Monthly Archives: February 2010

Bette Midler lunching at Fresco by Scotto with her daughter, Sophie, and power publicist Ken Sunshine Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sightings_bD5vxLICiTpKbEeHbZdmxM#ixzz0gpI1Tne4

BillBoard Magazine U2 tops music’s Money Maker list 2-23-2010 The legendary rock ban U2 was the biggest money-maker in the music industry last year. According to Billboard the Irish rockers took in more than $108 million in 2009. The magazine’s “2010 Money Makers List,” considers album sales, tours, royalties and more. The veteran members of the band have been performing for over 30 years together. Their 3D concert film “U2 3D” was released in 2008 but has had continued success at the box office. The film has garnered over $22 million in worldwide receipts. Coming in at second was Bruce Springsteen with $57 million, followed by Madonna with $47 million. AC/DC came in fourth with $43 million followed by Britney Spears finished out the top five at $38 million. After a very successful year on the charts, country sensation Taylor Swift brought in over $17 million. Michael Jackson earned over $17 million, driven by the entertainer’s death on June 25th. Disney queen Miley Cyrus racked in an estimated $21 million. U2 will perform when the “U2 360º Tour” rolls into Salt Lake City on June 3rd. Rocker Lenny Kravitz will join the band at Rice-Eccles Stadium as a special guest. Tickets went on sale for the event on Monday. 40 Bette Midler $9,421,947 Bette Midler has long been a successful touring artist, but her 90-date sitdown at Las Vegas’ Colosseum at Caesars Palace accounted for all her box-office revenue in 2009, as well as the overwhelming bulk of her income for the year. Even so, she did better than many artists with her digital tracks, presumably with lots of “Wind Beneath My Wings” downloads. 39 Leonard Cohen $9,511,958 Leonard Cohen played his first U.S. concert in 15 years in February 2009. The show kicked off a successful year on the road that earned him $9.2 million in box-office share, dwarfing his $236,200 in CD royalties and $34,748 in digital album royalties. 38 Bob Dylan $9,610,011 He may be one of America’s most prolific songwriters and recording artists, but Bob Dylan is raking it in these days with his 20-plus-year Never Ending Tour. His box-office share in 2009 was $7.4 million, compared with $1.5 million in CD royalties, $154,592 in digital album royalties, $121,955 in digital track royalties and $350,514 in songwriter mechanical royalties. 37 Phish $9,998,242 The jam band reunited in 2009, and while new album “Joy” didn’t exactly fly off the shelves, it did provide new material to play on a sold-out tour that included a high-grossing two-night stand at Bonnaroo and the band’s own Halloween Phish-fest in Indio, Calif. 36 Andrea Bocelli $10,711,746 A touring favorite who earned $6.1 million on the road last year, classical crossover star Andrea Bocelli also banked $4.4 million in CD royalties and $121,100 in digital album royalties. 35 Cher $11,421,553 Cher hasn’t released a studio album since 2002’s “Living Proof,” but she’s been a live blockbuster ever since. The singer took Celine Dion’s place at Caesars Palace in 2008, and her successful Cher at the Colosseum residency earned her $11.2 million. 34 Kiss $11,833,930 Kiss spent 2009 on the road promoting its highest-charting album, the Walmart exclusive “Sonic Boom,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and sold 238,000 copies. The new set helped Kiss earn $10.6 million in touring revenue and $879,000 in album sales. 33 Toby Keith $11,941,345 Stateside fans weren’t the only ones treated to Toby Keith’s Ford-sponsored tour in 2009–the artist also played his first European trek in support of his latest album, “American Ride,” which sold 295,000 copies and debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. Touring revenue totaled slightly more than $10 million. 32 Green Day $12,152,004 Green Day had two major highlights in 2009: the release of its second No. 1 album, “21st Century Breakdown,” and a sellout run in Berkeley, Calif., of the musical stage show adaptation of 2004 set “American Idiot.” All of the buzz helped the band earn nearly $1.9 million in album sales and pull in $8.8 million from touring arenas. 31 Paul McCartney $12,203,170 Although his Beatles take isn’t factored into his Money Makers earnings, Paul McCartney did just fine on his own last year, making most of his money ($11.4 million) from playing arenas, stadiums and a headlining slot at Coachella. His latest release, “Good Evening New York City,” sold 234,000 copies, contributing to the $609,000 he earned from album sales. 