Shakira joins Madonna, Jay-Z and U2 at Live Nation

Hips, and checkbooks, don't lie: It looks like Live Nation, the giant concert promoter, has developed itself a multi-million-dollar fixation. The company has signed Colombian superstar Shakira to another of its long-term, wide-ranging contracts, a 10-year deal that various music industry sources are estimating to be worth $70 million to $100 million. That's a lot of laundry service.

She joins Madonna, Jay-Z and U2 in bypassing traditional record industry alliances to hook up with Live Nation, which will handle concerts, recordings, merchandising, digital and other aspects of her career, according to a statement issued by her publicist. The statement didn't say how soon the deal goes into effect.

But presumably it will be after she ties up loose ends with her current label, Epic Records, by delivering three albums she still owes: one in English, one in Spanish and a hits collection.

-- Randy Lewis

Photo: Fabian Bimmer/Associated Press

Comments

[Jesse Flom]

I wish Margarita Shamrakov was joining the tour as well