Contract Talks...
New York Post: WHITNEY SEETHES OVER MARIAH
by By RICHARD JOHNSON
with Paula Froelich and Chris Wilson
MARIAH Carey can blame Whitney Houston if she doesn't get a deal with Arista Records.
Houston, who signed with Arista last year for $100 million, "went ballistic"
yesterday when we reported on Mariah's split from Virgin Records and stated: "Look
for Carey to end up at Arista."
"Whitney had her people call the label to find out what the heck what going on,"
said one insider.
"Whitney was bleeped," our source added. "She and Mariah got into a battle
a couple of years ago and she won't stand for Mariah being on the same label. She's the
diva at Arista - not Mariah."
Houston and Carey had issues during the 1999 Academy Awards, when they were set to perform
a duet together from "The Prince of Egypt." But Houston pulled a diva act and
refused to show up to rehearse with Carey, insisting on special treatment. Houston also
raised eyebrows by shouting to host Whoopi Goldberg from her seat.
Houston isn't the first artist to whine over potential intra-label competition. Last year,
Janet Jackson threw a tantrum when she learned Carey was joining Virgin.
"Every label has its head diva. No one likes another diva coming in, usurping their
position," the music insider said.
Arista spokeswoman Laura Swanson said: "Arista Records is not signing Mariah Carey
now or any time in the future, nor are we in any discussions with [deposed Virgin biggie
and Mariah pal] Nancy Berry."
Although Swanson declined to comment further, Houston's rep, Nancy Seltzer, downplayed the
phone call to Arista.
"Someone in [Houston's] in-house company called Arista to find out if it was true
simply out of curiosity, and they said no," Seltzer said. "Miss Houston knows
nothing about this and would certainly applaud anything good for [Carey]."
Carey's rep, Cindi Berger, said: "I know there are a lot of labels calling," but
refused to comment on talks with any specific label.
But music insiders insisted Carey - who just got a $29 million kiss-off from Virgin/EMI -
was in talks with Arista, and now that the deal is apparently scuppered, they say there's
only one place for Carey to go: Warner Bros.
"The only company left is Warner Music. She won't go back to any of the labels in the
Sony stable because of [ex-husband] Tommy Mottola. EMI just let her go and right now she
sure isn't going to [Arista parent] BMG," said an Arista spy.
If so, Warner - which has no current in-house diva to vie for attention - would be lucky.
"Mariah's still got the pipes and with the right people working with her, still can
make a lot of money," a music exec said.
NEWSFILE: 24 JANUARY 2002
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