Who Destroyed Epic Records Hollywood Reporter. It started outlike any label showcase at Octobers CMJ, the five night music conference thats been held every year since 1. New York Citys clubs, all looking to find or become the next big thing. A few dozen T shirt and jeans clad college reps gathered on the Bowery, next to the space that used to house legendary punk club CBGB, and Augustana, the latest pop rock priority on Epic Records, prepared to take the stage. Guitar techs finished tuning, the sound guy prepped the board, and band members mingled then made their way toward the front excited if not a little anxious. The San Diego based five piece, which had achieved a modicum of success with its 2. Cant Love, Cant Hurt its first single, Sweet and Low, reached No. Billboard Hot Adult Top 4. Epic has had declining sales and a dearth of hits at a moment when the entire industry is struggling to adapt to a new model one in which monetizing physical product is secondary to marketing and branding. The 5. 7 year old label was fighting for its life. It was a long way from the Sony owned companys heyday in the 8. Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo Season 3. Michael Jackson, George Michael, Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine were racking up combined sales in the hundreds of millions worlwide. Epics current roster still features a superstar or two namely Shakira, but theyre far outnumbered by developing acts like Augustana, who knew this performance was crucial as an opportunity to motivate the people who would be representing their new music to radio, retail, press and the online world. One song in, singer Dan Layus microphone experienced some feedback a technical glitch about as common as a guitarist breaking a string. But what happened next was anything but. According to eyewitnesses in the crowd, Epic Records president Amanda Ghost, 3. North London accent, spoke her mind. Among a string of expletives, says a source She was screaming Who booked this fucking place It sounds like shitWe dont treat our artists this way at Epic. Im not letting them play another minute and pulled the plug on the show. The room just got silent. The Hollywood Reporter is your source for breaking news about Hollywood and entertainment, including movies, TV, reviews and industry blogs. Is there a desert you wouldnt walk across to spend five minutes with either of these beauties In appreciation for your help, I invite to watch videos of this. Six days later, a memo issued by Sony Music Label Group chairman Rob Stringer brother of Howard, CEO of Sony Entertainment announced that Ghost would be leaving the company at years end. Amanda has been an important creative force at Epic in the past two years, it read. In returning to the natural focus of her artistic career, I look forward to us working together in the future. For a woman who had a penchant for profanity and a reputation for unpredictable, sometimes violent outbursts, it was a surprisingly quiet firing and with it, the latest trial in unconventional management was over. The result Sad and seemingly conclusive that Epic Records most likely will become an imprint of Sony Musics flagship label Columbia, its departments forced to merge, its artist roster cut by two thirds along with the president position. At least thats what staffers are predicting, even as Stringer puts on a brave, hopeful face. ISM14-e1471641518233.jpg' alt='Watch The Incredible Shrinking Man Online Hollywoodreporter' title='Watch The Incredible Shrinking Man Online Hollywoodreporter' />I owe the people at Epic, some whove worked for me for many years, to get it right, he says. I have a responsibility to balance the ship, so were going to sit down, not make any rash decisions, shore up the roster and hopefully make some progress in the next six months. It would be wonderful to start again, but I have a responsibility to the artists to do the right thing, and Im really going to try. It was a huge leap to think Amanda Ghost could have done it. Las mejores listas de canales online y remotas para tu tv. Sube estas listas m3u y podrs ver tu tv por internet online desde donde quieras. Hitcounter Contact Email APSATTV. COM does not support the hacking of PAY TV. Fired after just 20 months at the helm of Epic and tagged with destroying the label, one source tells THR that job was a nowin situation for the career songwriter. HMcK7r' alt='Watch The Incredible Shrinking Man Online Hollywoodreporter' title='Watch The Incredible Shrinking Man Online Hollywoodreporter' />Compared to her more seasoned peers like Universal Motowns Sylvia Rhone, a 3. Monte and Avery Lipman of Universal Republic and Atlantic president Julie Greenwald, whos famous for meeting her numbers Ghost seemed completely out of her league. Indeed, says a confidante She never should have taken that job. It was a no win situation. Ghost was hardly the first creative type to run a label. Jimmy Iovine was a producer before he started Interscope same for Rick Rubin, current co president of Columbia Records, and Rob Cavallo, recently named chairman of Warner Bros. Records. And, of course, there is Jay Zs successful three year stint as president of Def Jam. But in these shaky economic times, handing a portfolio of more than 5. A R, publicity, retail, promotions and new media to someone with zero management experience made the decision to hire Ghost an even riskier gamble. Even Stringer acknowledges that. Im the first to admit that I made an experimental judgment that possibly wasnt fair on Amanda, he says. Watch The Incredible Shrinking Man Online Hollywoodreporter' title='Watch The Incredible Shrinking Man Online Hollywoodreporter' />She struck me as a tour de force and a creative whirlwind which the industry needs more of and she was very keen to do the job and super excited and confident about it. But in the last few weeks, we both agreed it was too big a mountain to climb. In a way, the writing was on the wall. As the music business continues to collectively downsize the RIAA estimates the value of the industry as a whole has diminished by nearly 5. Epics place in the label hierarchy has become increasingly marginalized. Founded in 1. 95. Yardbirds, the Clash and Cheap Trick. By the mid 8. 0s, Epic was just hitting its stride, releasing massive worldwide successes like Michael Jacksons 1. Thriller 2. 8 million sold and counting and George Michaels Faith, which moved 7 million copies in 1. Sony inherited the label when it bought CBS. But its best days were yet to come the 1. Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine to the roster, and they, too, sold in the millions. It didnt last. In the post Napster years, Epics market share dipped dramatically, from slightly more than 3 in 1. It was a fraction of Sony Musics overall share of 2. Universal, and being an independent entity, Epic was doing little for Sonys bottom line. Bold changes were made to the rap rock heavy roster, and it went decidedly pop under the watch of veteran Columbia promotions man Charlie Walk when he took over in 2. In his three years on the job, he acquired radio ready acts the Script, Sean Kingston and Sara Bareilles. By the time he left, some of the labels functions, like promotion, had been integrated with its big brother, Columbia, signaling a possible future absorption. In fact, rumors of Epic folding had been swirling for about six years. But in speaking to Epic employees past and present the staff has dwindled from 1. Ghost, not the economy, for putting the nail in the coffin and bringing an end to an era in 2. Stringer as an accessory for hiring her. When Ghost was tasked with running Epic in February 2. England. A former artist her debut album was released on Warner Bros. Ian Dench, the former frontman of EMF 1. Unbelievable. Ten years later, the two scored a hit with Beyonces Beautiful Liar, which led to industrywide accolades and a Grammy nomination. But Ghosts greatest claim to fame came by way of a career defining credit as one of three writers on James Blunts 2. Youre Beautiful, which garnered three Grammy noms, helped spur worldwide sales of 1. Atlantic Records debut, Back to Bedlam, and made Ghost an instant millionaire. It was her shining moment after years of false starts, and it led directly to the Epic presidency. She found James Blunt, wrote with him and shopped him around, Ghosts attorney Michael Guido says. Everyone passed except for Atlantics Linda Perry.