Zack O'Malley Greenburg's Blog, page 104

Jay-Z And Kanye's Throne Tour Will Earn Even More Overseas

see photosAFP/Getty Images

Click for full photo gallery: Hip-Hop Cash Kings 2007-2011

Blue Ivy Carter was born on January 7, and within a week, Jay-Z and Beyonce's daughter became the youngest artist ever to appear on the Billboard charts. The couple also trademarked the newborn's name for future business use.

Now that his progeny's career is off to a flying start, Jay-Z is once again turning his attention to his own bank account.

Earlier this week, Jay-Z and Kanye West announced 12 tour...

Michael Jackson And Akon Song Originally Intended For Whitney Houston

Weeks before Whitney Houston's death, Grammy-nominated songwriter Claude Kelly stopped by the Forbes headquarters in New York and shared his thoughts on mashups, Miley Cyrus, Notorious B.I.G. and the business of songwriting.

In the interview, he told a fascinating story about how a song he'd written called "Hold My Hand" ended up being one of Michael Jackson's last recordings. Kelly had penned the tune with Akon, originally creating it with Whitney Houston in mind. In the end, Akon liked the s...

Why Whitney Houston Won't Match Michael Jackson's Postmortem Earnings (Part 2)

Whitney Houston

Earlier this week, I wrote a story titled "Why Whitney Houston Won't Match Michael Jackson's Postmortem Earnings," trying to clear up some of the misconceptions about both singers' estates. I decided to pen the piece after a number of print, web and television outlets (including CBS, CNN, E!, MSNBC and Yahoo!) asked me for an explanation of the difference between the two cases.

I mostly made apples-to-apples comparisons, talking about the fact that Jackson wrote most of his...

Why Whitney Houston Won't Match Michael Jackson's Postmortem Earnings (Part 1)

Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson: King and Queen, but only one's got a full house.

There are plenty of similarities between Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson—both were vastly talented singers who passed away at or around age 50, their deaths met by a global outpouring of grief and support.

But when it comes to postmortem finances, the two superstars couldn't be more different.

Michael Jackson's estate has pulled in over half a billion dollars since his death in 2009, thanks to the flurry ...

Why Whitney Houston Won't Match Michael Jackson's Postmortem Earnings

Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson: King and Queen, but only one's got a full house.

There are plenty of similarities between Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson—both were vastly talented singers who passed away at or around age 50, their deaths met by a global outpouring of grief and support.

But when it comes to postmortem finances, the two superstars couldn't be more different.

Michael Jackson's estate has pulled in over half a billion dollars since his death in 2009, thanks to the flurry ...

Lady Antebellum Talks Touring, Grammys, Valentine's Day

Lady Antebellum at the Grammys.

Lady Antebellum nabbed a Grammy for Best Country Album on Sunday, bringing the pop-country group's total to six in the past three years. The band took home $20 million last year, fueled in part by their Grammy glory–and talked openly at the Staples Center about their awards, the tolls of touring, and their Valentine's Day plans (hint: more work). See video below.

Grammy Winners 2012: The Full List

see photosAP

Click for full photo gallery: The Top-Earning Grammy Winners of 2012

Adele stole the show at the 54th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, winning all six categories for which she was nominated. But there were 78 total categories in total, and plenty of other winners besides the British songstress. Here's the full list (for more details, including nominees for each category, visit Grammy.com).

1. Record Of The Year

Rolling In The Deep

Adele

Paul Epworth, producer; Tom Elmhirst & Mark R...

The Top-Earning Grammy Winners of 2012

see photosAP

Click for full photo gallery: The Top-Earning Grammy Winners

Adele emerged from yesterday's ceremony rich in Grammy gold—the British songstress nabbed all six of the awards for which she was nominated, giving her more wins than any other artist.

"It hasn't really sunk in," she said to a room full of reporters at the Staples Center late Sunday night, visibly giddy from her victories. "We all just keep laughing. It's incredible."

Incredible indeed, but in terms of annual earnings...

Lil Wayne Did Not Get Arrested At Grammys, Says Label Boss

Lil Wayne: A free man.

Moments before Lil Wayne's Grammy performance, rumors began to swirl online that the rap star had been arrested backstage on gun charges. When Lil Wayne hopped to the stage and delivered a verse, some speculated that the authorities were waiting offstage to cart him away.

Now it seems that the news was a false alarm, and that nothing of the sort happened tonight.

"[It's] not true, he's good," said Bryan "Birdman" Williams, chief of Cash Money Records, in an electronic...

Bon Iver Bests Nicki Minaj At Grammys, Roils Vegas

Bon Iver: Best New Artist, 2012.

Bon Iver is the 2012 winner of the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and the unlikely victory means that a great deal of money will be changing hands in Las Vegas.

The indie act was a longshot for Grammy glory, according to betting odds published earlier today. You'd have won over $180 for a $100 bet placed on a Bon Iver victory. Rapper Nicki Minaj was so heavily favored that you would have had to wager $175 to win $100 had she won.

Bon Iver wasn't the biggest ...