Management: The Truth about a corrupt business.

I wrote "corrupt business" in the title of this section, only because I was told, emphatically, that the music business is corrupt by someone who should know. A Very Bigtime Manager who I was co-managing an artist with, told me so at our first business dinner.

His exact words. spoken very calmly, were "you know, this is a corrupt business." Pretty straight forward

As a manager I had a perfect window on what goes on behind the scenes, when the musicians aren't around. And a lot of it shocked me.

I think The Very Bigtime Manager that because he sensed I was wet behind the ears and naive, and he was exactly right. Not that I had any illusions that being a manager was going to be a walk in the park, or that a lot of lies wouldn't be told, but that I still felt being an "artist-friendly" and ethical approach would be a workable business model. .

Silly me.

In this section I'll relate some of the nastiest comments, dirtiest practices and yes, corrupt business stuff that I came across in my short tenure as a music manager. Things you should know if/when you're dealing with big corporations. No names will be named, or shamed. Unless you can figure them out. At which time I'll deny everything.

G.