Ashley & Randy

WTF? Ashley Tabor, who heads up the Global Group, the U.K.'s biggest commercial radio operation, is said to be engaged in talks to finance a label/management company with ousted former AEG Live boss Randy Phillips—suggesting that Phillips’ profile isn’t nearly as besmirched in Britain as it is in the States. This rumor is sending shockwaves through the industry grapevine, as stunned onlookers try to understand how Tabor—who’s widely considered to be a savvy businessman—could possibly have been persuaded that Phillips would bring any value to this endeavor. After all, this disgraced executive has no standing or credibility in either records or management, having been fired by Usher and Lionel Richie under dubious circumstances. What’s more, Phillips has built a rep not just for bending the truth but turning it inside out. Will Tabor be the next big player destined to be Randied, as the industry has coined Phillips’ curious talent for bamboozlement? (3/7p)