In today's CMU Daily: Russell Simmons sued over historic rape allegations; BBC Radio 2 DJ Steve Wright dies at 69; Nottingham's Chameleon venue to close as MVT renews call for ticket levy

One Liners: Spotify x Bandsintown; UTA x Kylie; Warner Chappell x Lofi Records; Sony Music Publishing opens Dubai office; Fortnite and ChatGPT legal battles end; Defected launches Afro-house label; Therapy? and Oysterband tours; new music from Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Kim Petras, RiTchie and Narcotix

Russell Simmons sued over allegations of rape 

Def Jam founder Russell Simmons has been sued by a former employee of the label who accuses the record industry executive of rape. The assault allegedly took place at his New York home in the 1990s. 

In a new lawsuit filed with the New York courts, the plaintiff - an unnamed woman listed as Jane Doe - says her career in the music industry "was disrupted and derailed by a devastating experience at the hands" of the former Def Jam boss.

Her legal filing states “while pursuing her career and passion as a music executive”, she “was sexually harassed, assaulted, sexually battered, and raped by her boss, Russell Simmons, a rich and powerful celebrity whose wealth and influence allowed his abusive behaviour to go unchallenged for decades". 

A number of lawsuits were filed last year that accused artists and music industry executives of sexual abuse or assault, and which relied on New York State’s Adult Survivors Act. 

That allowed new legal action to be filed in relation to incidents that took place sufficiently long ago that lawsuits would usually be barred by the statute of limitations. The deadline for filing lawsuits under the act was 24 Nov 2023.

This new lawsuit actually mentions the New York Survivors Act, even though it has been filed after the deadline. However, it also cites New York City's Gender Motivated Violence Act, which similarly allows the filing of new lawsuits that would normally not be possible because of the statute of limitations.

New York law firm Hach & Rose LLP explains that this act "provides a civil remedy for victims of gender-motivated violence", providing the violent act "occurred within the five boroughs of New York City". An amendment to the law in 2022 lifted the statute of limitations providing lawsuits are filed by 28 Feb 2025. So further litigation could as yet be instigated over the next year. 

Expanding on the allegations against Simmons, the new lawsuit says that, in the mid-1990s while working for Def Jam, the plaintiff was required to go to his home in Manhattan where "he typically held meetings". 

"Initially, Mr Simmons began to 'wrestle' with Ms Doe in an attempt to appear playful”, it goes on. “The situation escalated into aggression and Mr Simmons pinned Ms Doe down on a bed. Ms Doe repeatedly told Mr Simmons to get off of her, but he refused. Mr Simmons proceeded to rape her". 

Following the assault, "Ms Doe was wrought with distress. At the peak of her career success at Def Jam, making award-winning videos for their biggest artists, she experienced overwhelming anxiety, shame, humiliation and debilitating low self-esteem". 

She ultimately quit the label and the music business, subsequently moving to California and pursuing a career in the film industry. 

This is by no means the first allegation of sexual assault that has been made against Simmons. Indeed, one of the lawsuits filed under the New York Survivors Act included allegations against Simmons, even though he wasn't the defendant. The new lawsuit states, "Ms Doe’s shocking experience at the hands of Mr Simmons is unfortunately just one of many. Over 20 women have accused Mr Simmons of sexual harassment or assault". 

The plaintiff in the case is seeking "general, punitive and economic damages for loss of employment, loss of business opportunities, loss of wages, and to compensate Ms Doe for injuries suffered as a result of the unlawful conduct alleged herein". 

ATG // Senior Regional Programmer - Music & Comedy (London)

Union Chapel // Visitor Engagement Coordinator (London)

AEG Presents // Project Manager (London)

Live Music Booker // The Halls (Wolverhampton)

Music Declares Emergency // Directors' Assistant (London)

The Royal Albert Hall // Programming Manager, Hire (London)

The Royal Albert Hall // Engagement Executive (London)

SJM Concerts // PR Coordinator (Manchester)

ICE // Netsuite (ERP), Functionality/System Tester (London)

Horizon is CMU's new weekly newsletter - published each Friday - that brings you a hand-picked selection of early-stage career opportunities from across the music industry.

Whether you're looking for your first job in music or you're ready to take a step up, Horizon is here to help you find your dream job faster.

👉 Click through to see the current selection.

ONE LINERS

Kylie Minogue, Neil Young, Defected Records + more

DEALS 

Spotify has partnered with Bandsintown to include its event listings on artist profile pages within the streaming service. "Our partnership with Bandsintown reinforces our commitment to help artists connect with and monetise their fanbases”, says Jon Ostrow, Associate Director, Growth & Discovery, Live Events at Spotify. “With more concert listings and data directly sourced from artists, this integration gives artists more control to update their tour schedules on Spotify and ultimately improves the fan experience of discovering and purchasing tickets”.

