1Colonel Tom Parker
Elvis' manager (Colonel Tom Parker) sold "I Hate Elvis" badges to make money from those who otherwise wouldn't have parted with their cash for Elvis merchandise.
2. When his childhood friend, Amy Wadge, couldn't afford to pay her mortgage, Ed Sheeran let her co-write "Thinking Out Loud," so she could get paid for it. The song has been streamed more than half a billion times on Spotify alone, and it eventually went three times platinum in the UK.
3. The Super Bowl has required national anthem vocals to be pre-recorded since 1993 when Garth Brooks declined to pre-record and then refused to sing live until a dispute over debuting a music video during the game could be settled, resulting in a delayed kickoff.
4. Before Ed Sheeran became internationally famous, he put on a free show for his small fan base. Over 1,000 fans turned up to see the show, so Sheeran ended up playing four different shows to make sure everyone saw a gig, including a gig outside on the street after the venue had closed.
5. Garth Brooks is one of the last holds out big-name musicians refusing to put his music on iTunes because he disagrees with Apple's approach to selling music. He will only make his back catalog of hits and his new music available for download on his own website.
