In The City Panel To Tackle Celebrity Crises
October 6, 2009
Music Week
The oft-ignored question of how to try and keep artists on the straight and narrow will form the basis for one of the panels at this year’s In The City conference.
With the circumstances around Michael Jackson’s death still front-page news some three months after the event and Amy Winehouse’s every move under tabloid scrutiny, the panel is set to be a cornerstone of the conference, which takes place in Manchester between October 18-20.
Panellists will include Island Records co-president Darcus Beese, who signed Winehouse to the label, Squeeze’s Chris Difford, who is now also a musical therapist, CLM Entertainment CEO Colin Lester and addiction specialist and director of Recover Now David Gilmour.
The panel will try to address how those working with artists fulfil a duty of care and ask why stardom becomes too much for some artists. Gilmour explains that he is keen to hear what other people on the panel have to say about an issue that is all too readily swept under the carpet.
“A lot of the time people bury their heads in the sand,” he says. “I am sure at the end of the day they [the music industry] always want what is best for their artists and for the artists to be in as good a health as possible. But the music industry has a reputation that it can consume people. If you are someone with an addictive personality you can find yourself in lots of trouble.”
Also announced today (Monday) is an author panel, in which celebrated music authors such as Kill Your Friends writer John Niven and Andrew Collins will tackle the question of how to write about rock and roll.
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