Music is art, but it is also business.
As anyone who has spent time working in the industry knows, there is a lot more to being an artist beyond writing, recording, performing and touring. There are payrolls to be handled, taxes to be paid, royalties to distribute and a whole lot more. Rock ‘n’ roll can be very lucrative, but where there is money, there is often conflict.
In ideal scenarios, artists and their managers are on the same page about all things financial and business-related. Of course, it’s not always the reality.
These kinds of discrepancies, especially those involving high-profile artists, are big news, both in the musical and legal worlds.
“Mick Jagger appeared in court yesterday to try to stop his former manager from releasing unfinished Rolling Stones material from the 1960’s because, he said, it is ”rubbish” and damaging to the band’s reputation,” The New York Times reported in 1984, the former manager in question being Allen Klein. “A key issue is whether Mr. Klein has the right to license the rock group’s music and films, lucrative video cassettes and disks, and whether the Stones are owed royalties. The Stones are seeking a ‘commercial divorce’ from Mr. Klein and his companies, and back-payment of royalties that they claim he owes the band.”
This is just one example of a rock act taking on a former manager in court. In the below gallery, we’re taking a look at 10 Rock Artists Who Sued Their Managers.
10 Rock Artists Who Sued Their Managers
The music business can be mean, especially when wealth is involved.
Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp
