Mr. Stefani
07-27-2007, 07:12 PM
Kelly Clarkson gets the picture, finally.
There was no bucking the system, and no going against Clive Davis. Sources tell me that Clarkson has agreed, through her wise new manager Narvel Blackstock, to make a pop album for release in 2008 with songs selected by Davis and his team.
Clarkson's acquiescence comes at the end of a long melodrama concerning her current, turgid album "My December," which features a lot of ragged self-penned songs by Clarkson about a relationship gone sour.
Davis didn't like the album, considering it was the follow up to Clarkson's multimillion selling "Breakaway." But he released it, and Clarkson responded by dissing him and then apologizing earlier this week.
In the meantime, "My December" is sort of free-floating away now, and will probably sell a respectable 850,000 copies in the U.S. and maybe the same worldwide.
Clarkson gets points for trying out her chops as a songwriter, but demerits for not following anyone's advice, trying to take on the record industry's most astute executive maybe of all time and acting like a 25-year-old (which is, in fact, her age.)
The news about Clarkson's next move came Thursday during the annual UJA Federation lunch at which Davis was honored. Everyone in the biz was there - the room was so packed that there was little space between the tables for waiters to maneuver or for good schmoozing.
The result was a $1 million-plus take for the day. The money goes into the Music for Youth educational campaign which brings music to public schools.
Talk of Clarkson was abundant, but it was another "American Idol" player who made headlines at lunch. Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson performed two songs as a tribute to Davis: Barry Manilow's "Weekend in New England" and "One Moment in Time," a song that Whitney Houston made popular long ago.
Using the Hotel Pierre's crummy P.A. system and a badly scratched, barely tuned piano, Hudson gave a spectacular little show. If anyone doubted what she can do, that's over.
Hudson is a superstar in the making (in contrast to a Federation performance by Ruben Studdard a few years ago). Even Clarence Avant, the beloved record guy who once ran Motown, was impressed.
Davis's peeps were more than excited that Clarkson's situation had been resolved, they say. There are no hard feelings over "My December," but let's just say everyone's waiting for her January now.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,291060,00.html
There was no bucking the system, and no going against Clive Davis. Sources tell me that Clarkson has agreed, through her wise new manager Narvel Blackstock, to make a pop album for release in 2008 with songs selected by Davis and his team.
Clarkson's acquiescence comes at the end of a long melodrama concerning her current, turgid album "My December," which features a lot of ragged self-penned songs by Clarkson about a relationship gone sour.
Davis didn't like the album, considering it was the follow up to Clarkson's multimillion selling "Breakaway." But he released it, and Clarkson responded by dissing him and then apologizing earlier this week.
In the meantime, "My December" is sort of free-floating away now, and will probably sell a respectable 850,000 copies in the U.S. and maybe the same worldwide.
Clarkson gets points for trying out her chops as a songwriter, but demerits for not following anyone's advice, trying to take on the record industry's most astute executive maybe of all time and acting like a 25-year-old (which is, in fact, her age.)
The news about Clarkson's next move came Thursday during the annual UJA Federation lunch at which Davis was honored. Everyone in the biz was there - the room was so packed that there was little space between the tables for waiters to maneuver or for good schmoozing.
The result was a $1 million-plus take for the day. The money goes into the Music for Youth educational campaign which brings music to public schools.
Talk of Clarkson was abundant, but it was another "American Idol" player who made headlines at lunch. Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson performed two songs as a tribute to Davis: Barry Manilow's "Weekend in New England" and "One Moment in Time," a song that Whitney Houston made popular long ago.
Using the Hotel Pierre's crummy P.A. system and a badly scratched, barely tuned piano, Hudson gave a spectacular little show. If anyone doubted what she can do, that's over.
Hudson is a superstar in the making (in contrast to a Federation performance by Ruben Studdard a few years ago). Even Clarence Avant, the beloved record guy who once ran Motown, was impressed.
Davis's peeps were more than excited that Clarkson's situation had been resolved, they say. There are no hard feelings over "My December," but let's just say everyone's waiting for her January now.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,291060,00.html