Joan Osborne's Womanly Hips Records Signs with Compendia Music Group; First Release to be Joan Osborne's Soulful New Solo Album, ``Womanly Hips''.

Entertainment Editors & Music Writers

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--April 16, 2002

Artist Joan Osborne, whose critically acclaimed albums have sold millions, garnered multiple Grammy nominations and inspired legions of loyal fans, has signed an exclusive world-wide deal for her Womanly Hips Records label with independent record company Compendia Music Group. Michael Olsen, COO of Compendia, made the announcement today.

In keeping with the motto "all good things come from Womanly Hips," Osborne said that her Womanly Hips label is "designed to be a home for artists who create eclectic, inventive music - music that might not have an outlet anyplace else. Womanly Hips is a label for music that needs to be heard."

The first release under the Womanly Hips/Compendia banner will be a new Joan Osborne project. The album, which will share the name of her record label, WOMANLY HIPS, will be a soulful collection of classic songs. "In the midst of these disturbing times I really wanted to put out an album of joyful music," said Osborne. "I'm drawn to the soul songs on WOMANLY HIPS because they embody a particular optimism and spirituality about American culture, and in this moment I think it is important to celebrate that about ourselves."

Osborne will begin recording WOMANLY HIPS this month with producer John Leventhal, whose many credits include producing and co-writing Shawn Colvin's hit "Sunny Came Home," which won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1998 Grammy Awards.

The first single from WOMANLY HIPS will go to radio in mid-June; the album is currently scheduled for release on August 27 and will be distributed through Compendia Distribution. A "Womanly Hips" music and arts festival is being planned for early September; corporate partners, dates and details about the Festival will be announced in May.

"We're thrilled to be working with Joan Osborne; she is the perfect representation of the direction and focus of Compendia Music," said Walt Wilson, general manager/vice president of the Compendia label. "Expect more projects of this quality and depth from Compendia - we're just warming up."

Adds Michael Olsen: "The concept of the WOMANLY HIPS album is brilliant - an acclaimed artist, top-notch producer, classic music and amazing musicians . . . it's the kind of project that every label wants to be associated with. As I've said before, artists who create music with integrity and passion have a home at Compendia -- we welcome Joan to the family."

Springing from the NYC club scene that produced the likes of Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors and Chris Whitley, the Anchorage, Kentucky-born Osborne recorded two well-received independent albums before achieving international fame with the huge success of "One of Us," a breakaway single from her 1995 major label debut, RELISH. This triple-platinum selling release earned seven Grammy nominations and established Osborne as one of the top female vocalists in rock. The brilliant RIGHTEOUS LOVE, her 2001 release, further established Osborne as an artist with a distinctive voice and a complex, focused vision. She has performed for the Dalai Lama, sung duets with such artists as Luciano Pavarotti, Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan, and has had her music featured in many movies and television programs. Osborne makes her film debut this fall in the feature documentary "Standing in the Shadows of Motown." She is also active as a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

In addition to the "Womanly Hips" festival in the fall, Osborne will also be touring throughout the summer; dates and details about her touring schedule will be released in the following weeks.

About Compendia Music Group

Compendia Music Group, a division of Compendia Media Group, is an independent record company structured as three "parent" labels -- Compendia, Light Records and Intersound Music - in addition to a distribution arm, Compendia Distribution Group. These labels, each with a separate staff and musical focus, produce and distribute a wide variety of music, including rock, Americana artists, country, R&B, Christian, gospel, inspirational and classical.