HOLLYWOOD—What does Chris Rock and Adele have in common? Looks like they both will have hosted a sketch on “Saturday Night Live.” Adele announced on Instagram the other day, she is so excited yet at the same time terrified, to be on October 24. The Grammy-winning popstar who by the way, has lost a tremendous amount of weight to the point she is unrecognizable, will be entertaining us.
So how did she lose all that weight? She began making healthier choices. Cutting back on alcohol and following a diet and exercise routine. She quit smoking, as well. Despite negative comments when she posted last year on her birthday, she pays no mind to the haters.
Seems she has always wanted to be on the long-running NBC series. Adele has kept a low profile since her world tour ended early in 2017, but she has rumored to be in the studio making a new fourth album. On her private life, the star has been through a break-up with her husband Simon Konecki and on her 31st birthday, and she wrote that she had “changed drastically in the last few years.” She’s also the mother to 8-year-old son Angelo, whom she shares with ex-husband Simon.
The 32-year-old Londoner actually got her big break in America. Isn’t that the saying, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. Lately, I just don’t know about New York, since Broadway, Carnegie Hall and other venues are shut down till possibly 2021. Actually her big break came as a musical guest in 2008, when she appeared alongside US vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in what turned to be one of the most-watched episodes ever.
For some reason she always shows up on a show prior to an election. Back in 2015, her album, “25,” she won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. She dedicated the award to “the artist of my life” Beyonce, who was looking on lovingly in the front row. With this announcement came fan theories that new music could be on the way. We will have to wait and see, and wish her good luck on October 24.
Wonder if Adele will follow suit in the same footsteps as Beyonce? First, let’s begin with who who is Merck Mercuriadis? He used to manage artists, like Elton John and Iron Maiden before launching his latest business. Did you know that the Church of England is a co-owner of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies,” Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Justin Timberlake’s “Sexyback?” Well, the Church is one of hundreds of investors in a company called Hipgnosis, which for the past three years has been snapping up the rights to thousands of hit songs, according to published reports.
The company has spent more than $1 billion on music by Mark Ronson, Chic, Barry Manilow and Blondie. Its latest acquisition is the song catalog of LA Reid, which includes Whitney Houston’s” I’m Your Baby,” and Bobby Brown’s “Don’t Be Cruel.”
According to the founder, the music is worth more than gold or oil. The company Hipgnosis was launched on the London Stock Exchange in 2018 by Mercuriadis and Hipgnosis adviser NileRodgers of Chic. You may recall that back in 1986, Mercuriadis joined the Sanctuary Group, where he became the CEO, and managed the careers of Elton John, Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses, Destiny’s Child and Beyonce, as well as relaunching Morrissey’s career in 2004.
Kanye West has recently called him, one of the most powerful and knowledgeable people in music. The idea came to him back in 2009, around the same time Spotify launched in the UK. An estimated 88 million subscribe to streaming services in the US, more than a quarter of the population. The way it works, is that Apple, Amazon and Spotify keep 30 percent of the money for themselves and they pay 70 percent to the rights holders.
Rose’s Scoop: Mr. Mercuriadis now controls about 13,000 songs. I’m quite sure he can afford to buy Derek Jeter’s Tampa, Florida’s mansion which listed for $29 million last month by listing agent Stephen Gay, with Smith & Associates Real Estate inn Tampa.
