[Darlin']

Ain't capitalism grand....

[Chad Fairbanks]

Welcome to Indielabelville... :0)

[vikingchick]

Yer man in the news.

[TexasNative2000]

Jimmy needs to talk to Pat Green down here in Texas. Pat has sold hundreds of thousands of his self-produced albums over the past five years. 'Carry On'.......

[PoorMuttly]

Yep, here it comes. What a loss...no more coke parties at the pool for the fleets of lawyers and sycophants...helicopters, limos...what a tragic loss to us all.

I can tell you, having met some of these executives...they are sweating bullets...because they can't stop it. Typical pimps. All the money they "give" an artist to develop and record his work...the artist (one who does the actual work) has to pay back...limo rides and all. Not wanting or needing such things is their WORST nightmare.

Let freedom RING!

[supercat]

The real reason record companies fear Internet radio is that it will play stuff produced by independent artists. Why should an artist give a record company most of the money from his work for "promotional expenses" when there are people on the Internet who are more than happy to promote it for free?

[peteram]

Way to go Jimmy!!! Now maybe next you can do something about the ridulousness of Concert ticket pricing and purchasing (God, I HATE lotteries!!!).

Parrothead Pete

[ASDFGHJK]

Ain't capitalism grand....

Free enterprise is nothing short of awesome, and competition is a mighty equalizer. I wish it would come to Wall Street.

[Kermit]

Record companies have been screwing artists for years. The internet has opened new paths for new bands to get heard. The current music put out by the majors is dreck. Let's hope more people get out and get heard.

[JohnLoyRocker]

*BLEEP* Buffett.

I WAS a HUGE Buffett fan.

Bought every album, bought and read his books, etc.

Even considered a pilgrimage to Key West until I heard it had become a faggot infested sewer.

Way back when, a little bit before he developed his "cult" following, I turned all my siblings on to him. Now they all see him once a year.

But after I found out he was a big Clintoon As*Licker, and a Lincoln bedroom guest, I've quit buying any of his albums and paying money to attend his concerts (last one, front row, stage right, Philly, circa early 90's).

And just to show him how his idol, Bill Clintoon, works, if I feel the need, I "steal" his albums off the internet.

It is interesting that he's forgoing the "union" label and striking out on his own. Doing the "Republican" thing, becoming his own boss and earning his money, instead of waiting around for handouts.

I just hope he sees the light a converts.

[MelBelle]

I like reading articles like this. My husband is a singer in hard rock band, and we have our own home recording studio and he can do it all right there - sing, record, produce, master his music etc. He has his music on the internet and he has had over 15,000 downloads of his music. He's letting people listen for free, but he has had orders for his CD which is cool. His music is also Christian Hard Rock which is a wide open market right now - SO I'm hoping for a break so I can go on tour instead of the unemployement line when my network administrator job gets "offshored" to India next year.

[SamAdams76]

I always wondered when recording artists would wise up and start going this route. It's about time.

And the baseball players think they have it bad. Imagine if rookies in MLB ended up actually owing the league money after the season was over! This is how it would be if the baseball owners acted like the average record label.

[RichInOC]

I look forward to Jimmy and Bret Michaels duetting on "The Great Filling Station Holdup". (I would have suggested "Why Don't We Get Drunk (And Screw)", but people might think Bret and Jim were singing to each other.)

[lara]

I like Buffet's music, but considering the fact he supported both Gore and Hillary, I really couldn't care less what he does.

[Dan from Michigan]

Reminds me of Tom Petty's song "Quit Jammin' me!!!"

[Bella_Bru]

pingzies!

[stainlessbanner]

Hey Pirate: Looky here Jimmy's making MORE money!

I'm just waiting for Jimmy to remake Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me." (maybe he'll dedicate it to his buddy Bill Clinton)

[jpl]

Ain't capitalism grand....

It most certainly is. I'm enjoying every minute of watching these major labels slowly go the way of buggy-whip manufacturers, typewriter ribbon salesmen, and rooftop TV antenna repairmen.

[ravinson]

What's stopping acts from putting out their own records?

Nothing!