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Billboard (US, www)
billboard.com
October 9, 2003

New Amos Venture To Help Artists

by Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

Tori Amos has founded the Bridge Entertainment Group, a project development company to assist artists with business details and support their creative endeavors. Amos conceived the Los Angeles-based venture following last month's abrupt resignation of Polly Anthony, president of her label, Epic Records.

"Polly was one of the main reasons why I signed with the label," Amos says in a statement. "After she left it became clear I had to pull together my own creative team that wouldn't miss a beat in the development of my various projects."

The new company, which will count Amos as its first client, will offer artists everything from temporary management to assistance with marketing and touring. The Bridge also intends to provide professional resources to artist managers and record labels.

"The music business is changing and we need to change with it," Amos adds. "When the dust settles, new paradigms that support artists must be created. What we've lost is artist development, tour development, image development and how to be a bridge in a music industry that is attempting to redefine itself, but hasn't quite achieved that yet."

Leading the Bridge will be John Witherspoon and Chelsea Laird. The former has contributed to Amos' touring and marketing support since the early 1990s and more recently joined her management team, while Laird is an assistant who contributed to the project research and multimedia elements of Amos' 2002 Epic album "Scarlet's Walk."

The Bridge is overseeing the Nov. 11 launch of her Atlantic best-of compilation CD/DVD "Tales of a Librarian." The company will also be involved with the release of the Revolution Studios/Columbia Pictures film "Mona Lisa Smile," in which Amos makes a cameo. She also contributed music to the film's soundtrack, due Nov. 25 from Epic/Sony Music Soundtrax.

Further information can be found at the Bridge Web site.

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