Danny Goldberg's Sheridan Square Entertainment has launched a network of Web sites, ArtistEnt.com, that provide interactive artist-to-fan entertainment content. Part of the launch includes the purchase of Todd Rundgren's PatroNet, which allows fans to underwrite new works by artists.
Stuart Shapiro has been named president/CEO of the operation, reporting to Goldberg. Shapiro was executive VP of Woodstock.com and Firstlook.com. Initial artists committed to working with ArtistEnt -- which has offices in New York and L.A. -- are Sugar Ray, the J. Geils Band's Peter Wolf, and Rundgren. Sheryl Crow and jazz multi-instrumentalist Ornette Coleman are also in talks to contribute original material, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
ArtistEnt also holds U.S. digital downloading rights to material on Sheridan's label Artemis Records, whose roster includes Kurupt, Steve Earle, Kittie, Warren Zevon, Cindy Bullens, and the Spooks.
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