30 Lil Wayne $12,866,174 The soon-to-be-incarcerated rap star will be missed by fans and promoters. In 2009 he had the highest-grossing hip-hop tour of the year — and the most lucrative rap trek that Billboard has ever tracked, raking in $10.4 million. 29 Tina Turner $13,169,806 The 71-year-old artist is still going strong, as evidenced by her Farewell European tour, which earned her $13 million. Turner also scored $116,700 in CD sales. 28 Keith Urban $14,075,581 Keith Urban scored his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last April with his 2009 album, “Defying Gravity.” The set sold 723,000 copies and helped him earn $1.4 million in CD sales. The artist’s Escape Together world tour, which visited arenas in the United States, earned nearly $12 million. 27 Brad Paisley $14,299,322 Established as a hitmaker and an album seller, Brad Paisley has consistently been improving his clout at the box office in the past several years. He’s now an arena-level headliner, but Paisley’s popularity is due to his songs. Country music isn’t especially known for its strength at digital, but Paisley enjoyed close to 3 million track downloads. 26 Celine Dion $14,326,129 Last year, Celine Dion’s take came almost entirely from 23 North America dates on her Taking Chances tour. This is her third year in a row on the Money Makers list; she came in at No. 5 last time, thanks to her residency at Caesars Palace’s Colosseum in Las Vegas and her worldwide touring. 25 Kings Of Leon $14,421,763 In 2009, Kings of Leon finally broke through in America, selling more than 1.2 million units. KOL also taps into a digital-friendly audience, racking up more than 500,000 album sales and more than 5 million tracks in the format. And it’s all about the upside with this band, as it continues to grow as a headliner, netting $9.9 million from touring. 24 Trans-Siberian Orchestra $14,606,313 Steady sales of its holiday-themed albums during Christmastime aren’t the only thing Trans-Siberian Orchestra relies on each year: The band consistently sells out arenas during the nine-week winter season with its over-the-top laser- and light-filled concerts. Last year, the Paul O’Neill-led group sold 815,000 albums and earned nearly $13 million in touring revenue. 23 Billy Joel $15,721,607 Though he hasn’t released an album of new material since “River of Dreams” in 1993, Billy Joel’s catalog performed well on all fronts. But on the Joel spreadsheet, that’s a drop in the bucket; the resonance of his songs, consistent road work and reputation as a top-shelf live performer during the past four decades continue to serve him best. 22 Depeche Mode $16,035,102 While Depeche Mode’s Tour of the Universe trek was briefly put on hold when frontman Dave Gahan fell ill, the group still took in $15.4 million for the world tour, according to Boxscore. The band’s album “Sounds of the Universe” earned $300,000 in CD royalties. 21 Taylor Swift $17,204,646 At an age when many of her peers are working for minimum wage, Taylor Swift is in the big leagues of earners. Her financial package is well-rounded, and she’s one of the few on this list whose income wasn’t driven mostly by touring — her touring revenue accounted for less than half of her Money Makers total, and her CD royalties were topped only by Michael Jackson. 20 Michael Jackson $17,301,639 Michael Jackson was the No. 1 earner in CD and ringtone royalties in 2009, with physical album sales pulling in $13.2 million and ringtones totaling $255,000. In addition, “This Is It” became the top-grossing concert film of all time, earning $72 million at the box office, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. 19 Rascal Flatts $17,996,964 It’s a safe bet that exposure through sponsorships from Hershey’s and JCPenney helped Rascal Flatts sell tickets to its 2009 summer amphitheater tour. Overall, the trio pulled in $14.3 million from 55 concerts that were reported to Boxscore. Indeed, the total gross was enough to land Rascal Flatts at No. 22 on Billboard’s 2009 tally of the top 25 highest-grossing tours. The band’s 2009 album, “Unstoppable,” was also a contributing factor to its success, with 1.1 million copies sold. 18 Andre Rieu $19,468,768 The Dutch violinist and PBS pledge-drive mainstay sold only 59,000 albums but was No. 6 on Billboard’s list of top tours last year; his 30th-anniversary trek earned him more than $19 million and brought in nearly 500,000 people to 94 shows in Europe, Japan, North America, Australia and New Zealand in 2009. Rieu has logged 22 releases on Billboard’s Top Traditional Classical Albums chart, with three of them in the top 10 last year. 17 Dave Matthews Band $20,046,148 No act has sold more tickets in this millennium than Dave Matthews Band, and in 2009 the group also received some serious juice from one of its best-selling albums, “Big Whiskey & the GrooGrux King.” The strength of the record’s performance boosted DMB back into the company of elite earners. The band’s 800,000 Nielsen SoundScan units dwarf the band’s 14,788 digital album sales, but it did enjoy more than 2 million track downloads. 