Artists and their management teams don’t always see eye-to-eye on matters of creativity, which can lead to serious feuds between them, but which are the biggest musician-manager feuds the industry has seen? From fighting over royalties to family feuds, the celebrities on this list have had their fair share of drama, causing them to ultimately pull the plug on the partnerships with their managers.
It’s a common scenario for artists to start bickering with their management as soon as fame comes knocking. Why? Because managers play a tough role in the music business: keeping their client on track, polishing their image, and steering them clear of trouble. However, a controlling authority can rub free-spirited musicians the wrong way, leading to feuds and heated arguments. Surely some of the 9 most famous drummers of all time, which we covered in a previous article, also experienced tension with their representatives, but this list takes it further. The biggest musician-manager feuds resulted in public battles and lawsuits, so let’s see who pointed the finger, and who took the blame.
6. LeAnn Rimes
Firing your manager is always a difficult decision, but I imagine it must be devastating to make that decision as a teenager and when your father is involved. This was exactly the case with LeAnn Rimes, who went to court against daddy Wilbur Rimes and co-manager Lyle Walker in 2000. The country star claimed that her managers had swindled her out of $7 million over the course of a few years, by duplicating and increasing their fees. At the time, Rimes was only 17 and the betrayal struck her hard after her parents’ divorce, causing her to fire her management team.
It doesn’t get much more personal than that, but we have five more of the biggest musician-manager feuds coming up. You’ll be shocked at some of the artists involved.
5. Usher
As we saw with LeAnn Rimes, having a parent as your manager can have several cons. In Usher’s case, it seems his dating life and management team weren’t quite on the same page. Up until 2007, his mother, Jonetta Patton, managed his career flawlessly by making sure her little boy was on spot in every way. However, when ex-fiancée Tameka Foster came along, tensions grew and the R&B singer ended up firing his mom. He then rehired Jonetta a year later, but the reunion didn’t last long. With Def Jam executive Grace Miguel by his side, Usher decided it was time to swap mommy for his boo, who now represents his interests.
4. Aerosmith
Tim Collins undoubtedly had his work cut out for him with this rock-and-roll act, but he managed to keep their shenanigans in check long enough to earn them a fortune. However, it wasn’t all roses in the Aerosmith crew: fights between guitarist Joe Perry and frontman Steven Tyler were the norm, as well as drug abuse and sex scandals. But after 12 years of putting up with Collins’ controlling demeanor, that went as far as expecting years of future royalties in advance before the band signed a deal, Tyler and Co. cut all ties with the former manager. There’s still some resentment there, but for the most part they’ve gone their separate ways.
3. Christina Aguilera
This superstar struggled with her bubble-gum pop image for several years before firing the man responsible for it: Steve Kurtz. When it was time for a creative change, Christina felt smothered by her ex-manager, who had previously overloaded her schedule, resulting in the singer’s complete exhaustion. So in 2000, Aguilera took matters into her own hands, firing Kurtz and hiring Irving Azoff in his place. She also filed a lawsuit against her former manager, accusing him of inappropriate influence over her professional activities, and fraud.
2. Nicki Minaj
The hip-hop scene is in no way bereft of musician-manager feuds, as seen in this case. Nicki Minaj owes her artistic name to former manager and Dirty Money founder Big Fendi, who discovered the artist via MySpace back in 2007. However, after helping the eccentric rap diva launch her career, she decided that Debra Antney would be a better fit. The feud broke out after Nicki claimed that Big Fendi was pushing her too far in one direction, while the ex-manager blames Antney for brainwashing his client. In 2012, Nicki then fired Debra as well, and is now represented by her boyfriend Scaff Breezy.
1. Westlife
In spite of being one of the most internationally successful boy-bands of the late 90’s, Westlife went through a rollercoaster of emotions that started and ended with their former manager Louis Walsh. From choosing the band members (and kicking others out), to determining who they dated and for how long, this man had his hands in every aspect of the four men’s lives. The control issues escalated to the point where the band was afraid of what Walsh would do to them if they dared disobey him, causing them to eventually him. Up until today, the band still isn’t keen on sharing a room with Walsh.