UTA has signed Kylie Minogue to represent her for touring activity in North America. This follows her winning the Grammy for Best Pop Dance Recording for her song ‘Padam Padam’.

Warner Chappell France has signed a publishing administration deal with Lofi Records, the offshoot of the Lofi Girl YouTube channel, best known for its ‘lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to’ livestream. “Lofi Girl is a complete phenomenon and a world leader in this growing genre”, says Warner Chappell France MD Matthieu Tessier. “The team have built a massive global community and are developing an impressive label full of talented artists from all over the world”.

APPOINTMENTS 

Sony Music Publishing has opened a new office in Dubai, as part of its Middle East and North Africa division. It will be led by Dounia Chaaban, who says, "I look forward to working hand in hand with the incredibly talented team at Sony Music Publishing to propel the MENA music industry to new heights. Together, we will create an environment that nurtures creativity, fosters innovation, and unlocks the boundless potential of the region's musical landscape”.

LEGAL

Epic Games and choreographer Kyle Hanagami have agreed to end their ongoing copyright infringement legal battle. Hanagami accused Epic of lifting elements of a dance routine he created for the music video that accompanied the Charlie Puth song ‘How Long’ and then using them in an ‘emote’ in the Fortnite video game called It’s Complicated.

A judge in California has dismissed many elements of the copyright infringement lawsuits filed against ChatGPT owner OpenAI by writers including comedian Sarah Silverman and author Paul G Tremblay. However, the AI company wasn’t seeking dismissal of a core direct infringement claim, and the plaintiffs were given the option to submit an amended complaint. 

LABELS 

Defected Records has launched Afro-house label One People. It is headed up by Allan Nicoll, who also leads independent label Stay True Sounds and is A&R Director for Defected as a whole. “The opportunity to establish a label in collaboration with Defected has allowed for an even broader global platform and through One People, I am excited to present the rich and dynamic offerings of the genre to audiences worldwide”, he says. One People’s first release will be Alex Wann single ‘Peperuke’, featuring Nes Mburu on 23 Feb. 

GIGS & FESTIVALS

Therapy? have announced UK and Ireland tour dates later this year to mark the 30th anniversary of their 1994 album ‘Troublegum’. The shows - which will conclude with a night at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London on 16 Nov - will see them perform the album in full. 

Oysterband have announced that they will retire from touring after one last outing with singer June Tabor later this year. The run of seven dates around the UK will finish at the Barbican in London on 19 Oct. Tickets go on sale on Friday. 

RELEASES

Neil Young and Crazy Horse have announced that they will release a new album ‘FU##IN’ UP’ on 26 Apr. It will feature re-recorded versions of a selection of their songs to mark their 50th anniversary as a band. They are also due to head out on a US tour in April and May.

Pearl Jam have announced that they will release new album ‘Dark Matter’ on 19 Apr. They will also be playing shows in the UK and Ireland in June, including a performance at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 29 Jun.

Kim Petras has released surprise EP ‘Slut Pop Miami’, a companion to 2022 EP ‘Slut Pop’. 

Injury Reserve’s RiTchie has released his debut solo single, ‘RiTchie Valens’. 

The Narcotix have released new single ‘The Lovers’. Their debut album ‘Dying’ is out on 1 Mar.

Op ed: Sound City's Becky Ayres on how the music business talent pipeline is hampered by an image problem

Becky Ayres is Managing Director of Sound City, the Liverpool-based event promoter and talent development organisation. Here she considers a blockage in the music industry's executive talent pipeline caused by young people simply not being aware of the different roles in the sector, and how they might go about pursuing a music business career. The solution, she argues, is more outreach by the industry into education and especially schools.

The music business is facing a critical challenge: a blockage in its executive talent pipeline that begins at the very foundation of the education system. While a lot of attention is rightly dedicated to enriching the music business workforce by attracting a more diverse range of candidates, there is a more fundamental issue that is often overlooked - that is societal perceptions of the music business itself.

Tributes pour in as BBC radio presenter Steve Wright dies

BBC radio presenter Steve Wright has died, aged 69. In a statement yesterday, his family announced the news “with deep sorrow and profound regret”.

Jo Whiley, who hosted a tribute show on Radio 2 last night, told Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme, "He devoted his whole life to radio and all he cared about was making people happy. We were all in tears and felt very sad, I hate talking about him in the past tense”.

