Idol Chit-Chat
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Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Kelly Fires Her Manager

Kelly Clarkson’s troubles continued this week as she fired her management team Monday night.

Though details are still a little sketchy, everyone agrees that the fight between Kelly and her label was the reason she fired Jeff Kwatinetz, CEO of The Firm.

A source told “Entertainment Weekly,” “He exacerbated a thermonuclear situation. Jeff did everything he could to control Kelly and her career suffered. He should have steered her in the right direction.”

E! Online reported that Kwatinetz is “taking the heat” for the lackluster radio reception for “Never Again” and so-so ticket sales for her tour. The “EW” source said, “It’s been a poor setup. Tour markets were misread and all the fighting with the label has taken attention away from the one thing that matters: her music.”

FOX News reported that last weekend, RCA learned that Kwatinetz was being listed as an executive producer on her album, which is not usual practice for managers. But a source told “US Magazine” that Kelly fired him after “they disagreed over the songs and the direction. Everyone is surprised.”

Ironically, you can read Kwatinetz defending Kelly’s music in the new issue of “Elle.” “The label didn’t even acknowledge her ASCAP awards. It’s upsetting. They don’t want her to be a songwriter. They just want her to shut up and sing. They want her to stay their little American Idol.”

So what happened here? Did Kwatinetz read the writing on the wall and try to talk Kelly into changing her CD, but she balked? I can’t believe that it’s a coincidence that this happens the week after “My December” was leaked on the Internet to a lukewarm response.

FOX News said that the CD was shaping up to be the equivalent of Lauryn Hill’s disastrous follow-up to her “Miseducation” CD. And I have to admit that what I’ve heard of it doesn’t make me disagree…

“My December” is scheduled for release June 26th…

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