[Chapter 72: I Want It All]
After Independence Day, Orlando got busy again.
Mostly with music and investments.
As for the previous defamation by the New York Post, due to the ongoing business war between Sony and Warner, there was actually little he could do -- or rather, it wasn't worth it.
If the attack had been solely aimed at him, he would've fought back with everything he had to protect his reputation. But now, Sony was attacking Warner Music, and Warner was firing back at Sony Music. The two giants were slugging it out in the media relentlessly.
Even the average American with limited smarts could tell something was off.
So aside from the initial defamation aimed at Orlando by the New York Post, most of the follow-up stories were treated by the general public as mere gossip.
Plus, many neutral media outlets openly called it a corporate battle between two major music powerhouses.
Most ordinary Americans had switched to just watching the feud unfold for entertainment.
In this storm, whether it was a rising superstar like Orlando, or true music legends like Madonna, Michael Jackson, U2, or The Rolling Stones, they mostly only spoke out when Warner or Sony needed them to support their labels publicly.
Otherwise, they focused on their own work.
Of course, doing nothing wasn't an option either.
The day after the New York Post smear piece came out, Orlando had his loyal lawyers Kurt and Melvin step forward with proof from their recent inspection of old industrial areas in Brooklyn -- witness testimonies, land purchase contracts with the local government, and various industry cooperation agreements.
At the same time, they announced they'd pursue legal action against the New York Post for defamation to the fullest.
According to Frank and Seymour, after setting the facts straight, all that was left was to keep pressuring the New York Post. Since Orlando himself wanted to buy the paper, this was a good chance to worsen their situation.
When a settlement happened or the New York Post couldn't handle the heat, that might be Orlando's opening.
---
On the music front, following the original plan, Orlando's record label was set to release Shania's single You're Still the One on July 10.
NBC's comedy talk show The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson had just invited Orlando on, and Orlando requested to bring his new artist Shania Twain for a live performance to promote her single.
The Tonight Show agreed.
So Orlando's first media appearance after Independence Day was on July 6 on The Tonight Show.
Unlike NBC's morning program Today, which was more serious, The Tonight Show had a relaxed, lighthearted vibe aimed at nighttime viewers. It avoided heavy social and political topics, focusing on a talk show format blending comedy, celebrity interviews, and musical performances.
"Good evening, everybody! Welcome to The Tonight Show. I'm Johnny Carson," said the host with his trademark wry grin. "A lot of people know that I was a handsome guy when I was young. So handsome that my wife was afraid that other girls would sneak into our bed in the middle of the night!"
The audience laughed and hooted.
"Don't laugh, I'm serious!" Johnny squinted, adjusting his tie with mock suave.
Johnny continued, "But tonight, in front of this guy, I'm afraid to claim I'm handsome! You all know who I mean, right? Haha, you should all know!"
He raised his voice for emphasis.
"Alright, let's welcome our American heartthrob, Orlando Keller! And his girlfriend, oh no, his rumored girlfriend, no wait -- his record label's very first female artist, Shania Twain!"
As Johnny shouted "Twain," the live band kicked into a snippet of You're Still the One.
Orlando came on stage first, waved to the crowd, shook Johnny's hand, and settled into the single chair by the host's desk with a casual pose.
Shania followed in a white dress, looking sweet and vulnerable, deliberately sitting apart on a green couch.
Johnny dived into his playful humor: "Hey Orlando, what's it like crooning behind Miss Twain? I mean, you've sung backup for Shania, and you've been on after Madonna. Which do you prefer -- singing behind Shania… or just listening to Madonna from behind?"
The audience chuckled -- Carson's trademark mix of innocent setup and not-so-innocent punchline. It teased Orlando's role with Shania on You're Still the One, dropped a playful jab at Madonna, and left just enough room for the imagination to do the dirty work.
This was typical Tonight Show humor -- quick as lightning, the band director responded with a smooth, romantic saxophone riff.
A few months earlier, when Orlando was just starting out, his mind-reading ability might have struggled to keep up with this kind of banter. Originally, he didn't have the thick skin many did, especially media folks whose shamelessness was off the charts.
But after months of nonstop interviews, he had toughened up considerably.
Shania, however, seemed less in on the joke, her expression puzzled, as if genuinely wondering how Orlando's harmony with her compared to performing alongside Madonna. A pretty professional question.
Orlando relaxed, spreading one hand along the sofa's back and smiled, "Wow, great question, Johnny. I love singing backup for Shania and performing with Madonna alike. But I'm an adult now..."
He paused for effect, "I don't have to choose -- I want it all!"
This was his way of responding playfully to Johnny's double entendre.
This showed the importance of image. If he'd gone down the "wholesome American sweetheart" route, he'd have to play dumb during these interviews or act embarrassed at the innuendos.
But choosing the mysterious, "Howard Hughes of the music world" persona allowed him to embrace the rumors and play with the media.
It didn't hurt his image -- if anything, it made him more intriguing.
Johnny quickly added, "Just make sure Shania and Madonna don't come to blows! Of course, I mean Shania's You're Still the One and Madonna's new single!"
