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When did Freddy DeMann become her manager?


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Definitely not before early 1983. Freddy was managing Michael Jackson and Billie Jean was out. Thriller album was released at the end of 1982.

https://themmagazineblog.wordpress.com/2017/04/23/freddy-demann/

Picture from Japan visit in 1985:

immagine.png.8f240324e2678fbc88a952264add33b0.png

 

He left Maverick by 1998:

https://todayinmadonnahistory.com/2017/10/15/today-in-madonna-history-october-15-1998/

madonna-guy-o-demann-candlebox-maverick.

A feud between the founders of Madonna’s Maverick Records, one of the most successful start-up labels of the decade, is threatening to undercut the label’s value if it goes up for sale next year. Sources said Maverick co-Chairman Freddy DeMann might leave the company before January with a buyout package worth more than $20 million. Representatives for Madonna, DeMann and Maverick minority owner Guy Oseary have been meeting regularly in Burbank to resolve the matter with senior brass at Time Warner’s Warner Music Group, which owns 50% of Maverick. None of the principals involved in the discussions would comment, but sources said Madonna and Oseary have wanted DeMann to leave for more than a year and have asked Warner to underwrite his exit. The disagreement is likely to undercut the trio’s bargaining power when its joint-venture deal with Warner runs out in July.

Maverick could command as much as $200 million on the open market if Warner chooses not to exercise its option to buy the company next year, sources said. The label has generated more than $750 million in revenue since 1992 selling music by such acts as Alanis Morissette, Prodigy and Candlebox. Discord among Maverick’s principals, however, has hampered the trio’s ability to attract suitors and has given Warner the upper hand in the negotiations, sources said. Indeed, one proposal on the table calls for Warner to put up the money to finance DeMann’s exit and possibly give Madonna and Oseary a higher stake in the label in exchange for a commitment from them to extend their joint venture with Warner for five to seven years, sources said.

The size of DeMann’s exit package will depend on what value the parties assign Maverick, sources said. DeMann is likely to walk away with at least $20 million to cover his 20% stake in Maverick but could be paid twice that amount before the talks conclude, sources said. DeMann is being represented in the negotiations by financier Jerry Perenchio, a longtime friend. One source said the 59-year-old DeMann is upset because he wants to sell Maverick in July and cash out, but Oseary and Madonna prefer to negotiate for a bigger stake in the company, with plans to sell in six years. Other sources, however, said DeMann is being forced out by Madonna and Oseary–who, until recently, have relied on his expertise to navigate their careers, as well as manage the record label now at the center of the dispute.

Madonna and DeMann launched Maverick in 1992 as a joint venture with Warner, which put up about $10 million to finance the partnership. Initially, the company was viewed as little more than a vanity label–a bargaining chip used by Warner to sweeten its offer during contract renegotiations with Madonna, who is signed to the company as a recording artist. DeMann had pitched the label concept to Madonna, whose career he had managed since her arrival on the pop music scene in the early 1980s. He then built the label from scratch, hired its staff and even came up with the company’s name–a combination of letters culled from Madonna, Veronica (the singer’s middle name) and Frederick (his first name).

One of DeMann’s first hires at Maverick was Oseary, a 19-year-old with virtually no experience in the music business who was a friend of DeMann’s daughter. DeMann took Oseary under his wing and gave him a job as Maverick’s artist and repertoire man, the employee responsible for discovering musical talent. Oseary delivered his first hit in 1993 with the Seattle rock act Candlebox, whose debut album sold 4 million copies. Oseary then came across a tape of Morissette, an unknown Canadian singer whose demo had been rejected by every major record company. He liked what he heard and played it for DeMann, who agreed to sign her to Maverick. The album eventually sold more than 28 million copies worldwide. Following Morissette’s success, Oseary’s profile rose dramatically. The young executive was rewarded with a minority stake in Maverick and tensions soon began to mount within the company, sources said.

In 1996, Madonna dumped DeMann as her manager and ultimately hired Q-Prime’s Cliff Bernstein and Peter Mench to represent her. A friend of Oseary’s is said to have helped facilitate the singer’s move to Q-Prime, sources said. Within a year, representatives for Madonna and Oseary began to lobby Warner for help in financing an exit package for DeMann, sources said. Warner turned the request down last October but resumed discussions with representatives for the trio a few months ago after rumors surfaced that Sony Music might be interested in acquiring Maverick or hiring Oseary and Madonna next year to start a new label, sources said.