Speaking on his Greatest Hits Radio show yesterday, Wright’s former colleague at BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 Simon Mayo choked up as he told listeners, “He was one of the true originals of music radio. I loved his shows. I know a lot of you did as well. It was a thrill to be on the same radio stations as him. He’ll be much missed”.

Wright began his broadcasting career in 1976 on Reading local radio station Radio 210, before joining Radio Luxembourg in 1979. A year later he joined Radio 1, taking over the Saturday evening slot and beginning a more than 40 year career at the BBC.

His ‘Steve Wright In The Afternoon’ show ran from 1981 to 1993 on the station, before he moved to the breakfast show in 1994. However, that run was relatively short-lived, as he resigned in 1995 following a dispute with then Radio 1 Controller Matthew Bannister.

Following a brief stint on commercial station Talk Radio, he returned to the BBC to present a Saturday show in 1996. Three years later, ‘Steve Wright In The Afternoon’ was revived on Radio 2 and ran on weekdays until 2022. 

Up until his death, he continued to present his ‘Sunday Love Songs’ programme, which began in 1996. A pre-recorded edition of ‘Sunday Love Songs’ was aired at the weekend.

Numerous colleagues and fans paid tribute following the news of Wright’s death, including Mike Read, who co-presented a show with him on Radio 210. He told BBC Breakfast, “He worked tirelessly, he was a radio man not just somebody who turned up, did the show and went home. It was in his mind, always thinking of ideas".

Meanwhile Scott Mills, who took over Wright’s Saturday slot in 2022, said, “Steve Wright is one of our greatest ever broadcasters. He made everything sound effortless, and worked so hard to make every show world class. He was a constant inspiration to me on how to do radio that sounded big”.

“When I first started doing shows at Radio 2, he and I spent hours reminiscing about his days at Radio 1, and I would listen to his stories and wisdom in awe”, he went on. “My thoughts are with his family and my colleagues who have worked with him for so many years. Steve, you’re the best to ever do it”.

Setlist Podcast: AI developments cause celebration and concern

In this week's Setlist Podcast: Chris Cooke and Andy Malt discuss new developments on AI in the EU and UK that have given the music industry cause for both celebration and concern, and the commercial radio industry's anger as BBC Radio looks to give music fans more choice. 

🎧 Click here to listen - or search for 'Setlist Podcast' wherever you normally listen

As another grassroots venue closes, MVT renews calls for a ticket levy 

The Music Venue Trust has again called for an industry-led ticket levy scheme to support the grassroots live sector, following the announcement of the closure of Nottingham music venue The Chameleon. 

Noting that MVT has already set out how such a scheme could work, its CEO Mark Davyd adds that "there’s too many people in our industry looking in the other direction and hoping this problem will just go away". 

Management at The Chameleon revealed last November that they were facing an uncertain future because their landlord was selling the building they occupy. 

"We unfortunately still have rather considerable debts accrued during COVID hanging round our necks", they added at the time, "and business hasn’t exactly been great this year, what with the latest crisis". 

In a new statement earlier this week, they said, "Unfortunately, the time has cometh. The building has been sold (pending all the legal stuff obvs). The sale is expected to be complete within 60 days which brings us to the end of March. We’ve made the decision to call that our final date". 

"There has been small talk of sticking around", they went on, "but quite honestly, the business isn’t viable in its current location and with costs of literally everything rising constantly, we can’t justify carrying on and just amassing more debt".

It's no secret that grassroots venues have faced significant challenges ever since the COVID pandemic, with surging running costs, and the cost of living crisis making it difficult to increase ticket prices. 

A report published by MVT last month stated that grassroots music venues closed down at a rate of two per week last year. The grassroots sector at large generated revenues of £500 million in 2023, but many venues struggled to break even. The sector combined operates on a 0.5% profit margin, the report found, and that was only because of subsidy through grants and donations. 

MVT has proposed a levy on tickets for large-scale shows so that the booming top end of the live sector can subsidise the grassroots. Such a levy already exists in France. Ideally the levy would be delivered through an industry-led scheme, though MVT has said that, if one cannot be agreed, politicians should look into introducing a support levy through legislation. 

Speaking to the NME about the closure of The Chameleon, Davyd said: “The extraordinary strain being put on individual venue operators to try to keep live music alive in our communities is completely unsustainable. If we do not have an industry wide solution to get these venues the financial support they need then closures like The Chameleon are absolutely inevitable".

“There’s too many people in our industry looking in the other direction and hoping this problem will just go away", he added. "Music Venue Trust has literally put the solution right there on the table in front of everyone and everyone knows what it is. Every week we don’t get it done is another week with more venue closures in it".