16 Il Divo $20,909,735 The Armani-clad popera quartet lands at No. 16 this year thanks to a global tour promoted by Live Nation. Il Divo’s 118 dates in 2009 put $20 million in their suit pockets, with an estimated value of nearly $21 million for the band. That comprises nearly all of Il Divo’s take; the act’s next-largest source of revenue ($809,300) was physical sales of its albums, nearly half of which came from its late-2008 release “The Promise.” 15 Miley Cyrus $21,285,996 Miley Cyrus is No. 4 on the 2010 Money Makers list in terms of CD royalties with more than $4.3 million; her one new release during the year was the Walmart-exclusive EP “The Time of Our Lives.” Cyrus’ Wonder World tour earned her slightly more than $15 million, according to Boxscore. Not included in this tally, but still of note: Her feature-film debut, “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” grossed $79.5 million at the box office, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. 14 Elton John $22,141,315 As half of the most successful co-headlining tour in history with Billy Joel, as well as being very active on his own, Elton John again struck box-office gold in 2009. Even without an album of new material, John still moved a quarter of a million physical units in the United States. 13 Beyonce $23,658,131 The millions of YouTube views for the “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” video could mean only one thing: Beyoncé continued to reap rewards for her triple-threat artistry in 2009. The singer earned $2.3 million in CD royalties for her latest album, “I Am… Sasha Fierce,” a total rivaled only by Nickelback in the top 15 of the Money Makers list. The set was just as well-received from a critical perspective–it won six 2010 Grammy Awards, the most ever for a female artist. 12 Nickelback $23,674,124 Nonstop touring and continued radio play were two of the factors that contributed to Nickelback’s 2009 success. The band sold 1.9 million albums, the majority of which came from its most recent release, 2008’s “Dark Horse,” which sold 1.4 million copies. And fans didn’t stop seeing Nickelback in concert, either. During the year, the group played 73 amphitheater and arena shows that earned it $18.3 million and drew more than 1 million people. 11 Fleetwood Mac $24,751,540 The baby boomer idols land on the list for the first time thanks to the group’s $24 million take from its Unleashed tour, its first in five years. The trek grossed $71.2 million from 65 shows reported to Boxscore and landed at No. 14 on Billboard’s top tours list last year. Fleetwood Mac earned less than $700,000 in the United States from its album sales, with its 1988 “Greatest Hits” moving 135,000 copies — about half its U.S. album total for the period. 10 Metallica $25,564,234 Metallica had at least two things to celebrate in 2009: its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the release of “Guitar Hero: Metallica.” Along with touring revenue — the band pulled in $22.8 million from 55 arena shows reported to Boxscore that drew more than 968,000 fans — Metallica sold 694,000 albums in 2009. The majority of those sales came from its Rick Rubin-produced 2008 release, “Death Magnetic” (297,000). Album sales revenue totaled $1.6 million. And most of Metallica’s track download earnings came from its 1991 hit “Enter Sandman,” which sold 450,000. 9 Kenny Chesney $26,581,141 As one of the elite touring artists in the world, Kenny Chesney has sold more than 1 million tickets for seven consecutive years. In country music, the big ticket sellers also sit atop radio and retail charts, and Chesney is no exception, with physical album sales in the United States running roughly the same as tickets sold. His digital track numbers are also among the highest on this list, and the country star rang up more than half a million ringtones in 2009. 