A powerful Canadian executive is moving to Live Nation Canada.
Melissa Babb-Clark is leaving her role as senior vice president of music and live events at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) for a leadership role at the promoter juggernaut. He will serve as chief commercial officer at Live Nation Canada, leading the company's commercial operations in the country.
Bubb-Clarke worked closely with the Live Nation team while overseeing the entertainment program at MLSE, which included high-profile concerts at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena promoted by Live Nation.
It's a full-circle moment for Bubb-Clarke, who previously worked at Live Nation as regional vice president of marketing and later as vice president of client services.
“I am so excited to join the Live Nation Canada team as Chief Commercial Officer,” says Bubb-Clarke Billboard Canada. “It's such an exciting time in the live music industry, I couldn't be more excited to have the opportunity to help grow the business further and work with the best team in the business.”
Wayne Zronickpresident of business operations at Live Nation Canada, notes that consumer demand for live entertainment and experiences is at an all-time high, requiring a leader who can optimize this growth. “Melissa brings an impressive track record and we are very pleased to welcome her back to the Live Nation Canada family,” he says.
Bubb-Clarke was on the Leaderboard as one of them Billboard CanadaThis year's Top 10 Power Players for her work at MLSE.
He also shared career wisdom as part of it Billboard Canada Women in Music's Industry Spotlight: “A career, in my experience, is not linear,” she said at the time. “I've sped up, I've paused, and I've taken steps 'back'. Sometimes it was because different parts of my life took priority and sometimes it was just the ebb and flow of opportunities. Stick with it, keep going.”
With Live Nation opening a new stadium in Toronto next year — just in time to welcome Oasis on their reunion tour — Bubb-Clarke will have plenty to keep her busy in the new role. – Rosie Long Decter
Shaboozey Ties Record For Most Weeks At No. 1 On Billboard Canadian Hot 100 With “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
Shaboozey made Billboard Canadian Hot 100 history.
On the chart for the week of Oct. 12, the Virginia singer tied the record for most weeks at No. 1. His country hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has now spent 19 weeks at No. 1, a streak that matched only by Lil Nas X and “Old Town Road.”
If Shaboozey can last another week, it will break the record, marking the first time a song has topped the chart for 20 weeks since its release in 2007.
“A Bar Song” first hit No. 1 in May and dominated throughout the summer, with brief breaks from Eminem's “Houdini” and Morgan Wallen and Post Malone's “I Had Some Help.”
Shaboozey's road to No. 1 has been building since he first gained momentum in 2018 with his track “Start a Riot,” which appears on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie soundtrack. He got a big boost earlier this year from Beyoncé, when he featured on two songs from her country opus Cowboy Carter.
That album was released on March 29th, and “A Bar Song” was released just two weeks later on April 12th, setting the time frame for Shaboozey to climb the charts on his own. “A Bar Song” hit No. 1 for the first time Bulletin boardHot Country Songs chart on May 5, following Beyoncé's “Texas Hold'Em,” and marking the first time two black musicians topped the chart back-to-back.
A Bar Song” hit No. 1 on the Canadian Hot 100 the following week, two months before reaching No. 1 on Bulletin boardThe US Hot 100 in July.
Last month, Billboard Canada presented Shaboozey with a plaque at his concert in Toronto to commemorate his chart achievement. – RLD
Three Days Grace reunites with the original singer
Popular Canadian hard rock band Three Days Grace has announced the official return of original vocalist Adam Gontier, with Matt Walst remaining as lead singer. Godier recently surprised fans during a show in Nashville.
Following the announcement of their reunion, the band have booked an upcoming tour as direct support for Disturbed at The disease 25th Anniversary Tour. The 12-date tour runs from February 25 to March 21, 2025, and includes stops at the Bell Center in Montreal and Madison Square Garden in New York.
Since 2003, Three Days Grace has scored five hits on the Billboard Hot 100, four No. 1s on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, and three No. 1s on the Alternative Airplay chart. The band averages 13 million monthly listeners on Spotify and boasts over 5 billion combined streams. – Kerry Dull
Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 Details Alleged Sexual Abuse by Former Director Greig Nori
Sum 41's Deryck Whibley has detailed abuse allegations against the former coach Greg Norrie.
Whibley's New Memoirs, Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hellincludes Whibley's descriptions of sexual coercion and verbal abuse at Nori's hands when Nori was in his 30s and Whibley was a teenager.
Nori fronted pop-punk band Treble Charger and fronted a number of up-and-coming Canadian bands in the early 2000s. He denies the allegations and has retained a defamation lawyer, The Globe & Mail exhibitions.
Whibley met Nori when he was 16 and Nori was 33. He writes that Nori first kissed him while the two were taking drugs when Whibley was 18 and that Nori would continue to pressure Whibley into sexual activity. Norrie lashed out when Wimbley resisted, Wimbley writes, claiming that Wimbley “owed” him.
Whibley describes Nori as exercising complete authority over his career. “Greg had one requirement to be our manager – he wanted total control,” he writes. “We couldn't talk to anyone but him because the music industry is 'full of snakes and liars' and he was the only person we could trust.”
Eventually, Whibley says, he disclosed the sexual pressure to his girlfriend and eventual wife, Avril Lavigne, who told him it was abuse. After a mutual friend of Nori and Whibley found out about the alleged abuse, Whibley says, the sexual pressure stopped, but Nori was still verbally abusive.
Whibley claims Nori also insisted on receiving songwriting credits for songs he didn't help compose.
Sum 41 fired Nori after releasing and touring their third full-length in 2004 Caress.
In an interview with The Toronto StarWhibley said he welcomes a legal challenge from Nori.
“If he wants to challenge it, I welcome it,” Whibley said. “Let's go to court. Let's go under oath. That would be f — the king great! I welcome this piece. Let's get into the discovery. I'll have my lawyers grill you. They can grill me all they want. I mean, that would make a perfect king! Finally, let's record it!' – RLD
