- Barry Hankerson
Barry Hankerson is an American
record producer and manager; he also founded and runsBlackground Records .Career
Hankerson was once a
television producer and a politician inDetroit ,Michigan .He managed and produced
The Winans and producedRon Milner 's play "Don't Get God Started" in1988 . An uncle ofAaliyah , he was her manager until her death; he also managedToni Braxton , until a dispute over management of her recording career, andR.Kelly , whom he introduced to Aaliyah.Fact|date=February 2008Personal life
At one time Hankerson was married to
Gladys Knight .Fact|date=February 2008Toni Braxton's lawsuit
On January 12, 2007,
Toni Braxton filed a lawsuit in the U.S District Court in Manhattan against Hankerson for $10 million, alleging "fraud, deception and double dealing," in addition to mismanaging her relationship with Arista Records. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/13/ap/entertainment/mainD8MK2I400.shtml "Toni Braxton sues her former manager"] , Larry Neumeister, AP viaCBS News .com, January 13, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2008.] According to Braxton, Hankerson placed his own personal financial interests ahead of hers by using "double-talk" to compromise the relationship between Braxton and her former recording label,Arista Records , with Hankerson allegedly telling Arista that "Braxton no longer wanted to record for Arista" and telling Braxton that "Arista was not interested in working with her anymore." Braxton also accused Hankerson of failing to send her on request copies of accounting statements, lying about deals that he made on her behalf and engaging in a vendetta against her by refusing to provide information to other managers that she sought to employ to manage her career.The suit was settled with Braxton returning a $375,000 advance to Hankerson—who would also receive a percentage of the sales of her next album—and Hankerson releasing Braxton from her contract with him. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Feb14/0,4670,BraxtonLawsuit,00.html "Braxton Settles Suit Against Ex-Manager"] , Samantha Gross,
Fox News .com, February 14, 2007.]References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
