Anyone who has followed Mariah Carey‘s illustrious career will be well-versed in the stormy nature of her relationship with Tommy Mottola.

The powerful music exec signed the songbird in her late teens, flexed his corporate and financial muscles to ensure she became a global megastar, and went on to marry her in 1993. At the time of their grand nuptials, the budding diva was 23 while Mottola was 20 years her senior.

Unfortunately for the duo, their marriage would crumble in 1997 amidst claims from Carey that Mottola was too controlling and that he abused her “mentally and emotionally”.

Despite this, Carey’s run-in with her ex and his new wife in 2005 suggested any issues were water under the bridge; an observation which makes the existence and timing of Mottola’s new book ‘Hitmaker’ particularly suspect.

Set to hit stores on January 15th – a day before MiMi makes her televised debut on American Idol, the memoir sees the industry supremo relay his “side” of the story.

And while freshly released excerpts suggest he won’t be throwing his former bride under the bus, he does make a number of interesting remarks.

Read on for check them out…

According to the New York Post, Mottola accepts that he may indeed have been strict, however he insists that it’s his firm

approach that would serve as the prime catalyst for Carey’s blockbuster success.

Relaying a time when the singer was keen to take a break between projects and he denied her, instead sending her back into the studio, he writes:

“My feeling was that there’d be plenty of time for Mariah to celebrate just a little ways down the road. I’m not talking 10 years, just a few.”

Mottola adds that he shut down his former wife’s dreams of following hip-trends at the time and collaborating with the artists setting them. Perhaps most interestingly though, he cites the still-selling ‘Merry Christmas’ project as an instance where his iron-hand was proven right. For, according to the thrice married Motolla, his now re-married did not want to record the classic album – arguing that he was trying to turn her into 50′s singer Connie Francis. He writes that he nearly laughed in her face, asking “does she even know who Connie Francis is”.

Other chapters of the book relay how Motolla had “great chemistry” with Mariah and how, despite being married upon their first meet, he was “flirtatious from the moment I set eyes on her”.

Summing up his heavy handed approach and MiMi’s comments on it since their split, the 63 year old writes: “If it seemed like I was controlling, I apologize. Was I obsessive? Yes. But that was also part of the reason for her success.”

********

As easy as it may be to demonize Mottola, examining the matter beyond the allure of Mariah’s “celebrity” raises interesting debate. For much like Joe Jackson in the life of Michael Jackson, Mr Mottola clearly played an integral role in the legendary status Mariah enjoys today. How much of a role, though, is open to interpretation. Hence, as ever…

http://thatgrapejuice.net...-grateful/

And here's the seat you can take, Tommy.

So they're both a notch on the music history bed post....big deal

HAPPYPERSON said:

Anyone who has followed Mariah Carey‘s illustrious career will be well-versed in the stormy nature of her relationship with Tommy Mottola.

The powerful music exec signed the songbird in her late teens, flexed his corporate and financial muscles to ensure she became a global megastar, and went on to marry her in 1993. At the time of their grand nuptials, the budding diva was 23 while Mottola was 20 years her senior.

Unfortunately for the duo, their marriage would crumble in 1997 amidst claims from Carey that Mottola was too controlling and that he abused her “mentally and emotionally”.

Despite this, Carey’s run-in with her ex and his new wife in 2005 suggested any issues were water under the bridge; an observation which makes the existence and timing of Mottola’s new book ‘Hitmaker’ particularly suspect.

Set to hit stores on January 15th – a day before MiMi makes her televised debut on American Idol, the memoir sees the industry supremo relay his “side” of the story.

And while freshly released excerpts suggest he won’t be throwing his former bride under the bus, he does make a number of interesting remarks.

Read on for check them out…

According to the New York Post, Mottola accepts that he may indeed have been strict, however he insists that it’s his firm

approach that would serve as the prime catalyst for Carey’s blockbuster success.

Relaying a time when the singer was keen to take a break between projects and he denied her, instead sending her back into the studio, he writes:

“My feeling was that there’d be plenty of time for Mariah to celebrate just a little ways down the road. I’m not talking 10 years, just a few.”

Mottola adds that he shut down his former wife’s dreams of following hip-trends at the time and collaborating with the artists setting them. Perhaps most interestingly though, he cites the still-selling ‘Merry Christmas’ project as an instance where his iron-hand was proven right. For, according to the thrice married Motolla, his now re-married did not want to record the classic album – arguing that he was trying to turn her into 50′s singer Connie Francis. He writes that he nearly laughed in her face, asking “does she even know who Connie Francis is”.

Other chapters of the book relay how Motolla had “great chemistry” with Mariah and how, despite being married upon their first meet, he was “flirtatious from the moment I set eyes on her”.

Summing up his heavy handed approach and MiMi’s comments on it since their split, the 63 year old writes: “If it seemed like I was controlling, I apologize. Was I obsessive? Yes. But that was also part of the reason for her success.”

