Billboard Bits: Hard Rock Vault, Shakira, George Clinton

5/1/2002

News on Hard Rock Vault, Shakira, George Clinton

Hard Rock Cafe International (HRCI) plans to establish a music memorabilia museum in Orlando, Fla. The Hard Rock Vault, scheduled to open its doors in November, will offer an "educational look at the evolution of music," according to a statement from the company.

"Time after time our guests have told us that they are looking for an opportunity to make a personal, physical and sometimes even spiritual connection to the music and artists of their time," HRCI president/CEO Pete Beaudrault said in the statement. "With that in mind, we have taken the 'memorabilia experience' beyond the confines of a cafe and past the velvet rope for an 'All Access' peek into the energy, originality and passion of music, artists, events and audiences that have helped define us as a culture."

The more than 17,000-square foot space, which formerly housed the Guinness World Records Experience, will feature static and interactive displays, as well as videos, costumes, instruments, images, artifacts, and a merchandise store. The company claims to own more than 64,000 music-related items valued at more than $32 million throughout its worldwide locations.

Last month, HRCI launched the syndicated radio show "Little Steven's Underground Garage," hosted by E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt.

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

Latin star Shakira said she would not have supported the teen clothing line Delia's had she known it was caught up in accusations of unfair labor practices. The Colombian singer, who models clothing for the company in its spring catalog and on posters, said she did not know Delia's made clothes in a Brooklyn factory caught in a wage dispute until it was reported last week in the New York Daily News.

"I was unaware of the dispute in Brooklyn," Shakira said in a statement. "I would never knowingly wear any clothes or support any company who produced clothing with alleged wage and labor violations."

Delia's also says it did not know of the alleged labor abuses, and no longer uses the Brooklyn factory, according to the Daily News. The paper also reported last week that a former employee of the factory, Danmar Finishing, went to the U.S. Labor Department to report that laborers there were forced to work overtime without pay.

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Musician George Clinton has sued Johnnie Cochran Jr.'s law firm, claiming fraud and malpractice over a copyright dispute. Clinton filed the lawsuit Monday in Superior Court in Los Angeles. He's seeking unspecified damages and legal fees.

The 61-year-old singer, best known for his work with Funkadelic and Parliament, hired Cochran's firm in 1997 to represent him in a legal battle with the publishing company, Bridgeport Music Inc. The company claimed ownership of Clinton's catalog of music, the lawsuit contends.

Clinton alleges that one of Cochran's employees, Donald Wilson Jr., failed to defend his interests competently. He claims Wilson did not effectively cross-examine witnesses and lied about the potential for witnesses to support his case. As a result, Clinton claims he lost the copyright to his own music.

Cochran's office referred callers to Wilson, who didn't return telephone messages left yesterday.

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