Tom Petty Gets Royalties from Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” Because It Sounds Like “I Won’t Back Down”
By now you’ve probably noticed that Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” sounds like Tom Petty’s 1989 classic “I Won’t Back Down” . . . which was written by Petty and Jeff Lynne of ELO fame. Well, Petty’s lawyers contacted Sam Smith’s camp, and they immediately agreed to give Petty and Lynne a 25% songwriting credit . . . or, 12.5% each. Which means they also get a cut of the royalties. While they didn’t put up a fight, Smith’s rep says the similarity is a total coincidence, and that Smith and the other writers of “Stay With Me” were, quote, “not previously familiar” with “I Won’t Back Down” . . . which seems like a stretch. Either way, they realized the songs were very similar, so they made a deal. Get the full story here.
http://youtu.be/qkcZV97O3pw
Emma Watson Will Play Belle in a Live-Action Version of “Beauty and the Beast”
“Harry Potter” alum Emma Watson will play Belle in a live-action version of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”. Emma posted the news on Facebook yesterday: “I’m finally able to tell you that I will be playing Belle in Disney’s new live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast’! “It was such a big part of my growing up, it almost feels surreal that I’ll get to dance to ‘Be Our Guest’ and sing ‘Something There’. “My six year old self is on the ceiling, heart bursting. Time to start some singing lessons. I can’t wait for you to see it.” The movie is being directed by Bill Condon who did “Dreamgirls” and the last two “Twilight” movies. Disney’s animated “Beauty and the Beast” came out in 1991. It earned $375 million worldwide and became the first animated film to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture. Get the full story here.
Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric Poke Fun at Their Internet Ignorance in a Super Bowl Ad for BMW
By now, you’ve probably seen the now-infamous clip of Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel struggling to explain “The Internet” on a 1994 episode of the “Today” show. That’s the one where Bryant incredulously asks, quote, “What do you mean what, do you ‘write’ to it, like mail?” And then they ask a producer named “Allison” to help explain it to them. Well, Katie and Bryant reunited to poke fun at that in a Super Bowl ad for BMW. They’re shown in a new all-electric BMW together, struggling to understand the technology. Bryant asks, quote, “And it’s built using wind, like from a windmill?” Then, Katie calls “Allison” on her cellphone, and asks her to help explain the car to them. Get the full story here.
http://youtu.be/U1jwWwJ-Mxc
Chris Brown Postpones Tour After Judge Denies His Travel Request
Chris Brown is being forced to postpone his Between the Sheets tour with Kendrick Lamar. Brown broke the news to his fans via Instagram. “The show must go on. Out of 1000 hours I only have 100 left. I will work my ass off to complete it and I will be on that stage. Once again I’m sorry for the delay. I love yall! We will let yall know the dates that are changed. It’s not cancelled. Just moved around a couple weeks.” Rescheduled dates have yet to be announced, as they are contingent upon Brown’s progress. Get the full story here.
Phillip Phillips Wants Out of His “American Idol” Contract
Phillip Phillips found out the hard way that when you get into the music business through “American Idol”, they OWN you. And he just filed a legal petition asking to have his deal with “Idol’s” 19 Entertainment voided. Among other things, Phillips says they forced him to perform free for one of the show’s sponsors, and didn’t tell him the name of his last album before it was publicly announced. His attorney calls his deal with 19, quote, “oppressive [and] fatally conflicted.” Get the full story here.
