I didn’t know that John Lennon collaborated with David Bowie on ‘Fame.’ Now the tone of the song makes even more sense, for everything about it conveys disillusionment and bitterness toward the industry, the machine that makes up the “business” in Show Business. There’s always a stürm und drang between the artist and the company with whom they’re signed. What Dylan, Prince and George Michael resorted to proves that point. Lennon knew from experience the strangulation and confinement of the artist’s vision brought about by the company’s aim to sell them as a commodity. (I say, the artist wants to tell; the company wants to sell.) I worked for years as the Stage Manager for a splendid venue. My interaction with well-known and internationally acclaimed musicians/singers/performers gave me a hell of an education in their lives and the nature of touring and production of the sound. Oh, I saw some things. My opinion is that fame is a trap. Listen to the lyrics and tone of G. Michael’s “Star People,” “Freedom,” and “Through.” He practically wrote the definitive book on how life was for the people chasing fame, the management of it, and the drive to extract themselves from it to maintain their integrity and artistic freedom. It’s a tough business, especially for women. Bless the artists who stand their ground and persevere, for they’re the ones who truly impact our lives with their holy water of expression.
I didn’t know that John Lennon collaborated with David Bowie on ‘Fame.’ Now the tone of the song makes even more sense, for everything about it conveys disillusionment and bitterness toward the industry, the machine that makes up the “business” in Show Business. There’s always a stürm und drang between the artist and the company with whom they’re signed. What Dylan, Prince and George Michael resorted to proves that point. Lennon knew from experience the strangulation and confinement of the artist’s vision brought about by the company’s aim to sell them as a commodity. (I say, the artist wants to tell; the company wants to sell.) I worked for years as the Stage Manager for a splendid venue. My interaction with well-known and internationally acclaimed musicians/singers/performers gave me a hell of an education in their lives and the nature of touring and production of the sound. Oh, I saw some things. My opinion is that fame is a trap. Listen to the lyrics and tone of G. Michael’s “Star People,” “Freedom,” and “Through.” He practically wrote the definitive book on how life was for the people chasing fame, the management of it, and the drive to extract themselves from it to maintain their integrity and artistic freedom. It’s a tough business, especially for women. Bless the artists who stand their ground and persevere, for they’re the ones who truly impact our lives with their holy water of expression.