She went broke because like many young people who want to sing. They want the success without learning the business they are trying to break in. Her parents should have been more hands on in getting her started by hiring an entertainment lawyer.
She was spending money against her career before she started earning. Record companies don't do anything free. People in sports make this mistake too. They think the products, cars, homes, clothing from designers she don't return, makeup artist, and food that go in their mouth is part of the package. Not so. Everything is going down as as a deduction towards your first check. Then when you get your first check another thing you are responsible for and not the record company is taxes. This is where Toni burned herself too. She should have hired an accountant and investment firm with her first big check.
Being a vocalist all you want to do is sing and everything else is a bonus, but it's just not that easy in this business. So the only bad thing Pebbles and Reid did was not take the time out to take her under wing when it comes to the money side of things. However they probably could be in more control of the money by keeping their clients dumb.
What I didn't like about the movie is they just did like they did with Whitney, picked a section of the artist life that paints them in just about the business side of their career. At least I know why now she changed her image to being overtly sexy from when I liked her best, because she was determine to be sexy. She didn't understand what they were trying to tell her, when you can really sing you don't need that gimmick.
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turnera70
8 years ago
I just read LA Reid's biography and he blames her bankruptcy on not getting paid from the parent label (Arista?) that distributed for LaFace. Artist really need to be more independent and contract savy. It makes no sense that the labels keep so much of the talent's money. Entertainment laws should protect artists interests, especially minor artists, much more.
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