********

As easy as it may be to demonize Mottola, examining the matter beyond the allure of Mariah’s “celebrity” raises interesting debate. For much like Joe Jackson in the life of Michael Jackson, Mr Mottola clearly played an integral role in the legendary status Mariah enjoys today. How much of a role, though, is open to interpretation. Hence, as ever…

http://thatgrapejuice.net...-grateful/

Well lets be honest hear, HE did make her a star, yeah she had the talent, but out the box she was everywhere, it wasnt like Billy Joel or u2 or Prince, where they had about 5 albums to catch fire, she caught on fire before the CD was even out. Yes he was strict and i dont know how that was behind their doors, nor do i want to know, its easy to say he was this or that as she was breaking free, but where was the talk where you were selling 10 million an album and getting more response than really anyone deserves. I love Mariah but she lost me musically awhile ago, her albums all seem to blend into one another without an form of identity, and you can take an album of hers that sold 10+ million like a "Daydream" and its never even on ONE Greatest albums of all time list of anyone, and YES i know thats when she was with Tommy, but again Identity is her issue, she doesnt have it and to me has never really carved her place in music. Years ago there was all this talk about #1's and breaking the Beatles record but honestly now even if she does, its not even relevant cause of the time it took, it took them 7 years to have 20 and she is now in her 23rd year of creating music, and most of her number ones are not even memorable songs. NOW to me this is her crossroads album, where are you going with it, is it going to be the same painting by numbers albums you have been doing the last 15 years? or is it time to become an artist that is looking for an identity?

She should be. Or else she'd be a Lisa Stansfield.

well, 'Tommy Mottola is "very very very devilish"

you know, the relationship of Mariah and Tommy were like mutually beneficial cooperation.
there are no victims and tyrants.

He was pimp like Gordy!! I just saw "Talk To Me," Excellent Movie!!

[Edited 1/6/13 16:16pm]

Well duh Tommy...

rdhull said:

She should be. Or else she'd be a Lisa Stansfield.

Ms. Carey did a couple of interviews, one with Essence for which I read. From what I gathered from that article , this was your typical older guy who married a very young women who then tried keep her locked up in the house, unless she was recording. The story sounds the same, they names change.

ms trina, what's up with older men acting like that?

scriptgirl said:

ms trina, what's up with older men acting like that?

I'll org you.

If Tommy hadn't managed her, someone else would have.

I prefer her music while she was married to him.

lastdecember said:

"He writes that he nearly laughed in her face, asking “does she even know who Connie Francis is”."

Charming guy

Should Mariah also be grateful that Tommy also had to screw over Brenda K. Starr in the process?

And while we're thinking about it, should Mariah also be grateful for Tommy's failed attempt to pass her as "less ethnic-looking", which was also damn nearly THE SAME marketing idea that Clive Davis tried to use on Whitney Houston's debut album years earlier?

[Edited 1/6/13 23:03pm]

Mariah used to be so beautiful and far more intriguing then she is now.

What was the deal with Brenda K Starr and where is she now?

Read the original article. He never said Mariah should be "grateful" for him. And for that, Mariah DID publicly acknowledge and thank Tommy Mottola's support many times EVEN AFTER the divorce already anyway *yawn*

And Mottola should be also be grateful as well. Other than MJ Mariah is the biggest star Sony's ever had. True he was probably behind all the major business decisions but she's a great singer & talented songwriter on her own...wasn't she very close to signing a contract with some other music label right before she met Mottola?

“If it seemed like I was controlling, I apologize. Was I obsessive? Yes. But that was also part of the reason for her success.”

Not that I didn't know this before but...yikes.

Obsessive is one thing, violent is another. MC alluded to him being violent in her song Side Effects.

I guess someone is trying to sell books now. This is about as bad as Usher making a "Confessions" album after the breakup with Rozonda. Talk about exploitation

Oh and if anyone thinks its a coincidence that he's releasing his new book the day before Mariah's debut on AI is smoking on something really strong!

[Edited 1/7/13 9:12am]

I don't know what he was like behind closed doors in their personal life but thank God he was stern with her as far as her music career was concerned. I can't even imagine the holidays without "All I Want For Christmas". Can't believe she didn't want to record that album. That just shows you how young and naive she was. If he would have let her go the Hip-Hop route right off the bat, I think she would have disappeared a long time ago.

She probably should be but she left his a$$ in the dust so it sounds like he needs to get over it

kitbradley said:

If he would have let her go the Hip-Hop route right off the bat, I think she would have disappeared a long time ago.

I find it disgusting when stars can "take on" a style of music, largely for money, without it being what's naturally coming out of them.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

She probably should be but she left his a$$ in the dust so it sounds like he needs to get over it

^ This right here.

Didn't Mariah confirm Michael Jackson's statements about Mottola being a racist? Thought I read that somewhere.

SchlomoThaHomo said:

uPtoWnNY said:

Didn't Mariah confirm Michael Jackson's statements about Mottola being a racist? Thought I read that somewhere.

MJ commented that Mariah had told him about Motolla's alleged racism and said they comforted each other over it.

Harlepolis said:

SchlomoThaHomo said:

Obsessive is one thing, violent is another. MC alluded to him being violent in her song Side Effects.

She denied that flatly when Wendy Williams asked her about the physical abuse. But there were some troubling things, like insisting she shouldn't take photos from the left side of her face because it supposedly made her "black" features look pronounced As if that wasn't obvious, Tommy. I was really disgusted with him when she disclosed that information.

I think Tommy abused her mentally and emotionally. I mean the fuck you keep your wife locked up for hours for? Tommy also told her to not reveal her history of being a product of a biracial marriage in hopes pop radio didn't play her music and tried to take out the R&B elements in her first album (Tommy insisted rock guitar should be added to "Someday" which Mariah hated). Is it any wonder her music has become less pop since she left him?

[Edited 1/7/13 14:48pm]