Gladys Knight unveils jewelry line at Essence fest

Behind the Scenes

By Antracia Merrill-Moorings

Gladys’ Jewels: Grammy-winning R&B icon Gladys Knight unveiled her new jewelry line in New Orleans during the Essence Music Festival on Independence Day Weekend. “I am so grateful for this opportunity to continue to express my love to my fans. My jewelry is an extension of my music, which is an extension of my heart and soul,” said Knight. “To have this opportunity to employ workers in Ghana and create jewelry that is environmentally friendly, while at the same time affordable, is a dream come true!” The singer, who was also one of the headliners at the Essence Music Festival, has partnered with the LaRoda Group and Robert Rose Jewelry on the bauble line, which is a collection of earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Many of the pieces are crafted from recycled materials and include handcrafted beads produced by West African artisans and cooperatives, as well as semiprecious elements.

Rich In Death: At the time of his death last June, Michael Jackson was reportedly deeply in debt and had agreed to sign on for an unprecedented 50-date run at the O2 arena in London, as a means of turning his financial fortunes around. But, thanks to a flurry of merchandising deals and a flood of nostalgia-fueled music sales, his estate has generated nearly $1 billion in the past year, Billboard reports via Reuters. Billboard broke down the source of that windfall, determining that nearly half of it came from the robust music sales following the singer’s shock death on June 25, 2009. Jackson has sold nine million albums in the U.S. and 24 million around the globe since his death, along with around 800,000 copies of albums by the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons. Assuming a worldwide retail sales price of $11.62 per unit, the magazine estimated that the Jackson catalog brought in about $383 million in sales. Add in 12.9 million track downloads in the U.S. over the past year, along with 26.5 million in international downloads, and you have another $34 million. Then there’s about 1.5 million in ringtone sales in America, another three million globally for another $5 million, as well as $2 million from digital performance royalties from music subscription services and $4.5 million from global digital performances for a music total of $429 million. The second biggest source of revenue was TV and movie projects, led by the “Michael Jackson: This Is It” documentary about the singer’s final rehearsals for his planned London shows. Sony Pictures paid $60 million for the rights to the film, which earned $72 million at the box office to become the highest-grossing concert film ever. It earned an additional $188 million overseas.

Money & Music: Rapper Jay Z has decided to come out with his own line of headphones. Lady Gaga‘s rhinestoned version ain’t got nothing on these babies. In a partership between Roc Nation and Skullcandy, Jay-Z is releasing his own line of headphones, telling US Magazine: “Our passion is creating amazing music. We’re dedicated to delivering the best in live performances and now with the Roc Nation/ Skullcandy partnership, we’re offering the best way for people to experience the soundtrack of their lives.” These joints are pretty fly and come in black, copper and white. Might have to scoop up a pair or two myself.

Briefly, Tia and Tamera Mowry are back at it again. The duo will return to the screen in “Double Wedding,” a Lifetime movie that serves as the sisters’ producing debut. The romantic comedy centers around two polar-opposite sisters who—unbeknownst to the other—begin dating the same man.… Anderson Anthony has just signed on to be in Wes Craven’s “Scream 4.”

This is part of the July 7, 2010 online edition of Frost Illustrated.

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