Clark Sues Greene Over Jackson
Dick Clark’s company, Dick Clark Productions, filed a $10 million lawsuit against National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences President and CEO, Michael Greene, in federal court this week. In a press conference, Clark quoted the film Network, saying “I’m mad as hell, and I won’t take this anymore” and accused Greene of preventing stars like Michael Jackson and Britney Spears from performing at DCP’s American Music Awards.
Clark’s suit alleges that Greene has implemented a blacklist policy that prevents musicians from performing at NARAS’s flagship production, the Grammy Awards, if they sign on to perform at the AMAs. Sparking the suit is Clark’s allegation that Greene tried to bar Jackson from performing at this year’s Grammy Awards, which are set for February 27th, if he takes the stage at the January 9th AMAs. According to the suit, Jackson had agreed to perform at the AMAs in November, where he was chosen to receive the Artist of the Century Award. Though NARAS won’t confirm that Jackson is on board for the Grammys, Clark’s suit suggests that he pulled out of the AMAs in favor of the Grammy Awards.
NARAS dismissed the suit as “a last-minute publicity stunt,” in a statement, and defended its operation as “normal business practices.”