It is unclear why Madonna, Oseary and DeMann couldn’t maintain a united front until after their Warner deal runs out in July. The dispute, however, appears to be heating up as Maverick prepares for the Nov. 3 release of Morissette’s follow-up album, one of the most widely anticipated projects of the year. During the last few weeks, executives from Warner have held meetings with Madonna’s attorney Allen Grubman, Oseary’s lawyer John Branca and DeMann’s representatives Perenchio and attorney Larry Kartiganer. While nothing has been decided, sources said the matter is expected to be resolved by the end of the year and possibly even before Morissette’s album hits the street.

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She apparently went to LA with Michael Rosenblatt in February 1983 to drum up more money for her debut album. Ain't no Big Deal had been sold and they needed around $10K for another song. Seymour couldn't give it to them and the NY WB excecs had no interest in her. So Seymour told Michael to take her to LA. While there they met with Freddy DeMann. He the apparently went to NYC and saw her perform a track date and they made it official. So definitely 1983.

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On 9/24/2019 at 4:35 PM, me1981 said:

She apparently went to LA with Michael Rosenblatt in February 1983 to drum up more money for her debut album. Ain't no Big Deal had been sold and they needed around $10K for another song. Seymour couldn't give it to them and the NY WB excecs had no interest in her. So Seymour told Michael to take her to LA. While there they met with Freddy DeMann. He the apparently went to NYC and saw her perform a track date and they made it official. So definitely 1983.

Great info, thank you so much!

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  • 1 month later...
3 hours ago, MarXus said:

I think what is even more of an important question is; "why did Freddy DeMann stop being MJ's manager when he was music giant at the time?" 

It was actually a bit of a controversy and still a mystery. DeMann/Weisner had a contract that started in 1978 that expired in Mar 1983. By the summer of 1983 DeMann was out, but no reason was given, other than MJ's camp fired them or chose not to re-sign. Billboard and some other press enquired and Joe Jackson made it seem like it had more to do with DeMann being white (he basically stated that he felt  in 1978 they needed a white man's help and that was no longer the case anymore) MJ responded to this that he was sick at Joe's comments and it had nothing to do with that as MJ stated "I don't hire color, I hire competence"

MJ never elaborated on this and DeMann only said it was more about Joe Jackson not liking him because he is white.

DeMann also did a bit of spin later and said he chose not to represent MJ as he had his hands full with Madonna. But it seems obvious he was fired. Either Joe made it happen for racial reasons or MJ did it as he felt DeMann was not competent enough.

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1 hour ago, thelioncourtheart_ said:

I never knew Maverick came from their names. Wow, mindblown!

That article (thank you btw!) explained so much about why Demann and M parted ways. Oseary then took over eventually.

Oseary was a prodigy of DeMann early on.  As early as his teens.  Madonna and Oseary have known each other since he was pretty much under Demann's wings.  Those fans who have an issue with him, will just have to get over it, because the truth is; Oseary has made Madonna a lot of money.  They have a special bond, almost like brother and sister.  She's never going to part ways from him.  Also, Oseary is more interested in Madonna touring and capitalizing on her back catalog than Madonna is.   If Oserary had his way, she'd have celebrated ROL album with a tour in the way U2 toured The Joshua Tree.  Madonna is stubborn, but I also think she values his opinions and advice, even if sometimes it doesn't always work in their favor.  Besides, it's hard to win at everything in a span of 4 decades. Most acts fizzle out. 

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13 minutes ago, MarXus said:

Oseary was a prodigy of DeMann early on.  As early as his teens.  Madonna and Oseary have known each other since he was pretty much under Demann's wings.  Those fans who have an issue with him, will just have to get over it, because the truth is; Oseary has made Madonna a lot of money.  They have a special bond, almost like brother and sister.  She's never going to part ways from him.  Also, Oseary is more interested in Madonna touring and capitalizing on her back catalog than Madonna is.   If Oserary had his way, she'd have celebrated ROL album with a tour in the way U2 toured The Joshua Tree.  Madonna is stubborn, but I also think she values his opinions and advice, even if sometimes it doesn't always work in their favor.  Besides, it's hard to win at everything in a span of 4 decades. Most acts fizzle out. 

I meant he took over for Demann after he left.........:Madonna004:

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