Madonna Making Tracks?
It could be high noon for Madonna and Warner Music.
We hear that Madge and her Maverick Records partners are suiting up for a legal shootout in which they’ll seek to end the label’s 11-year-old partnership with Warner Bros. Records.
“It’s going to be a nuclear lawsuit,” says one source, who predicts that parent company Time Warner will be named.
Madonna’s spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, wasn’t commenting yesterday. Nor was Maverick chief operating officer Ronnie Dashev, who is a partner with Madge and Maverick co-founder Guy Oseary.
The looming litigation may stem from Madonna’s wanting to renegotiate Maverick’s joint venture deal.
Warner Music chief Roger Ames and Warner Bros. Records chief Tom Whalley have argued that the agreement is still in effect, says a source. “They didn’t choose to renegotiate now. There’s been some tension.” One source speculated Madonna may want to buy Warner Bros.’ stake in Maverick before Time Warner chief Dick Parsons can sell the Warner Music Group.
“She may think Maverick won’t be worth as much with a new owner,” says the source. “Then there’s the question of who’ll get Maverick’s artists,” who include Michelle Branch, Alanis Morissette and Meshell Ndegeocello.
A lawsuit could also make Madonna an unhappy prisoner of her contract as a Warner Bros. artist.
A Warner Music rep would say only, “We love Madonna and we love Maverick.”
Source: New York Daily news