James Brown’s publishing, master recording income stream, and name and likeness rights have all been acquired by Primary Wave Music.
According to the New York Times, the deal is worth ‘about $90 million.’
Primary Wave will also continue its cooperation with the James Brown estate, according to a press release, which will include many projects relating to The James Brown 2000 Trust, which Brown created in 2000 for charitable and educational objectives.
Publishing Company Acquiring James Brown’s Estate. The estate will also have access to Primary Wave’s whole marketing team, digital team, PR department, branding team, and publishing infrastructure, which includes licensing and synch opportunities, according to the company.
Papa’s Got a Brand-New Bag, I Got You (I Feel Good), and It’s a Man’s World are among the songs included in the deal, which Primary Wave describes as “some of the most famous singles in the history of music.”
Brown’s first single to hit the Billboard Hot 100, Papa’s Got a Brand-New Bag, was released in 1965 and reached No. 8 on the chart. Brown received his first Grammy award for the song, which reached No. 1 on the R&B charts and stayed there for eight weeks.
Many consider Brown’s most well-known recording to be I Got You (I Feel Good).
The song debuted in the Top 5 of the Billboard 100 in 1965, peaking at No. 3, and has subsequently been featured in over ten films.
Living in America, 1985 single, is also included.
The song debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remained 11 weeks in the Top 40.
Brown’s song Living in America was nominated for a Grammy for the second time and was included in Rocky IV.
Brown’s career began in the mid-1950s as the lead vocalist of the Famous Flames, and he was one of the original 10 honorees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
He rapidly acquired a reputation as a dynamic and strong live performer, and in the 1960s, he released Live at the Apollo, which catapulted him to superstardom.
The album was placed 25 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, was chosen as one of 50 recordings to be added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Brown has 17 No. 1 hits on the Billboard R&B charts, owns the record for most Billboard Hot 100 singles, and has 98 tracks in the Billboard Top 40 R&B singles chart throughout his 50-year career.
In addition to being a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame as a performer in 2013 and as a songwriter in 2017.
James Brown has also been honored by a number of other music institutions, including the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2003.
James Brown died of heart failure on December 25, 2006.
“The James Brown Estate and related Trust are very proud and excited to work with Larry Mestel and Primary Wave,” said Russell Bauknight, Fiduciary for the James Brown Estate and Trust.
“We believe that our choice of professionals to take the James Brown Legacy to the next level is going to prove to be one of the most successful events in Mr. Brown’s long history in show business.”
TOTO drummer Jeff Porcaro (an estimated $30 million transaction), Gerry Goffin ($20 million), Bing Crosby ($50 million+), and Luther Vandross ($40 million) are among the musicians whose archives Primary Wave has recently purchased.
In yet another multi-million-dollar deal, Primary Wave purchased a part in the rights of R&B veteran Teddy Pendergrass two weeks ago.
