Music Industry

Since it opened 10 years ago today, the Coach House has drawn hundreds of thousands of pop music lovers to a barn-like room tucked behind a tire store in the back of an office park, miles away and worlds apart from the Sunset Strip.

Alanis Morissette, a Canadian rocker whose raw-edged tales of romantic conflict touched a chord with music fans, was the big winner Wednesday in the 38th annual Grammy Awards. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter picked up four Grammys, including album of the year, during nationally televised ceremonies at the Shrine Auditorium. Her success was considered a victory for the progressive wing of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

The night's biggest winner was also the shyest. Alanis Morissette declined to address the backstage press after the show, leaving it to her producer and co-writer, Glen Ballard, to field questions for her. "She's overwhelmed," he said, explaining her absence. "But she's so pleased that what we created together has found a resonance out there. The reaction has been so positive."

Michael Greene never expected to find himself arguing that Michael Jackson shouldn't be overlooked for Grammy Award consideration. But that's exactly what happened recently, when Greene, the president and CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, convened the new committee charged with selecting the five nominees in each of the 1996 Grammys' top four categories: best album, record, song and new artist.

The man who made a music empire out of Jimi Hendrix's old clothes wants to make cyberspace safe for commercials and in the process give people a really worthwhile reason to go online.

There were only good vibes Friday night during the 10th annual Soul Train Music Awards ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium, where the big winners were TLC and soulful newcomer D'Angelo, who each took home awards in three categories. D'Angelo (whose full name is Michael D'Angelo Archer) won best new artist along with awards for his acclaimed debut album, "Brown Sugar," and the single of the same name.

Ten years ago, the government's probe of the music business seemed to have all the makings of a major scandal: sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, and seedy Mafia-laundered payola. But thanks to a bumbling series of government gaffes, the investigation turned out to be a bust--costing taxpayers more than $10 million without putting a single criminal behind bars.

Jay Vigon's pen is hardly ever at rest. "Whenever I have a free moment, I sketch. When I get in bed at night, I sketch," Vigon said. "I have a backlog of sketches, so many I don't know what to do with them all." Vigon is no Hollywood celebrity, but his work has been viewed by millions. The Studio City resident was the creative force responsible for designing the album covers of artists such as the singer formerly known as Prince, Van Halen and Stevie Wonder.

Benny Medina has seen the record business from virtually every angle. He's been a singer and a writer-producer at Motown Records as well as a senior vice president at Warner Bros. Records, where he worked with such major figures as Prince, Ray Charles and Paul Simon. After coming up with the idea for the hit TV sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in the '80s, Medina left Warner Bros.