Cautionary Tales | JA Creatives

History Repeats Itself... Don't Become the Next Chapter in A Book of Cautionary Tales

All industries have histories of shameful to larcenist activities. The Music Industry's history is no different and possibly the best known for foul play.

Overall, the Industry's tales of woe relate back to just a few circumstances.

1. A trusting nature

2. A lack of confidence

3. A refusal or disinterest to learn

4. Buying into a stereotype

This sounds as though we're blaming the victim but, we all have a responsibility and a role to play in every experience we have, personally and professionally.

One thing we've witnessed firsthand is the victims of foul play in business are the, sometimes drastic, changes to the personality of the victim. JA Creatives Consulting exists to train artists and entrepreneurs to protect themselves from the less than fair tactics of business.

Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Perez's story is particularly sad, given that she was murdered when she was only 23.

It's a fairly simple tale. Somehow a woman, Yolanda Saldivar, with zero experience in the music industry was authorized to start a fan club for Selena, in 1991, simply because she asked if she could. Soon Saldivar was enveloped into the Quintanilla business and trusted by the family. Her responsibilities and her access to both business and personal funds increased quickly. March 9th, 1995, Saldivar was fired by Selena's father for embezzlement. Saldivar had kept certain records so Selena met with her to collect them. At a dreary Days Inn, Selena was shot in the back by this supposed friend, confidant, and supporter. Though Selena ran for her life, she wouldn't leave that motel alive.

Source:
https://www.biography.com/news/yolanda-saldivar-selena-quintanilla-death

Elvis Presley

This may cause a bit of controversy but, The King of Rock & Roll's story is one of the saddest of all.

His early career showed him as a rambunctious young man, a comrade to many other young performers of the new Rock & Roll genre. Fans, of course, could not get enough of him. Venues often proclaimed, "Elvis has left the building!" to disburse crowds longing for more until it became part of the popular lexicon.

For 22 years - 1955 to 1977 - Elvis was managed by "Colonel" Tom Parker, a man who learned a great deal thanks to his early career working in circuses. He was a man who craved and assumed as much of the spotlight as he could wrench from Presley. Though Presley enjoyed a massive comeback, thanks to his 1968 live special, he quickly retreated to his home, Graceland where he lived as a recluse and a drug addict. His discomfort with his own success, the scars of growing up in poverty, and the controlling nature of his manager were a perfect storm for the crippling addiction that would cause his death at 42 years old.

After his death, rumors of Parker's predatory dealings with Presley were confirmed. In 1968, Parker responded to a journalist's question about taking 50% of Elvis' earnings, “That’s not true at all. He takes fifty percent of everything I earn.” Sadly, Presley's father had Parker continue on after Elvis died, allowing Parker to bilk millions more from the Presley Estate, including selling 700 of Presley's songs. The Estate was paid $4.6 million in the deal. Parker was paid $6.2 million.

Much was uncovered after Presley's death, including that his material was never registered with ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to collect royalties. This lost Presley royalty payment for 33 songs he collaborated on for the 22 years Parker managed him and the years following his death, until 1980. In 1982 RCA brought legal action to question how royalties for Presley's catalog should be paid, questioning payments to Parker in excess of 150 thousand dollars. This action was just the beginning of a long battle over the earnings of Presley's music after his health.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elvis-Presley
https://www.biography.com/musician/elvis-presley
https://www.biography.com/business-figure/colonel-tom-parker
http://preslaw.info/rca-records-v-hanks-1982

Chuck Berry
In 1955, Chuck Berry recorded Maybellene and it went on to become a Rock & Roll standard. It is a song known universally for over over 65 years. Sixty-Five years of royalties from one of the most popular songs in Rock & Roll history should have made Chuck Berry a very wealthy man. It did, but not as much as it should or that you'd expect. His label, Chess Records had given two others credit for writing Maybellene, though they were strangers to Chuck Berry. One person was Alan Freed, famed radio DJ who was given credit for coining the phrase "Rock & Roll". Freed was given writer's credits for Maybellene as a form of Payola, a bribe to play the song during his air time and promote it. The other person was Russ Fratto, an associate of Chess Records' founder, Leonard Chess. Fratto's credits were suspected as Chess' means of paying back a debt.

Berry wasn't aware of this for months after the record was released. It wouldn't be until 1986 when he would win sole rights to Maybellene's royalties. He would never recoup the 31 years of royalties paid to Freed and Fratto.

Many believed Berry to be a bitter person because of the situation of Maybellene, but Berry's experiences were vast, even at that time. What the Mabellene copyrights taught Berry was all about business. He was notorious for demanding big payments, to be paid in advance of performing (an industry standard for decades), and to usually be paid in cash (also an industry standard until the use of bank wires).
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/2000/07/02/1076141/maybellene
https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/14/arts/the-man-who-knew-it-wasn-t-only-rock-n-roll.html
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-chuck-berry-sets-the-record-straight-archive-2017-story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/10/09/chuck-berrys-rock-of-ages/cb399e53-9074-4819-b790-c34dea1ad8af/

TLC
Three young women created unique sounds, visuals, and experiences for their fans. They were one of countless artists who jumped into the first contract they were offered. That agreement locked in TLC's career, earnings, and future in the hands of their manager. Thier manager was completely empowered to make all decisions for TLC, without requiring any consultation with the artists whatsoever.

Though TLC realized they had signed a deal that was unreasonable, it was something that would stick with them for years. That manager would have rights to TLC revenues for years to come, even though they were no longer the manager's clients. This would include their seminal record, CrazySexyCool.

That album sold over 10 million records but, TLC didn't realize they were responsible for expenses, taxes, and commissions to others for that album. It's not an uncommon story, until TLC decided to file for bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy is meant as a means of freeing individuals and corporations from insurmountable debt, bebts that amount to a form of servitude. It is also a means of freeing entities from predatory contracts. It was only through filing for bankruptcy that TLC could free themselves from the entire relationship and obligation to their previous manager. TLC was able to move forward and enjoy their success, until the sudden and untimely death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez in 2002. The surviving members, Tionne "T-Boz" Wtkins and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas continue as TLC but have no intention to look for a replacement for Lisa Lopez.

https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/25/business/tlc-settles-suit-setting-aside-a-troubling-use-of-bankruptcy.html
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/tlc-t-boz-files-for-bankruptcy-266672/
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50417292
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/viacom-avoids-defamation-trial-settlement-tlc-biopic-1137552/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWVGwVVOspo