Rolling Stone Magazine Launches Historic Music Competition to Find the Next Rock & Roll Star

NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Rolling Stone announced today the launch of its first-ever "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" competition, in which 16 undiscovered acts will compete for the ultimate prize: To be the first band or artist not signed with a major label to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. The winner of the six-month competition, presented in partnership with Garnier Fructis, will also receive a recording deal with Atlantic Records.  "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" will be featured in Rolling Stone, RollingStone.com, AOLMusic.com and AtlanticRecords.com, and will include several online voting rounds, with the final two acts going head-to-head at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June. Readers' votes will determine the victor, marking the first time Rolling Stone has handed over its famed cover decision process to the public.  The winner will be announced on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and will appear on the cover of the August 18 issue, which will be on newsstands August 5.

"Since its inception, part of Rolling Stone's central mission has been discovering and featuring new music," said Jann Wenner, Founder of Rolling Stone. "This competition shines a light on the country's top unsigned bands and gives them a chance to grace the cover of the magazine that has launched the careers of some of the most well-known artists in rock history."

After listening to more than 1,200 musical acts, Rolling Stone and AOL Music editors, and Atlantic A&R executives selected the following 16 finalists:  

• Empires (Chicago, IL)
• Fictionist (Provo, UT)
• Go Periscope (Seattle, WA)
• Jamestown Revival (Austin, TX)
• Lelia Broussard (Los Angeles, CA)
• Mod Sun (Bloomington, MN)
• Muffy (Atlanta, GA)
• PK (Templeton, CA)
• Skyler Stonestreet (Los Angeles, CA)
• Tha Boogie (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)
• The Americans (New York, NY)
• The Gallery (Wilbraham, MA)
• The Romany Rye (Big Bear, CA)
• The Sheepdogs (Saskatoon, SK)
• The Steelwells (Fullerton, CA)
• Ume (Austin, TX)  

Starting today, consumers have the opportunity to be a music critic by going to RollingStone.com and rating the competing acts. The top four will move on to the next round, along with four others selected by Rolling Stone editors. These eight acts will travel to New York City in March to record two studio songs and perform for Rolling Stone and AOL Music editors, Atlantic A&R executives, and other industry professionals. Readers' votes will select the four acts to continue to the next round, in which the advancing acts will return to New York City in April to record and perform another song. The final two acts will be chosen by readers' votes and will perform at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in June. The performances will also be available to view online, and readers will be able to vote for their favorite. The winner will be revealed and will perform on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in conjunction with the debut of the August 18 issue.

Throughout the competition, Atlantic Records executives and a team of multiplatinum-selling record producers will provide guidance to the competing acts.

"It's an honor to partner with the most iconic chronicler of modern music and culture to discover and launch an important new artist," said Craig Kallman, Atlantic Records Chairman and CEO.  "The wealth of talent that emerged during the first phase of the competition was truly impressive, and they face a challenging set of hurdles ahead of them.  It's a unique and exciting way to unearth the next artist worthy of the honor of landing on the cover of Rolling Stone."

Garnier Fructis, a brand committed to celebrating self-expression and personal style, is the sponsor of "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" Garnier Fructis' stylists will work with the acts during the competition to help them discover and establish individual styles both on- and off-stage. Garnier Fructis will also be instrumental in helping the acts become cover-ready.

"Music plays a central role in how Garnier Fructis connects with consumers to celebrate personal style," said Kat Peeler, Garnier Fructis Senior Vice President of Marketing. "Partnering with Rolling Stone on this first-of-a-kind program that puts new, authentic voices front and center was a natural fit. Fructis is proud to bring great music from talented musicians to new fans across the country, and to help one of these acts become a part of rock and roll history."

The 16 finalists, comprised of artists of diverse genres, personalities and styles, will be featured in the March 3 issue of the magazine, available on newsstands February 18, and voting will open at RollingStone.com beginning today. A custom-built section of the site will include artist pages with videos, streaming music and photos. Readers will also be able to follow the competition through Rolling Stone's email alerts, Facebook page and Twitter, and regular sweepstakes will award free tickets to Bonnaroo, downloads, t-shirts and other prizes. In addition, AOL Music will supplement the online coverage with its own content.  

"We are committed to building high-quality branded content with the best partners in the business," said Jeff Bronikowski, Head of AOL Music. "AOL Music has a storied history of showcasing new artists to our highly engaged audience of music fans and we look forward to this exciting competition."  

For more information on the "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" contest, please visit RollingStone.com.

About Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone has been the leading voice of music and popular culture since its inception more than 40 years ago. The magazine features the latest in music reviews, in-depth interviews, hard-hitting political commentary and award-winning investigative journalism. Rolling Stone provides all the news that fits to 13 million readers every two weeks.

About Garnier Fructis

Garnier believes in beauty through nature. Scientifically developed with selected natural ingredients, our products help you look healthy and feel better every day. Established in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, Garnier is the #1 beauty brand in France and a trusted leader throughout Europe, Asia, Canada and Mexico. Dedicated to providing a new vision for health with high quality beauty products, Garnier also provides a wide range of hair care, skin care and sun care products throughout the world. The Garnier family of U.S. products consists of Garnier Fructis, Garnier Fructis Style, Garnier Nutrisse, Garnier HerbaShine and Garnier Skincare. For more information, visit www.garnierusa.com.

About Atlantic Records

Atlantic Records celebrated its 60th Anniversary in 2008. Founded in New York City, the label grew from literally a one-room operation into one of the world's preeminent music companies. Atlantic has released a string of recordings that have had a profound impact on the course of modern music, its rich history including such musical icons as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane and Led Zeppelin. The Atlantic roster today includes many of the world's most popular recording artists, among them James Blunt, B.o.B, Phil Collins, Death Cab for Cutie, Missy Elliott, Flo Rida, Lupe Fiasco, Gnarls Barkley,  Kid Rock, Matchbox Twenty, Janelle Monae, Jason Mraz, Plies, Sean Paul, Rush, Shinedown, Staind, Rob Thomas, T.I., Trey Songz, Zac Brown Band and many more.

About AOL Music

AOL Inc. (NYSE:AOL) is a leading global Web services company with an extensive suite of brands and offerings and a substantial worldwide audience. AOL's business spans online content, products and services that the company offers to consumers, publishers and advertisers. AOL is focused on attracting and engaging consumers and providing valuable online advertising services on both AOL's owned and operated properties and third-party websites. In addition, AOL operates one of the largest Internet subscription access services in the United States, which serves as a valuable distribution channel for AOL's consumer offerings.

About Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

In March 2009, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon made its broadcast debut with Fallon as the third host of the NBC comedy-talk franchise. The show serves as a platform for comedy, music and A-list talent out of NBC's Rockefeller Center Studio 6B. The show continually garners attention for viral videos, audience games, and prominent guests. Fallon's choice of house-band, The Roots, has been universally praised. Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is produced by Universal Media Studios and Broadway Video. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer. Michael Shoemaker produces. Gavin Purcell co-produces.

SOURCE Rolling Stone