UK booking and artist management company Cosmack Management has opened a US office, headed by agent Helene Mollison, in Orlando, FL, to better handle its growing roster of American DJs. Mollison will be working with: Angel Moraes,
Jeremy Healy, John Kelly, Kevin Saunderson, Misstress Barbara, Parks & Wilson, Rowan Blades (Breeder), and Tim Westwood.
All artists represented out of the UK office are booked and managed by Ian Handmarsh, including its latest signings Parks & Wilson and Michel De Hey.
MPA NY to Move Offices March 20-21
Monterey Peninsula Artists (New York) is moving since their current building was bought and is being converted to residential space. Joe Brauner told CelebrityAccess "The new owners made it worth our while to move,” and “we won’t have to be inconvenienced by construction, noise, etc. We're very excited to be two blocks closer to/from Penn Station!!" Both Brauner and Mario Tirado use the Long Island Railroad.
The move is scheduled for March 20-21 when the offices will be closed, and they will occupy the much larger space on March 24. The new address is 166 Fifth Avenue, 4th floor, New York, New York 10014-5909. The telephones/faxes and emails remain the same forMario Tirado, Joe Brauner, Brad Saks and Maggie Poulos.
Jamie Kelsall Joins APA From the Agency Group
Booking agent Jamie Kelsall has left the Agency Group in Los Angeles and has joined Agency for the Performing Arts. She brought Jackpot, Kinky and Mia Doi Todd to APA.
Manager Files $30M Suit Against Dru Hill
R&B quartet Dru Hill has been sued by their former manager, Kevin A. Peck, for breach of contract after the group he discovered and brought to superstar status broke its management agreement.
The man credited with discovering Baltimore's Dru Hill is suing the rhythm and blues group for $30 million in alleged lost record royalties and management fees.
Kevin Peck, a Baltimore entertainment manager, filed the breach of contract suit Thursday in Baltimore County Circuit Court, claiming his 1996 management agreement with the four original members of Dru Hill "is still in force" and he is owed millions of dollars from the band's three records, including 2002's Dru World Order.
Band spokesman Courtney Barnes said Thursday Dru Hill has no comment regarding Peck's lawsuit, which was filed the same day the group's new video, "I Love You," debuted on Black Entertainment Television.
The civil lawsuit was filed March 20 in Baltimore County Circuit Court, charging defendants Dru Hill Inc.; Larry Anthony Jr., aka Jazz; Tamir Ruffin, aka Nokio; James Green, aka Woody; and Mark A. Andrews, aka Sisqo, with two other counts including, unjust enrichment. The suit states that millions of dollars in compensation have yet to be paid to Peck for management of the group's first, second and recent third album which was released in 2002.
According to the documents filed in the case, the lost compensation includes royalties and record sales earned under his client's close guidance, as well as payment for additional managerial services and expertise over the years.
"It was Kevin Peck who cultivated, groomed and empowered these guys in Dru Hill, leading them by the hand out of the projects to the pinnacle of the R&B music business," contends Peck's attorney, Billy Murphy. "Kevin Peck built the foundations that enabled Dru Hill to attain multiple platinum albums, number-one singles, several music awards and millions of dollars in publishing royalties and sales including 'The Thong Song' released by Sisqo in late 1999."
According to Murphy, the management contract stipulates Peck be entitled to a portion of all income generated by the group — or individual members — as long as the band or any of its members had a recording contract. Murphy said Dru Hill currently has a recording contract with Def Jam. Dru Hill has previously tried to settle with Peck but according to Peck, "it was too little too late."