Madonna had already started hyping her upcoming single, the one Orlando wrote for her called Poker Face.
The title wasn't public yet, but Madonna, who couldn't survive without media buzz, had been promoting it as Orlando's first song written for someone else, subtly suggesting it was a milestone.
Orlando had accepted some benefits, so he had to play along when reporters raised this topic.
Johnny's words seemed to be about the clash between You're Still the One and Madonna's new single but were really another risque joke -- the audience picked up immediately and burst into laughter, applause, and whistles.
The Madonna-Orlando rumors had been brewing for two months; Orlando and Shania's for one. The audience was a bit tired of the drama.
Johnny added some more "two women fighting over one man" spice, making things suddenly more entertaining.
"Thanks for coming tonight. Unless it's your own show, people don't see you on TV that often. How does it feel being on my show?"
Johnny cracked a small joke, then got serious and sped up.
"I feel great, better than other shows," Orlando gladly humored.
"Shania, your turn!"
"Oh my God, it's like a dream. I've never met anyone in my whole life who didn't know Johnny Carson!"
The segment mainly revolved around Orlando and Johnny. Shania was more of a side note at first.
Then came a pivotal moment when Shania, accompanied by Orlando, performed You're Still the One.
After the song, the interview continued, and Johnny suddenly warmed up to her as the producer's live data showed the ratings spiked during her performance.
---
More than three hours later, the ratings and feedback for The Tonight Show and the Orlando-Shania performance were in.
Back at Orlando Records, the team was pumped.
Seymour, holding the report, said excitedly, "Johnny Carson's opening segment got a 5.9 rating -- slightly above the season average. That means Orlando, your star power is still burning bright!"
But what excited him more was the peak rating during Shania's You're Still the One -- a whopping 9.1 nationwide (about 28 million viewers), breaking this year's single-segment record. The previous record was Madonna's Vogue promo at 6.31!
Frank hadn't slept either.
The single wouldn't officially drop for four days, but today marked Shania Twain's debut.
Whether she'd become an instant hit was crucial for Orlando Records.
If she did, it would prove the label could make stars -- doubling or more their market valuation.
It'd boost Orlando's personal value too, since he wrote the songs.
Once Shania hit the big time, he wouldn't just be the genius creator and young superstar; he'd be a golden magnet in the industry.
Kind of like how in the early 2000s, everyone knew a song written by Jay-Z was a guaranteed hit.
Frank also had a ton of real-time data.
After Seymour's report, he added, "Ratings in the New York-Philadelphia-Boston triangle hit 9.2, California 7.8, and in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and other Southern states, it soared to 10.8! Clearly, country fans love this song!"
"...After Shania left the show, the 30-second commercial break still had a 6.2 rating, whereas normally it's only 3.3. This shows the audience was impressed, too. They like you! Girl, you're going to be famous!"
"That's an insane rating. Michael Jackson's moonwalk premiere was only 6.9!" Frank, who'd been MJ's former manager, excitedly shouted to Shania, who had a confused and shocked expression on her face.
"Wow... that's awesome! Looks like you're really gonna be a star." Orlando smiled and clapped first.
Seymour and Frank quickly joined in congratulating her.
"Thank you, thank you..." Shania was emotional, bowing her thanks repeatedly until Orlando gently stopped her.
"No need for that," Orlando said. "This is the song I wrote for you."
In reality, he thought, she actually wrote it -- he just created it in advance and gave it for her to sing.
But Shania didn't think so, because she really didn't have such strong creative ability at the moment.
Back when Orlando had "created" these songs, she'd watched closely.
At that moment, beyond the excitement of overnight fame, Shania's heart was full of affection toward Orlando.
The Canadian girl was daydreaming about Orlando's possible love and admiration for her.
---
Though it was late at night, when making money, no one waited until the next day -- by then, the money would have been gone!
So as the general manager of Orlando Records and Shania's manager Mary Bailey started working non-stop, it was almost 2 a.m., and calls kept pouring in.
Some even showed up at the record company late at night, hoping for a signing or booking!
"No, no, no. We're not taking any more gigs right now. We can't keep up! Just earlier, the Good Morning America team called to book her. Tomorrow? Forget about it, she's already booked through next week. When your next call comes in, it might be next month!"
Mary, surrounded by assistants holding two phones each, was swamped.
Mary started out as a country music manager, with her top artists never making more than $20,000 a month.
Now she was dealing with many big names.
"Mr. Peterson, I know you're eager, but talking to me or Shania won't help -- the song's rights belong to Mr. Keller."
Clearly, Seymour, Frank, and Mary wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
Orlando looked over at Shania, still buzzing with excitement, and said, "Let's go rest. You've got to stay sharp -- the hard promo work is just beginning."
He remembered his own early days, only sleeping three or four hours a night.
Most of the time, it was either interviews or performances, with the rest of the time spent catching sleep in the tour bus.
He shivered.
As a seasoned boss, he urged Shania to get some rest.
But his mind-reading told him she wasn't thinking about anything except him right now.
*****
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