Dionne Warwick Named Among 20 Most Powerful in Music Busines

[BachtoBacharach]

Dionne Warwick Sharon Osbourne Taylor Swift Elvis are Among the Top 20 Most Powerful Names in the Music Business

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/10/prweb10012225.htm

[Blair N. Cummings]

Hey, BtoB, we agree on a lot, but I`m at a loss to understand the significance (or even sense) of this list.
We`ve got CEOs, entrepreneurs, and already-faded pop sensations mashed together with no indication of what they`re "powerful" to do besides make money (or remind their corporate board members of a time when they could).
Clive Davis is cited not for signing Laura Nyro, Big Brother with Janis, Blood, Sweat and Tears et. al. to Columbia but for "mentor[ing]" Barry Manilow and Aretha, the latter probably not destined to be remembered best for her Arista years.
Taylor Swift is a hot (in every sense) blonde talent now - as was Christina Aguilera a decade ago - but their real worth (or "power", if you will) lies in enriching their record companies, not music - even pop music - history.
Dionne`s "power" now exists exclusively in her ability to demand a recording contract on the basis of recordings made (and certainly abundantly sold) between forty and fifty years ago.
For sentimental reasons I suppose it`s pleasing that she`s included in this list of successful businessmen and -women but that, to me, is all it really is. If this were, say, an award by a global Chamber of Commerce, I think you`d be as perplexed and amused as I am.

[BachtoBacharach]

What's it all about? Was quite amused at this as you were Blair. This list is really about as relevant as the dying recording industry. Is ANYONE in the music biz relevant anymore in any real sense? None really shape, move or shake society anymore in any real sense either and true substantive fame is absent in the current crop. It's very telling that even in death, Elvis is about the most famous name on this "list"!! Way too many celebrities these days but no real stars.

[maestrofan]

with all due respect to Ms. Warwick and the others on this list this is unbelievable in terms of all those in the business that are not listed ,,,, would not want to waste time researching what is behind this meaningless list of the 20 most powerful in the music business ???

[BachtoBacharach]

It seems to be a ramdom list of living and dead entertainers compiled by some PR firm. The focus on Damon Elliott and his mom Dionne would lead me to believe that somehow Damon's PR firm has something to do with this. There is no relevance to this listing as far as I can tell and it's certainly not compiled by a recognized organization as far as I know. However, there is a lot of relevance to the Billboard article re: Taylor Swift/ Dionne Warwick/Madonna. Warwick was a mover and a shaker in the business back in the day and probably aside from Streisand, the most powerful and influential female vocalist in the 60s, 70s and 80s. However, that influence and power in her home base in the USA began to peter out in the early 90s with the Foundation debacle and the Psychic Friends Network. As one writer remarked about the PFN "How could so little topple so much?" Still, Warwick's PR machine is doing a great job these days building her up, especially overseas.