8 Coldplay $27,326,562 Coldplay didn’t let a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by guitarist Joe Satriani dampen its spirits last year. Despite the legal turmoil (the two parties settled in September and the allegations were dismissed), the band earned $24.7 million touring behind its 2008 album, “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends,” which sold 495,000 copies in 2009. Overall, the group sold 852,000 albums in 2009, bringing in $1 million in revenue. 7 Jonas Brothers $33,596,576 The Jonas Brothers released their fourth studio album, “Lines, Vines and Trying Times” (Hollywood) June 15, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and setting up the boy band for another fruitful year of album sales and touring. The act racked up almost $1.3 million in CD royalties. The band’s world tour netted them $31.4 million and won the group the Eventful Fans’ Choice Award at the 2009 Billboard Touring Awards. 6 Pink $36,347,658 Even before she lofted herself onto a trapeze at the MTV Video Music Awards, Pink was already having the best year of her career. She officially shook her underdog status in 2008 with the release of “Funhouse,” but 2009 vaulted her to new heights thanks in part to an international arena tour, which netted her $35 million. Moreover, Pink’s show-stopping 2010 Grammy Awards performance of “Glitter in the Air” — and the track’s subsequent 1,143% digital sales increase — means that her funhouse is still open for business. 5 Britney Spears $38,885,267 It seemed unlikely that Britney Spears could ever recover professionally from a series of bizarre events that led up to her 2008 “Circus” CD. But the album bowed atop the Billboard 200 in December of that year, and the pop star’s success continued into 2009 with an arena tour that earned her $36.4 million and album sales that totaled 763,000 copies. Digitally, Spears sold 7.5 million downloads; the largest seller was the racy Max Martin-produced single, “3,” which moved 1.6 million downloads. 4 AC/DC $43,650,466 Although the overwhelming majority of AC/DC’s 2009 earnings came from touring international arenas and stadiums (it pulled in $41.4 million from concerts and ranked No. 4 on Billboard’s 2009 tally of the top 25 highest-grossing tours), the Australian rockers also experienced consistent album sales from their catalog. Indeed, the group’s highest-selling album was its 2008 Walmart exclusive, “Black Ice,” which shifted 227,000 copies. But coming in at a close second was the classic “Back in Black,” with 215,000 copies. In total, the group sold 1.1 million albums in 2009. 3 Madonna $47,237,774 Like U2, Madonna toured for the first time under a long-term multirights Live Nation deal (hers valued at $120 million), and also like U2 it’s a performance-based pact. Madonna delivered: Her Sticky & Sweet tour tacked on a “victory lap” run of international stadium dates that solidified the trek as the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo artist. Madonna’s CD sales were well off the pace of her peak hitmaking years, but still more than respectable at physical and digital. Because her songs come from a wide range of writers, the publishing pie is pretty well-sliced. But her branding, licensing and merch efforts are among the most diversified and lucrative in the music business. 2 Bruce Springsteen $57,619,037 With a new studio album, a Walmart-exclusive hits compilation and a relentless touring schedule, Bruce Springsteen was at the top of his revenue-generating game in 2009. Springsteen’s profile has never been higher, with added-value exposure from the Super Bowl halftime show, Kennedy Center Honors and even a run-in with Ticketmaster all keeping the Boss in the public eye. Springsteen was also a force at retail and on the digital sales front, with more than 2 million tracks downloaded. And since he writes all his own songs, publishing revenue stays at Camp Bruce. Remarkably, Springsteen Inc. is peaking more than 35 years after his debut album. 1 U2 $108,601,283 Midway through what is destined to be the highest-grossing tour in history, U2 remains the biggest band in the world. Its 360° tour is the group’s first under a 12-year multirights deal with Live Nation that includes worldwide touring, merchandising and the band’s lucrative U2.com Web site, a digital distribution gold mine for all things U2. The act’s current global stadium tour is the most expensive ever mounted — the daily nut is said to be $750,000 — but those costs are well offset by the highest capacities ever from the band’s 360-degree configuration. By even the most conservative estimates, U2 was far and away the top revenue generator in music last year.

