POP/ROCK - May 29, 1990

Live or Memorex?: Two New Jersey legislators are paying more than lip service to singers who don’t sing live during concerts. State Assemblymen Neil Cohen and Joe Mecca recently introduced a bill requiring performers to announce before concerts whether they’ll sing live or lip-sync to recorded music. The two legislators said constituents complained after shelling out $20 to $30 for tickets to concerts where the top-name singers weren’t singing. If the bill become law, penalties to concert promoters could be as high as $50,000 if they fail to inform ticket buyers whether a performer plans to use taped vocals. Billboard magazine reports that Milli Vinilli and New Kids on the Block use taped vocals for more than half their concerts.