2007 Orange Peel canceled

Friday, August 10, 2007

Oklahoma State University’s annual Orange Peel event has been canceled for 2007 after the Orange Peel student staff, working with Clear Channel, could not secure the level of musical headliner it sought.

“We have done everything in our power to find artists that fit within our budget and could guarantee the level of ticket sales necessary to make Orange Peel a success,” said Josh Neil, Orange Peel 2007 executive director.

“The entire Orange Peel team has worked really hard, and we are all extremely disappointed, but we refused to stage a show that would not excite OSU students and the community. I want to thank our entire Orange Peel staff for their hard work, and we appreciate the support and efforts of Clear Channel.”

Because of all their work to date, Neil said the Orange Peel staff is exploring the possibility of a campus concert during the fall or spring semester.

“We would still like to offer our students and the Stillwater community an attractive concert,” Neil said.

Orange Peel, which started in 1996, has recently partnered with Clear Channel to secure talent.

“We appreciate our partnership with OSU,” said Bill Spence, Clear Channel marketing director. “We regret we could not sign the star talent that Orange Peel and OSU have come to expect. There is no single answer as to why.”

According to Spence, costs for the top 15 artists in each music category have steadily risen, pricing many of these artists out of the college market; a stadium venue does not meet the production demands of some artists; and in the country music category, the Ford Center was capturing most of the Oklahoma appearances.

“The Orange Peel staff, chaired by Josh Neil, did everything within their control to make Orange Peel as big as in past years,” Spence said. “They set their expectations high and were not about to settle for a show that did not live up to past success. In fact, the number of artists offered contracts was greater than in any other year of Orange Peel.”

In its 11 previous shows, Orange Peel hosted musical entertainers such as Alan Jackson, Faith Hill, Collective Soul, Blues Traveler, Goo Goo Dolls and Third Eye Blind, as well as comedians Bill Cosby, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Sinbad and David Spade. Since its inception, more than 220,000 people have attended Orange Peel. The event has also benefited several philanthropy projects, including Oklahoma Special Olympics, “Make a Wish Foundation” and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.