Live Nation filings hint at Irving Azoff TV project, Eagles dates

The Eagles, with Glenn Frey, left, and Joe Walsh, could be going on tour this year.

By Todd Martens

Jan. 1, 2013 12 AM PT

Irving Azoff, widely regarded as one of the music industry’s most powerful executives, will continue to oversee the careers of the Eagles and Christina Aguilera, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings from Live Nation Entertainment.

Azoff resigned Monday from his role as chairman of the concert promotion and management giant.

In addition to receiving multiple millions in bonuses and stocks, Azoff’s non-compete clause with Live Nation offers some hints as to what direction the veteran mogul’s career will take. One project mysteriously alluded to being in development is “a television project currently entitled ‘Marshall.’ ”

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The primary focus for Azoff, who helped engineer the merger of the nation’s largest ticketing firm, Ticketmaster, with one of the powerhouses in concert promotion, Live Nation, will be artist management. To that end, he will be allowed to take on new artist clients -- with some limitations.

Azoff Music Management will be able to work with emerging artists without any restrictions, with emerging artists defined as those with “no prior material revenues” from the music industry. In an interview with industry trade Billboard, Azoff said he was currently working with “The Voice” winner Casssadee Pope, adding that it was “too early to predict” other projects.

Azoff Music Management will, however, face conditions when it comes to taking on any artists with already established careers, defined in the filings as “permitted artists.” Azoff’s former management firm, Front Line, is under Live Nation control and continues to work with more than 250 artists.

Through the start of 2015, Azoff Music Management can link with just five additional permitted artists, with SEC filings defining the term as those artists with revenues equal or less than $5 million for the prior 12-month period. Those with revenues greater than $5 million are defined as “restricted,” and Azoff Music Management would be allowed to take on a restricted artist in 2013 and 2014 only if one of his current major artists, such as the Eagles or Aguilera, were to terminate their contracts with him.

In regards to the Eagles, the SEC filings further hint that the band will indeed be embarking on a tour sometime in 2013. The band has spoken on and off of hitting the road in honor of its 40th anniversary, and Live Nation will be granted the right of first refusal on promoting at least 75% of the band’s 2013 and 2014 tour dates, should they emerge.

The non-compete clauses allow Azoff to work in music recording and publishing, as well as engage in any visual media production not explicitly related to the music business. Music lifestyle programming, and talent competitions akin to “The Voice,” are permissible.

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