2007 Orange Peel cancelled
Friday, August 10, 2007
Oklahoma State University’s annual Orange Peel event has been cancelled for 2007 after
the Orange Peel student staff, working with Clear Channel, was unable to 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,” Neil said.
Because of all the work they have done 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 partnered with Clear Channel in recent years
to secure talent.
“We appreciate our partnership with OSU,” said Bill Spence, Clear Channel director
of marketing. “We regret we were unable to 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
also has benefited a number of philanthropy projects including Oklahoma Special Olympics,
“Make a Wish Foundation” and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.