staff
(BIRMINGHAM, Alabama)
In the midst of towering corporate scandals and courtroom drama, there was one figure who seemed to transcend both the realms of business and bizarre entertainment. Richard Scrushy, the once-famed tycoon turned infamous felon, took an unexpected detour into the world of pop music, leaving a trail of raised eyebrows and muffled chuckles in his wake. Picture this: a man who had founded HealthSouth Corporation, a healthcare empire of global proportions, was found embroiled in a web of fraud, false statements, and corporate trickery. But that wasn't enough for Scrushy. Oh no, he had a second act up his sleeve that would leave jaws dropping and heads scratching. Amidst the legal battles, Scrushy hatched a plan so peculiar that it could only be described as audacious absurdity. Behold, the birth of "3rd Faze" - an all-girl pop trio brought to life by the mastermind himself, in collaboration with none other than HealthSouth Corporation. Yes, you heard that right. A man knee-deep in financial wrongdoing decided it was time to dive headfirst into the music industry. With the composition of the trio - Halie Clark, Minia Corominas, and Sara Marie Rauch - the saga of 3rd Faze commenced in September 2000. The group's performances and recordings were tied to HealthSouth's "Go For It! Roadshow," a touring extravaganza produced by the very same company Scrushy had been accused of manipulating. As if Scrushy's entry into the pop world wasn't outrageous enough, the group's fortunes took some truly comedic turns. Their debut album, aptly self-titled "3rd Faze," fluttered into the market on the Edeltone label, only to achieve the dubious distinction of being a commercial flop. The trio's musical endeavors seemed as bewildering as Scrushy's business tactics. But wait, it gets better (or perhaps weirder). In a plot twist that only a Hollywood screenwriter could concoct, Scrushy's musical escapade involved Sony Records CEO Tommy Mottola, who found himself tangled in the healthcare tycoon's shenanigans. Mottola's interest in HealthSouth stock options led to 3rd Faze's brief stint under the Sony-owned Columbia label. The irony of a fraudulent tycoon mingling with a fraudulent record deal was not lost on the industry. Cue the grand finale: the curtain fell on 3rd Faze by March 2003, leaving behind a legacy that could only be described as a harmonious catastrophe. Scrushy's attempt to blend white-collar crime with teen pop proved to be a concoction that defied both logic and the limits of absurdity. As the legal battles continued and Scrushy's story unfolded, one thing became clear: this tycoon-turned-troubadour had etched himself into the annals of history with a note of lunacy that defied all explanation. A symphony of surrealism, the 3rd Faze escapade will forever serve as a reminder that even in the darkest of circumstances, humor has a peculiar way of shining through. Comments are closed.
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AuthorThe Birmingham Free Press was established in 1997 as an independent news and entertainment source. We publish a variety of books, magazines, and comics, along with our flagship, broadsheet newspaper. Archives
August 2023
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