Dick Clark Sues Head of Grammys

Saying he is “fed up,” television host Dick Clark filed a $10-million lawsuit Wednesday accusing Grammy chief Michael Greene of illegally preventing pop icons such as Michael Jackson and Britney Spears from appearing on Clark’s American Music Awards program.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, contends that Greene for several years has maintained a policy prohibiting artists from playing on the annual Grammy Awards telecast if they performed on the competing AMA program.

Greene informed Jackson’s management last week that the pop star could not perform on the upcoming Grammy Awards if he also played Clark’s AMA show Jan. 9, the lawsuit claims. In past years, such musicians as Sean “Puffy” Combs and Toni Braxton were barred from performing on the Grammy Awards broadcast after playing on Clark’s show, according to the complaint.

“We feel that Mr. Greene’s policy does not represent the best interests of recording artists, the recording industry, the majority of the academy’s members or obviously, music fans,” Clark said at a news conference he called Wednesday to announce the legal action. “This has been a bad situation for a long time. I have bitten my tongue for years.... I ain’t going to take this any more.”

Clark’s lawsuit is the latest move in an accelerating attack against exclusive booking policies. “Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius lodged a complaint with the Justice Department earlier this year accusing the MTV cable channel of blocking artists from its “Video Music Awards” program if they appeared on Cornelius’ competing awards show. MTV later bowed under pressure and allowed R&B; singer Alicia Keys to perform on both shows.

Many executives lament the practice of blocking acts from performing on multiple programs, saying it may reduce an artist’s total audience and potential record sales.

Few music executives are willing to challenge Greene in public, in part because he and his deputies decide which acts receive coveted performance slots on the annual Grammy telecast--worldwide exposure that could be worth millions of dollars in album sales.

The academy issued a statement Wednesday saying it “stands behind its legitimate business practices 100% and absolutely denies any wrongdoing. It clearly is the nature of the entertainment business to offer your audience something exclusive. We do nothing outside normal industry business practices.”

Clark’s lawsuit, the organization said, “appears to be nothing more than a last-minute publicity stunt, created in hopes of driving some attention to the plaintiff’s show by attacking the Grammys.”

The case is the latest in a series of legal entanglements for the Grammy chief. Earlier this month, the Grammy organization offered to pay a settlement to a former accountant who possesses documents that her attorneys said raise questions about financial mismanagement. In October, the Grammy board authorized a $650,000 payment to resolve sexual assault and battery claims leveled against Greene by another Grammy executive.

“I cannot believe [the booking practice] is endorsed by the majority of the members” of the academy, Clark said.

Asked about Greene’s other legal disputes, Clark said, “We’ve all read the same things. Someday the academy’s got to say, ‘Enough is enough.”’

The lawsuit, which seeks $10 million in damages for lost advertising and licensing revenue, accuses Greene of unfair business practices and interference with a contract.

According to the complaint, Clark had booked pop star Spears to perform on his awards show two years ago. His production company built an elaborate set and publicly announced the performance. But Spears canceled after Greene informed her that she couldn’t perform on the Grammy telecast if she first performed on Clark’s program, the lawsuit said.

Clark complained to Greene, prompting the Grammy chief to respond in writing that the situation was “out of control” and promise to terminate the policy, the lawsuit said.

But this year, another tug-of-war broke out over pop icon Michael Jackson. Clark contends that Jackson agreed three weeks ago to perform on the AMA show and receive an “Artist of the Century” award.

Last week, the lawsuit said, Jackson manager Trudi Green informed Clark’s firm that the Grammy chief had notified her that the star could not perform on both shows, and that Jackson intended to be on the Grammy program.

Greene referred calls to Jackson’s label, Epic Records. An Epic executive said she was unaware of Greene’s discussions with Jackson’s representatives.

Clark said Wednesday that the Jackson imbroglio is “the straw that broke the camel’s back” and compelled him to file the lawsuit.

“I’ve known Michael Jackson since he was a kid.... To have another party interfere in that relationship makes me very, very angry.”