Nobody's saying anything, but rumors are swirling that the Police will open the Grammy Awards telecast next month in Los Angeles, similar to Simon & Garfunkel's surprise appearance at the 2003 ceremony. A Grammy representative did not return a request for comment by deadline. A Police/Grammy moment would seem like a logical kickoff for what is widely understood to be a 2007 reunion tour from the group, which has been dormant since 1986. Stay tuned.
LIKE FATHER LIKE DAUGHTER
As EMI Music Publishing chairman/co-CEO Marty Bandier prepares to vacate his seat in a couple of months, Track hears that his daughter Jennifer is about to launch her career in the entertainment industry. Ms. Bandier will officially join boutique entertainment PR company Oui 2 Public Relations in the coming days. Already, she has her eyes set on wearing her father's crown. On a recent trip to Atlanta, Jennifer was seen talking PR with hip-hop producer Toomp and Young Jock. Don't forget: She once called the ATL home; that is, during a stint managing supergroup TLC.
STAX GETS ITS GROOVE BACK
Concord Music Group's revitalization of Stax Records is jumping into full swing. In addition to signing Angie Stone and its earlier mainstay Isaac "Shaft" Hayes, Stax has added two more singers to its roster: Leon Ware and N'Dambi. Ware is best-known for his writing and production work on Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" album. He's also collaborated with Quincy Jones, Minnie Riperton and the Isley Brothers. N'Dambi, well-known in R&B's indie scene, is a former backing vocalist for Erykah Badu. Look for her and Stone's albums in late summer; Ware's is slated for spring/early summer.
In signing artists, Stax VP of A&R Collin Stanback says the new Stax is looking for heartfelt music and real musicianship. "We need to give people more of a variety in black music to listen to," he says. "What we see in today's music is an approach that is pretty much way too common. When you look at the '70s to early '90s, everyone was in their own lane and nothing sounded alike. We at Stax would like to get back to that."
As reported earlier on billboard.biz, the venerable Memphis label formally begins celebrating its 50th anniversary March 13, with the release of a deluxe two-CD set featuring tracks from a who's who of soul that includes Hayes, the Dramatics, Staple Singers and Mabel John. Two weeks later, Earth, Wind & Fire's "Interpretations" CD arrives (see story, page 40). Wrapped around all this: a yearlong salute to Stax's 50 years via concerts and exhibits presented by the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau along with nonprofit Soulsville USA.
DEMAND YOUR 'LATE NIGHT SPECIAL'
For fans who want and demand it, Pretty Ricky will be only too happy to give them a "Late Night Special." Putting a user-generated twist on the traditional tour concept, Atlantic Records Group is partnering with San Diego-based Eventful.com to map the stops for a national tour that kicks off in mid-March. It's all in support of the group's Jan. 23 sophomore release, "Late Night Special." On Feb. 5, Pretty Ricky will announce its 1,000 Demand Tour Competition in which fans will compete to have the tour stop in their city. Once a city nets 1,000 demands, Pretty Ricky will book the show. The quartet, which plans to tour for a year, pledges it will perform in any city that hits or goes beyond the 1,000 mark. Not a bad way to truly gauge an act's grass-roots popularity, eh?
HAIRSPRAY IN THE OUTBACK
If you loved the music and the wigs in the cult hit movie "Priscilla Queen of the Desert," get ready for the musical to invade these shores very soon. Track spies in Australia report that the show is playing to sellout audiences and is now preparing to travel overseas, including a possible run on Broadway and/or the Las Vegas Strip. The show is packed full of "camp" and club classics, including "I Love the Nightlife," "Finally," "Shake Your Groove Thing," "I Will Survive" and "Never Been to Me." And yes, like the movie, the musical is very big on costumes and, of course, hair.
JOAN DOES KIT AND THE WIDOW
British comedy duo Kit and the Widow are busy preparing for their debut at New York's Joe's Pub. Those that caught the duo opening for Joan Rivers last year know what to expect: Noel Coward-esque skewings of modern life, pop culture and politics. Indeed, this is the kind of old-style cabaret that intertwines acid tongue lashings and witty parody songs. In a reversal of roles, Track hears that Rivers, so enamored of Kit and the Widow, will open for them at their Feb. 5 gig. Of course, Rivers being Rivers, she may very well show up at their Feb. 9 show, too. She's that kind of gal.
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