Several major label artists are reportedly organizing their efforts collectively to raise money for The Recording Artists Coalition's legislative fight against the recording industry.

Some of the high profile artists coming together for the collective fund raising efforts include Weezer, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Offspring, the Eagles, The Dixie Chicks, Stevie Nicks, No Doubt, and Ozzy Osbourne along with more artists are expected to join the collective fund raising efforts shortly.

The artists will perform at five benefit concerts the night prior to the Grammy Awards in a combined effort to raise funds for the legal battle over royalty payments from the recording industry. Many artists feel that the industry simply is taking too much money and control from the artists producing the music that makes the industry exist to begin with.

The record industry of course denies that they are taking too much money from artists, but with so many artists coming together perhaps people will start to realize that a true problem may seriously exist.

Grammy chief Michael Greene is reported to have given his support of the efforts and concerns prior to the annual awards show.

"It's about time for artists to take control of their work and how it is presented to our fans" stated Dexter Holland of the band Offspring.

One thing is certain, and that is the use of technology can and will eventually free artists from this manipulative control placed upon them by the existing recording industry.

After all, if the artist can create a direct means of communicating with his or her fan base, and enables a means to make a living is doing so, what existence would the label serve to that artist then?

There are of course many reasons why artists are still giving in control to record labels by signing the dotted line and falling into contractual control, such as funding and exposure. There are also many reasons why an artist then regrets giving up this control over their own destiny and artists impressions after giving into the "traditional" music economy.

Hopefully we will start to see an evolution of this role that the labels play in the production and distribution of music from the artist to the fans in this New Year. Perhaps this collective effort of fund raising will open the eyes of other artists and start to make many question why it is they have so little control over a lot of their artistic impressions.

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