| Wednesday 22 September 1999 |
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Mariah and the stock exchange
Mariah Carey has many New York Stock Exchange traders singing the blues. The sultry songstress was supposed to ring the opening bell at NYSE yesterday, to promote her new "Heartbreaker" album. Instead, the diva broke hearts when she missed the gig. Through a spokeswoman, Carey said she had been delayed when a radio show in New Jersey ran long. Although she immediately hired a private helicopter to rush her to Wall Street on time, the rain and fog kept her grounded in New Jersey, nowhere near the opening bell.
"She tried to go by car but didn't make it on time, so she called ahead to let them know what was happening," said the spokeswoman. A spokesman for NYSE confirmed that account and said Carey could reschedule any time she likes. "We'd be delighted to have her back," he said.
The New York Stock Exchange frequently invites its members and listed companies to ring the opening or closing bells. Carey was invited as a representative of Sony Corp., which lists its American depositary receipts at NYSE and produced "Heartbreaker." She is just one of many, many celebrities who have joined NYSE chairman Dick Grasso on the podium above the trading floor.
Grasso has been trying to boost his marketing and promotion efforts as he prepares for a potential initial public offering of the NYSE late next year. Some of the other celebrities to grace the NYSE with their presence recently included baseball great Yogi Berra, tennis great Monica Seles, winning Kentucky Derby jockey Chris Antley, boxer George Foreman, actress Rene Russo and actor Kelsey Grammer. (New York Post)
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