That story is true. To make money today in the music industry you need to write and produce and tour. Otherwise, you get peanuts. Beside, R&B artist get notoriously bad contracts.
Re: Beyonce, I can stand that no-talent diva but she is very well managed and very successful.
She doesn't write her songs (probably couldn't since she didn't even finish high-school) but whenever a song is submitted to her, she changes a line or a word to take hafl the writing credits. She is powerful enough so that the writer won't complain. They know the song will be a hit so they play ball.
Also, she takes production credit and involves her family as a management team. Her father may be a control freak but he was never a Michael or Dina Lohan type: also made his daughter work her *** out for long-term success, never was out for a quick buck, and that's why Bey is a multi-millionaire and Lyndsay is broke. Entourage is everything.
Lasty, Bey isn't dependant on album sales anymore because she get gigs in place like Dubai where she is paid $1 million a pop to perform for royalty. Alicia does the same.
These girls will never go broke.