking the stage at a tribute concert celebrating the life of jazz legend Oscar Peterson whose piano wizardry inspired and influenced many.

“I don’t call many people geniuses but Oscar Peterson is definitely one … ,” said Quincy Jones, the music impresario and record producer who recalled that he was 16 years old when he first heard Peterson opening a show for the Count Basie big band. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

“I love being a part of a tribute to one of the greatest musicians to have ever lived,” added Jones, in a speech to the more than 2,000 fans filling Roy Thomson Hall for the free Saturday afternoon concert called “Simply the Best.”

Peterson died of kidney failure at his home in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga on Dec. 23 at age 82.

Wilson sang the ballad “Goodbye,” while soprano Measha Brueggergosman, the Canadian opera singer, performed the gospel-like “Hymn to Freedom,” one of Peterson’s best-loved compositions.

Peterson’s youngest child took the stage to recount memories of a doting father who loved to tease her and instilled in her a strong sense of self worth.

“I miss his voice, his laugh, his sense of humor, the way he would say the perfect thing to make me feel happy,” said 16-year-old Celine, adding that she had wished her father would one day walk her down the aisle at her wedding.

“There are no words to describe the pain that me and everybody else in my family feel and I know it will never go away.”

Other tributes came from Peterson’s longtime friend, Canadian bandleader Phil Nimmons, and Canada’s Governor General Michaelle Jean, the titular head of state.

“Touted as the `Maharajah of the keyboard,’ Oscar Peterson has left an indelible mark on the cultural heritage of the entire world,” Jean said. “Whether it was while accompanying the jazz legends, performing for royalty or playing for jazz lovers, he had an incredible ability to wow musicians and audiences alike with his dazzling artistic ingenuity.”

The audience was also surprised by a phone call from singer-pianist Stevie Wonder which was played over the speakers.

Wonder said he was truly thankful for having met “O.P.,” as Peterson was known by friends in the music industry, describing him as “a man who could play the piano so well that you could sing, dance and feel every emotion so strong.”

Hundreds of fans lined up outside the concert hall early Saturday to get a seat for the tribute which was free to the public on a first come, first-served basis.

Derek Giles of Toronto found himself third in line when he arrived at 4:45 a.m. He said he mostly wanted the seats for his 13-year-old twin daughters who play in a jazz group, but said he was also a big Peterson fan.

“His technical ability is, I think, unrivaled as a jazz pianist,” said Giles, a high school math teacher. “And the fact that he arose during that period of our history when there was tremendous discrimination to become a legend — I have to admire the man for that.”

On Friday night, Peterson’s widow told another star-studded gathering that the flood of tributes that followed her husband’s death meant a lot to the family.

“It is comforting to us to witness the tremendous outpouring of love, admiration and respect from all over the globe,” said Kelly Peterson, reading from a prepared speech at a podium while Celine stood behind her. “Your support is carrying us along in these first days and weeks without him.”

The event was part of an awards ceremony honoring the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters for 2008, including Jones, Cuban-born conga drummer Candido Camero, composer-arranger Tom McIntosh and trumpeter Joe Wilder — all of whom were in the audience. The ceremony included a joint tribute to Peterson by the NEA and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Kelly Peterson said the jazz titan was also a dedicated husband and father.

“In the 21 years we shared as husband and wife, I have often had to pinch myself to make sure it was real,” she said in a measured tone. “I was already a fan of his when we met and I had to keep asking myself how I was so fortunate that he fell in love with me.”

During his illustrious career, Peterson played with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He is also remembered for the trio he led with bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis in the 1950s.

By Scott Anderson 29 minutes ago

TORONTO (Reuters) - Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Nancy Wilson were among a star-studded group of performers who gathered on Saturday for a musical farewell to jazz piano great Oscar Peterson.

"He's on his second journey. The first is birth and the second is death," Hancock said as he swiveled in his piano chair to face a giant portrait of Peterson hanging over the stage at a Toronto concert hall. "So enjoy your journey, Oscar. I wish you well."

Peterson died at his home near Toronto on December 23 of kidney failure. He was 82.

One of jazz's most recorded musicians, Peterson rose from working-class beginnings in Montreal to become a major influence on generations of musicians. His honors included a 1997 Grammy for lifetime achievement and an International Jazz Hall of Fame Award.

Peterson was remembered for his love of life, people and music at the free show, attended by more than 2,500 people who started lining up 12 hours before it began.

"He is leaving a legacy of a very, very, very strong commitment to the jazz world. What he has done is set the path for so many of us. We will have other great jazz artists coming up, but there won't ever be another Oscar Peterson," jazz pianist Oliver Jones, Peterson's friend and protege, told Reuters.

"I owe him everything. He's irreplaceable," pianist and jazz composer Hancock said before playing a somber, solo piano piece.

"I am truly thankful to God that I was able to meet someone that I admired all my life," singer and composer Stevie Wonder said in a taped message played during the ceremony. "The man played the piano so well that you could hear it sing, dance and feel every single note and chord."

Wilson was brought to tears as she sang a goodbye song to Peterson.

"Nobody who I have ever loved has left," the Grammy-winning jazz singer said. "They are always here."

(Editing by Peter Cooney)

(scott.anderson@reuters.com; +1 416 941 8106; Reuters Messaging: scott.anderson.reuters.com@reuters.net))