Over the years we have watched many performances from
artists at the national conventions of the Democrat and Republican parties on
election year. Last week America watched Mitt Romney accept the official
nomination as the Republican Party candidate for President of the United States
at the Republican National Convention. During that convention America also
watched season 7 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and Gospel/R&B singer,
BeBe Winans take the stage as performers on Romney’s big night.
In this charged political season is it smart for artists to
risk association with any political party. As a manager how would you advise
your client? The question I’m asking is, “Is this a good choice for their
careers, why, or why not?
What’s good about it?
We have to consider
the stage. Performing at the RNC is an opportunity for anyone to be seen. For
so many years these political conventions have served as a step to the rise of
new candidates for President. Including our current president. That same stage
can serve as a form of publicity for the music artists as well. Approximately
30 million people watched the final night of the RNC. Imagine that kind of
exposure for an artist. BeBe Winans who is apparently a registered Democrat,
stated that “we are all Americans before we are apart of any political party”
when asked about the possible implications of his appearance there. BeBe
performed America America free of charge. Even though he didn’t make any money
for the performance the spotlight on that stage in this politically charged environment
could turn out to be priceless.
The challenge.
The challenge for any artist could be taking on the
opportunity to perform for a convention that their fans do not approve of. Paid
or not, an appearance can imply alliance with that political party. For most a
performance at one convention may be more acceptable to the fans than the
other. However if your fan base is primarily one-sided doing business with the
opposed side could be devastating.
Check out BeBe’s interview about his performance at the RNC
Other Works Referenced
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