On the heels of a scoop that LA Reid is going to judge “X Factor” — scooped on a blog http://tinyurl.com/4qq8z8z and then appropriated elsewhere–here’s the real deal: Reid leaves Universal Music Group tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow! It’s all been in the works for weeks. And then, right after Doug Morris takes over Sony Music on July 1st, Reid will follow him there. The word is that Reid will assume a new spot right under Morris, running one or more of the labels. He will not only replace Barry Weiss, who ran the RCA/J group, but will have lots more power than that. This is an amazing story, really, since Reid left running Arista Records — part of that RCA group– a few scant years ago to run Island DefJam for Universal. He returns triumphant, and a judge as well. Maybe they’ll have to call him “Your Honor.” Reid will judge “X Factor” with Simon Cowell and two ladies who have not been named. One of them could be Paula Abdul. One of them could be Janet Jackson– remember I said this first– who has no record company affiliation and is an actress who knows the camera. In the meantime, Reid’s departure from DefJam leaves a big hole for artists like Mariah Carey, who have come to depend on him. The funniest scenario would be Mariah returning to Sony with Reid. Anything is possible.
And now it’s war between Sony Music and Universal, “X Factor” vs. “American Idol.” Bring it on!
