The Record Label shuffle

Pink

A mini panic happened in America when The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter stated that BMG Entertainment is preparing to close down parent company, Arista Records. This occurred when Arista Nashville president Tim DuBois has resigned to join Gaylord Entertainment Co., but a label spokesman adamantly denies that this is the case. "Everybody's heard a lot of scenarios, but closing has never been one of them," says senior VP of marketing Fletcher Foster, to allbusiness.com, although he concedes that a label restructuring or downsizing could happen. Among the more likely scenarios is that Arista will become an imprint of sister RCA Label Group, which includes the RCA and BNA imprints. The three labels currently share office space on Music Row. Arista Nashville's fate rests on the future of Clive Davis, president/CEO of New York-based Arista Records, who is involved in a very public contract negotiation. Foster says, "This division reports to Clive Davis in New York. Until that changes, we will go on. Clive wants to keep this division alive. He feels very adamant about it."The New York Times reports that "as much as two-thirds of Arista Nashville's staff of 50 and its 14-act roster could lose their jobs, and its Arista Austin imprint in Texas may be dismantled." Foster says, "All of this is total speculation until the Clive situation resolves itself." Some of the big names signed to Arista includes Aretha Franklin, Avril Lavigne, Babyface, Blu Cantrell, Carlos Santana, Cee-lo, Kelis, Pink, Usher and Whitney Houston, to name a few.