Record deals part of celebrity picture

Record deals part of celebrity picture

By Karen Thomas

USA Today

Celebrity fame is growing a new requirement: a record deal.

Record labels are eager to work with hot movie and television stars, says Craig Marks, editor of Blender magazine.

It doesn't seem to matter whether genuine musical talent factors in; the simple curiosity factor behind celebrity albums "appeals to the state of the industry right now," Marks says.

Among the latest:

-- Lindsay Lohan landed a long-term contract with Casablanca Records, thanks to Tommy Mottola, Mariah Carey's former mentor, boss and husband at Sony.

Lohan will do some songwriting with a release planned by the end of the year.

-- Paris Hilton is recording an album of original songs and covers, including Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes."

It'll be a mix of Blondie and Madonna, with some rap duets. She plans to release it on her own Heiress Label (no date yet).

-- Jai Rodriguez of the Bravo Channel hit "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is recording an album of rock and urban soul. Though not signed to a label yet, he hopes to have an album out next year.

-- Supermodel Carla Bruni's acousticpop album, "quelqu'un m'a dit" (translation: "somebody told me"), has an Oct. 12 release on V2 Records. The album already has sold 1 million copies in France.

-- Minnie Driver's contemporary folk album "Everything I've Got In My Pocket" is due Oct. 5 on Rounder Records. She penned all the songs except for a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart."

When it comes to credibility, today's crop of celebrity artists is a "mixed bag," says Marks.

Lohan has a proven track record with power pop, thanks to a movie soundtrack from her February film "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen." Driver had a record deal before she got hot as an actor.

A debut artist with built-in Hollywood fame is "a double-edged sword," says Paul Foley, general manager at Rounder Records, Driver's label.

"It provides exposure, but the music industry is very cynical, and you have to prove yourself," Foley says.

But the key to celebrity culture is to find "as many ways as you can to get in front of as many people as possible," says music consultant Tom Vickers. Stars attach themselves to movies, TV, DVDs and video games, he says: "Music is just another avenue of exposure."

And that just may drive sales.

"If just 10 percent of 'The Simple Life' audience buys Hilton's album, that's a good thing for an industry that's struggling," says Vickers.

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