Manager and entertainment entrepreneur Irving Azoff has reached an agreement to aquire multifaceted entertainment company TBA Entertainment, Billboard.biz has learned. Azoff declined to commment on the deal, and TBA chairman Thomas “Jock” Weaver could not be reached, but an internal TBA memo, obtained by Billboard.biz, confirms the move.
In addition to producing concerts and entertainment for fairs, festivals and corporate events, the publicly heldTBA also boasts a thriving management division that includes such acts as Brooks & Dunn, 4Him, Billy Bob Thornton, CeCe Winans, Jaci Velasquez, Papa Roach, Styx, Tesla, Type O Negative, Sandi Patty and Chonda Pierce. Azoff already manages such artists as the Eagles, Christina Aguilera, Jewel and Journey.
TBA specializes in bringing together the corporate and music communities and has produced such events as the Fruit of the Loom Country Fest and Hard Rock RockFest. Weaver was formerly president of Hard Rock International plc. TBA has offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, New York and London.
According to Weaver’s memo, also part of the deal with Azoff are former Avalon Attractions co-owner Bob Geddes and equity management firm Whitney Capital. The memo states the stategy for this initiative is to take TBA private and “place it on a platform supported by owners and executives with business experience and financial capability to create and fund incredibly dynamic growth opportunities for the company, its executives and [its] employees.”
