Music Chairs, October 31, 2013

Potts, Roberts, part with Jasmine Rae

Country music singer songwriter Jasmine Rae and her management team, Rob Potts (Rob Potts Entertainment Edge) and Kerry Roberts (The Roberts Network), have parted company, with an early release from her contract. Rae has been nominated for an ARIA for her third album If I Want To.

Desmond Child elected to ASCAP’s board of directors

Hit writer and producer Desmond Child was elected to ASCAP’s board of directors. The multi-Grammy winner replaces the late jazz composer George Duke. Child is also Chairman/CEO of the new Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.

He has co-written over 70 Top 40 songs, including Aerosmith’s Dude Looks Like a Lady, Bon Jovi’s Livin’ On a Prayer and Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca. Recently he worked with Katy Perry, Selena Gomez and Kelly Clarkson.

New owner for Hard Rock Café Australian franchise

Sydney-based Jeffrey Kevin Beaumont, a director of private equity group Tandem Capital, has taken over as new franchise owner of Hard Rock Café in Australia. He successfully bid for the franchise over two other rivals.

HRC’s previous operator Lionel Huntly ran HRC in Sydney’s Darling Harbour through Hard Rock Café Sydney and the Surfers Paradise through Goddings. Both went into liquidation, owing $4 million in June. Both the HRCs continue to operate.

Beaumont recently registered the name Hard Rock Bondi for a second Sydney outlet with plans to open in Melbourne, Perth and Darwin.

Lindsay Ellis takes over B105 shift

Lindsay Ellis of 104.7 Canberra is moving to Brisbane to take over B105’s afternoon shift after Pete Curulli leaves end of the year to return to Perth.

Cassandra Liebeknecht GM of Adelaide’s Feast

Cassandra Liebeknecht is new GM of Adelaide queer cultural festival Feast (November 9 – 24. With extensive experience in corporate marketing and sales. she developed and run Adelaide’s fashion events, including the 2012 and 2013 Adelaide Vintage Expo and Westfield Does Vintage.

Judges announced for the MAMAs 2013

Judges for MusicACT’s second MusicACT Annual Music Awards (MAMAs) have been announced. The winners are unveiled Saturday November 23 in Canberra. The judges are live venue promoter aJay, DJ Paul Fraser (Garage Pressure / Aquatic Lab), Chelsea Sinnott managing director of management company Upstairs Music, classical violinist Benedict Lea, Felix Greenlees aka Terrafractyl and Hypnagog who set up psychedelic label Kinematic Records, Geoff Bell of Laing Entertainment, musician and academic Greg Arnold, record producer Ian Pav, classical performer Jane Edwards, Kathryn Holloway and Steve Halpin of Groovin’ The Moo, progressive trance artist Richard Hinkson, aka Interpulse, Rodney Holder of Bastardfest,  EDM performers Tim Larner/ Sansient, Tony Plowman/ Tiger Style and ONELOVE Recordings’ Zach Cullen and performers Karen Jacobsen and Tyrone Noonan and Borden Management’s Julia Wilson.

New mornings at Wave FM

Ilana Pender-Rose takes over as morning announcer at Wave FM on November 4. She was traffic reporter for ATN, covering MIX FM Sydney and Darwin, and was casual announcer at MIX FM Canberra.

Change at the top at OneBeat

OneBeat, the integrated media platform designed for the EDM audience, used the dance music industry conference Amsterdam Dance Event, to announce Eric Thompson as its new CEO. He will leave his job at Microsoft’s Xbox where he was key in developing the gaming device’s OneBeat live app. OneBeat co-founder Mikhail Lapushner will step down as CEO.

Richie Wright heads to Melbourne

Richie Wright leaves Hot FM WA as ACD/announcer on November 15 to pursue his announcing career in Melbourne. Mark Wiggett, SCA’s group Western Regional CD will take on the ACD role whilst Sarah Miller will fill in for his on-air shift.

Universal’s Caroline launches IRS Nashville

Universal’s label and artist services division Caroline launched IRS Nashville in US. Its president is experienced exec John Grady a past president of  the Academy Of Country Music, and a trustee of the Country Music Hall Of Fame.