People Glee’s Jessalyn Gilsig Wants Bette Midler to Guest Star February 26, 2010 With all the celebs flocking to the set of Glee for their guest spots, one of the show’s stars, Jessalyn Gilsig, says there’s one icon she’d love to see join the cast for a little song and dance. “Bette Midler should be on the show,” said Gilsig, who plays Terri Schuester, at the Costume Design Guild Awards Thursday. “I’d want her to be my aunt or something. You can imagine Bette Midler as a kid. She must have been one of these Glee kids. She must have been so misunderstood and struggled so much, but she’s driven the same way Rachel is driven. I think she would be a good fit.” Still astounded by the overwhelming success the show has seen, Gilsig says the cast couldn’t be happier. “It hasn’t even been a full season,” she says, adding with a giggle, “maybe we should quit while we’re ahead.” Also excited about costar Matthew Morrison’s upcoming album, the actress says, “He can do anything from rap to a folk song with a ukulele. I’m just like ‘When are we doing a duet on your album?’ He hasn’t asked me yet,” she jokes. “But fans want to hear it.” –Jessica Herndon

JIVING WITH JOAN: Before hitting the red carpet for the Oscars, Joan Rivers plays the Paramount in Aurora on Thursday. As she told me this week, her jokes continue to be culled from current affairs. Bringing up Tiger Woods’ wife Elin, Joan calls her ”the Conan O’Brien of famous cheaters’ wives. Like Conan, she can walk away with millions!” Talking about her grandson Cooper, 9, Joan jokingly said she worried ”he’s too butch. … I was praying for a gay grandson. Without one, who’s going to sit by my rocking chair and listen to me talk about how I knew Cher and Liza Minnelli and Bette Midler? ”Cooper hasn’t a clue who they are. He’s all about the Mets!”

Jenifer Lewis :: No shame in her game by Jim Halterman EDGE Contributor Thursday Feb 25, 2010 Jenifer Lewis Whether she’s playing one of her many mother roles in films like What’s Love Got To Do With It, The Preacher’s Wife and Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns, a lesbian judge in the short-lived CBS series Courthouse, or animated in films like Shark Tale, Cars and the recent Princess and the Frog, Jenifer Lewis says she always gives 2000 percent. The powerful talent that is Le Lewis can masterfully act, sing and talk about her life in film, television or on the stage but one consistent result is that audiences always come out of a Jenifer Lewis performance with the same message – that Lewis is an entertainer in the truest sense of the word and you are guaranteed to feel deeply, laugh more than a little bit as well as undoubtedly feel inspired. Lewis came to New York in the early 1980s, landing the coveted role of Effie White in the workshop production of Dreamgirls only to be replaced by Jennifer Holiday. She worked with Bette Midler as a one of the Harlettes (her back-up singers), a relationship that later won her a role in Midler’s Beaches. She developed an autobiographical solo show called The Diva is Dismissed, that ran off-Broadway at New York Public Theater; after that she relocated to Los Angeles where she found work doing character parts in such films and on television. Fans of the mockumentary will likely remember her hilarious turn as a washed-up diva attempting a comeback in Robert Townsend’s Jackie’s Back. Jenifer Lewis at the premiere of her made-for-television mockumentary Jackie’s Back in Los Angeles in 1999. Free and honest Fans of Jenifer Lewis can take her in over the next four Saturdays when she appears on stage in Jenifer Lewis’s Hot Flash at the LA Gay and Lesbian Center. To find out more about what she covers in the just-extended show, why her gay audience loves her to death and what’s next on her fabulous schedule, EDGE’s Jim Halterman phoned her up one recent morning for a chat. EDGE: When you start a new show like this, how do you approach it? Jenifer Lewis: You know, I’ve been doing it so long. In truth, since I was at least ten years old. I’d gather up my cousins and we’d go down in the basement of the Catholic school and they’d be my Pips to my Gladys. Many years down the road my cousin came up to me and said “Jenny, you know you never paid us! We were all 10 yrs old and you were collecting money and then we never saw you after the show.’ And I had to believe him. How could I deny it? I’ve been doing this all my life. I started singing in the church with my first solo at 5 years old and the church applauded and everyone wept. It was one of those moments in life where I stood there at 5 years old and thought ’Oh, this is what life is.’ I never stopped and all my one-woman shows have been my journey through life and I just get up there and I write about it and I sing about it. There’s no shame in my game. I just tell it all and lay it out there on a slab and say ’This is it!’ Hopefully, with me being this honest, you’ll look in the mirror and say ’I can laugh at myself and not take my life too seriously.’ I’m free and honest onstage so my audience can be honest. I think that’s all we can do for anyone else. Just be a light. Allow the audience to be a light to you and you be one to them and everyone can take what they want from the show. Story continues on following page. Watch this recent interview with Jenifer Lewis. Jenifer Lewis Her gay fans EDGE: What have your gay fans meant to you throughout your career? JL: Oh, please! They’re all my children. I’ve been in show business all my life and the gay boys have taken care of me and I’ve taken care of them and that’s just the way that relationship goes. They adore me and I know them and I think it’s that honesty. And my journey and my pain and that I share it the way I do. I put it out there and I think people are attracted to the truth. Gay boys started loving me in college. I didn’t even know where they came from! I’d go somewhere and there’d be a pack of them just running after me. They wanted to be around my honesty. They were attracted to that honesty and I know that’s what it was. And the talent. People want to be around people who entertain and make people laugh all the time. When I got to New York, the gay boys started doing my hair and makeup and they told me I was so pretty. I said ’Really?’ I didn’t know I was pretty. I wanted to be behind the microphone. I didn’t care anything about high heel shoes. I perform in gym shoes. EDGE: Is there anything in your career that you have yet to conquer? JL: I’m so in the moment of life. I don’t think about what’s behind me or what’s in front of me but I guess if I had to say anything…what do I want to do? I’m so happy in my life right now. Just more…I just want more! EDGE: What’s the key to having a long career like you’ve had? JL: Tell the truth and try not to hurt somebody. Work hard, of course, and just try to be honest and keep it moving. I say in the show that when you’re hardest hit that you mustn’t quit. It’s when you’re hardest hit that you mustn’t quit. I have given up many times but I’ve never quit. You got to be in it to win it. EDGE: You’re so good at comedy AND drama but which is more challenging to you? JL: I guess it would be drama. You know I wake up and my toothbrush laughs. EDGE: You always have so much going on. What else are you up to? JL: I just finished The Hereafter with Clint Eastwood in San Francisco. My scene was with Matt Damon so that was really nice. I just finished Princess in the Frog. And I’m going to be doing Cars 2. EDGE: What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? JL: Hmmm…I garden every morning of my life. EDGE: What’s in your garden? JL: I’ve got geraniums, star jasmine…let me keep going because I love talking about them…bird of paradise, white roses, a slew of roses, a plethora of roses. Rosemary. Azaleas. Orchids. I have it all. It’s where I find God. I find whatever God is to any of us or whatever that is. It’s where I create. I wrote versions of Black Don’t Crack there. I wrote this beautiful love song about my boyfriend, who I’m in love with right now and I talk about being in love in the show. It’s my favorite place to be is in the garden. Jenifer Lewis’s Hot Flash was just extended to run the next four Saturdays at 7:30pm (through March 20th) at The Renberg Theater at the LA Gay and Lesbian Center. For more information on tickets, go to the ON THE STAGES section of laglc.org. And, as Jenifer says, “Be on time or I’ll cuss you out!” Watch this clip from Jackie’s Back.