Rihanna Almost Discovered By Andrew Lloyd Webber? Why He Passed On The Singer


Rihanna could have almost been discovered by Andrew Lloyd Webber instead of Jay-Z. He is best known for his Broadway shows like The Phantom of the Opera and Cats, but he claims that he almost could have found the baddest pop star that has ever hit the U.S.

In a new interview, Webber revealed that he almost discovered Rihanna while on vacation in Barbados, but he decided not do anything about it. Webber told Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain that he recalls when he saw Rihanna “singing with a sort of karaoke band at a hotel” about 12 years ago. He and friend Nigel Wright thought about bringing her back with them to their hotel but decided against it since it didn’t sound like the best idea, reports Marie Claire.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says he was the one who almost discovered Rihanna. [Image by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images]

“I said to Nigel, ‘If we bring her back, you know it’s like when you see a picture when you’re away and you take it home and you think why did I buy that?’ I said, ‘Nigel, we’ll get her back, it’ll be fine, but then what do we do?'”

He then goes on to say that his choice not to discover Rihanna is “not a decision I’m proud of” after Morgan asked him a question about how much money he believes he missed out on. Check out the rest of Webber’s interview with Morgan in the video below.

According to the Telegraph, Webber’s timeline is a little off. Rihanna was initially “discovered” a year before Webber claimed to have seen her performing in a hotel. American music producer Evan Rogers noticed Rihanna performing in a local showcase as part of a girl group back in 2003. Rogers asked Rihanna to record a solo demo, to which he think sent her to Def Jam Records in New York.

Rihanna’s demo landed into the hands of hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, who offered her a record deal. Beyonce, who was reportedly in the room at the time of Rihanna’s initial label showcase, was reported to have said, “That Rihanna girl, she’s a beast.”

Rihanna went on to be discovered by Jay-Z. [Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia]

Webber did not go into detail about what he had in mind for the pop singer, but it probably wouldn’t be like her first hit single, “Pon de Replay.” Maybe Rihanna would have become a one-hit wonder or a no-hit wonder if she was taken under Webber’s wing.

If Rihanna is interested in knowing what it would have been like to have been Webber’s pop protégé, then she can look no further than Jade Ewen, who is Webber’s latest pop “discover,” according to the British newspaper. Ewen performed alongside Webber at Eurovision 2009, singing his latest single, “It’s My Time.” Ewen was placed fifth in the contest before she launched a pop career, which unfortunately didn’t last.

This comes after the 2017 Grammy nominations were announced last week and Rihanna was snubbed for Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Rihanna’s collaboration with Drake, “Work,” was nominated for Record of the Year but not Song of the year, with the singer receiving eight nominations total. RiRi was spotted liking a fan’s post that suggested that the reason why she wasn’t nominated for more because the judge didn’t want her to surpass Beyonce’s nine nominations this year. However, Rihanna quickly backtracked and said that she didn’t originally read the remarks on the Instagram post.

Rihanna wishes she wasn’t snubbed at the 2017 Grammys. [Image by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

“I never actually read your caption, thought the pic was funny and moved right along!” she admitted.

“I’m petty af, yes. But this is just unnecessary! I wish y’all would drop this topic and see things from the bigger picture! We don’t need to be putting black women against each other! We deserve to be celebrated, and the Grammy Academy agrees!”

What are your thoughts on Andrew Lloyd Webber saying he almost discovered Rihanna? Do you think the singer would have had a different career today? Sound off below in the comments section.

[Featured Image by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for The Clara Lionel Foundation]

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