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Bernard Doherty, a spokesman for the Rolling Stones, has denied reports of the band's looming deal with Live Nation. In a brief statement on Monday, he simply said, "We are not in talks with Live Nation in connection with any record deal."

EMI hasn't responded to claims that the Stones are leaving the label like other key artists (Radiohead and Paul McCartney, for instance) have in the past year, but one source close to the situation told Reuters, "It is probably safe to assume that the band will be walking away." Considering the group's recent decision to release the Shine a Light soundtrack on Universal, an EMI split seems inevitable.

The Observer first ran a story on the Stones' rumored Live Nation deal on Sunday, citing unspecified "sources" and saying Live Nation would market the group's back catalogue—a lot that's valued at around $5.9 million a year.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
6.16.08