Tommy Lee to Choose Best Corporate Band in America

Legendary drummer Tommy Lee of rock band Mötley Crüe is one of three judges chosen to pick the best corporate rock band in the upcoming FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands presented by NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Lee will be joined by noted musician and author Jeff Carlisi and Making Music magazine editor-in-chief Antoinette Follett as judges at the ninth annual event, taking place on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

The first music competition of its kind, the battle provides amateur, company-sponsored bands with the opportunity to step out of the conference room and celebrate their passion for making music. Eight qualifying bands from across the U.S. will take the stage at the Rock Hall, with the chance to earn the title of best corporate band. The event is also generously supported by Gibson Guitar.

“I’m happy to be part of this year’s FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands,” said Lee. “An amazing amount of talent exists across the country, and for people to come together in the workplace and express themselves in a different way proves what kind of power music has in elevating morale and bringing people together.”

In addition to Lee’s role as a judge at this year’s Battle of the Bands, the Tommy Lee-fronted ensemble “Methods of Mayhem” is inviting fans to make music of their own and help record their upcoming album. Starting on October 5, isolated instrument tracks, or stems, will be posted on the Web site, http://thepublicrecord.com. Fans can download the stems and add their own musical ideas, including original recordings, song mixes, arrangements and more.

About the Judges
At the age of 17, drummer Tommy Lee teamed up to form Grammy-nominated hard rock band Mötley Crüe, releasing their debut album Too Fast for Love in November 1981. By the ‘80s, Mötley Crüe had released a string of albums, including Shout at the Devil (1983) and Theatre Of Pain (1985). However, it was Girls, Girls, Girls (1987) and 1989’s Dr. Feelgood that catapulted the band into the mainstream. After nearly two decades of success, Lee took time away from the Crüe to record a solo record and tour with his own band, Methods of Mayhem and with DJ Aero under the moniker of “Electric Mayhem.” In 2004, Lee reunited with Mötley Crüe and their 2005-2006 “Carnival of Sins” tour, which included more than 100 arena dates in the U.S. alone, was ranked by Pollstar among the top five grossing tours of 2005. Mötley Crüe has since been on the road, recently concluding their “Crüe Fest 2” tour this month. Lee is currently working on a new album with “Methods of Mayhem.” He is also a published author of The New York Times best-seller “Tommyland” and a co-star on Battleground Earth, Discovery Planet’s green environment-themed reality series.

Jeff Carlisi was one of the founding members of the rock band .38 Special and wrote or co-wrote many of their biggest hits, including "Second Chance," "Caught Up In You" and "Hold On Loosely." The band sold more than 14 million records and enjoyed worldwide popular and critical acclaim. Carlisi left the band in 1997, and is now one of the co-founders of Camp Jam, where he trains young musicians, and Camp Jam, Inc., conducting team-building workshops for corporations. Earlier this year, Carlisi released his book “Jam! Amp Your Team, Rock Your Business!,” which shares a musician’s insight into navigating the music industry.

Antoinette Follett is the managing editor of the AFM's International Musician magazine and editor-in-chief of Making Music (www.makingmusicmag.com), a lifestyle magazine for amateur musicians. To serve the growing community of musicians, Follett focuses on features and articles geared toward players from the intrepid beginner to the dedicated, experienced hobbyist—stories about amateur musicians, groups, and ensembles; learning tips and techniques; buying guides and gear reviews; book and DVD resources, and more. An expert in the field of the benefits of making music, at Bentley-Hall, Inc., where she is president, she has overseen marketing and communications projects for a number of companies in the music industry including Yamaha, Roland, and the American Federation of Musicians. Her expertise in marketing and music has led Bentley-Hall to work with the Percussion Marketing Council, the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, and RADD, the entertainment industry's voice for road safety. Follett also presents marketing seminars for the AFM and NAMM.

About the Finalists
From 34 entries, 18 amateur bands from across the country were chosen to participate in one of two semi-final regional competitions, and in the end, eight finalists were selected to vie for the top spot. The finalists of the Ninth Annual FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands include: “Aeroroot” from Frontier Natural Products (Norway, Iowa), “Manage This” from Symantec (Lindon, Utah), “Roland’s Stones” from Chevron (Pascagoula, Miss.), “The S.A.P.’s” from Johnson & Johnson (Morristown, N.J.), “Slump” from Oceanside Glasstile (Carlsbad, Calif.), “The Mighty Electric St. Jude Band” from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis, Tenn.), “Strat 5” from Healthways (Franklin, Tenn.) and “The Weasels” from The Sunflower Group (Overland, Kan.).

FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands is a partnership between NAMM (the trade association of the international music products industry), FORTUNE magazine, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The national competition celebrates the positive effects of making music, which has been shown to increase employee morale and productivity in the workplace.

For more information on the FORTUNE Battle of the Corporate Bands, please visit http://rockhall.com/fortunebattle. For more information about the proven benefits of making music, please visit http://wannaplaymusic.com.

About NAMM
The National Association of Music Merchants, commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the $17 billion global musical instruments and products industry. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of more than 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM, interested parties can visit http://namm.org or call 800.767.NAMM (6266).

About Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.
The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays, the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Museum admission is $22 for adults, $17 for seniors (65+), $13 for youth (9-12). When you become a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the world of rock and roll becomes yours to explore. Call 216.515.8425 for information on becoming a member. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK or visit www.rockhall.com.

About FORTUNE
FORTUNE is a global leader in business journalism with a worldwide circulation of more than 1 million and a readership of nearly five million, with major franchises including the FORTUNE 500 and the FORTUNE 100 “Best Companies to Work For.” FORTUNE Live Media extends the brand's mission into live settings, hosting a wide range of annual conferences, including the FORTUNE Global Forum. FORTUNE magazine’s online home is http://CNNMoney.com, the most visited and utilized business destination Web site.

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