Since his passing in 2016, David Bowie’s estate and wife, Iman, have been keeping his legacy alive. David is posthumously joining the growing ranks of rockers who have sold their music catalog. Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and Bruce Springsteen all sold their catalogs recently, some for upwards of $300 million. Variety confirmed that David’s catalog has been sold to Warner Chappell Music for at least $250 million. The deal includes most of his music spanning from 1968 to 2016. Below are a few more details from Variety:
After months of negotiations, David Bowie’s estate has sold the singer’s formidable publishing catalog to Warner Chappell Music for a price upwards of $250 million, sources confirm to Variety. The catalog spans six decades and includes such songs as “Heroes,” “Changes,” “Space Oddity,” “Fame,” “Let’s Dance,” “Rebel Rebel,” “Golden Years,” “Ziggy Stardust,” “All the Young Dudes,” his 1981 collaboration with Queen “Under Pressure” and hundreds more.
The agreement comprises songs from the 26 David Bowie studio albums released during his lifetime, as well as the posthumous studio album release, “Toy,” which comes out on Friday. It also includes the two studio albums from Tin Machine, along with tracks released as singles from soundtracks and other projects.
The deal brings nearly all of Bowie’s music into the Warner system. Last September, the estate announced a global partnership with Warner Music that will bring the late artist’s vast recorded-music catalog from 1968 through 2016 under the company’s umbrella; the deal includes Bowie’s albums from 2000 through 2016, which were originally released via Sony Music. News that Bowie’s estate was in negotiations to sell his publishing was broken by Financial Times in October.
The announcement comes amid the “Bowie 75” celebration, surrounding the late singer’s 75th birthday on Saturday, Jan. 8. The campaign also includes pop-up stores in New York and London and the release in November of the “Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001)” boxed set and, on Friday, his previously unreleased “Toy” album, comprising re-recorded versions of relatively obscure songs dating from early in his career; while that album is available as part of the boxed set, it will be released separately on Friday.
It makes me happy that David’s legacy lives on. I have been a fan of his since Labyrinth (Jareth was the ish) and it broke my heart when he passed away in 2016. He was like a modern day Apollo (god of music) to me. I always wondered what would happen to his catalog, especially after seeing what happened to Prince, and I am happy that David had the foresight to have his estate set up. I am happy that David is still getting his flowers. I also like the sum that his catalog is reportedly being sold for. David had a prolific career that spans several genres of music. I hope his music is used for amazing things and great movie soundtracks. “Under Pressure” and “Let’s Dance” are definitely a part of my life’s soundtrack. I also can’t believe that David would have been 75 years old on January 8th. He always seemed ageless to me. I am looking forward to this new album of re-release songs. Looks like January will be a month of celebrating some of my favorite Capricorns who are no longer with us. Hopefully this deal will lead to younger generations discovering Bowie’s talent.
Photos credit: WENN and via Instagram
I loved Bowie especially his “China Girl” era. And I assume he left his family with significant financial assets when he died. But I wonder what the motivation was for selling the rights. It’s a lot of money and maybe the family didn’t the extra work of dealing with the licensing, etc? Who knows?
I think it’s perfect timing to do this…that’s his biggest asset & now his children & wife can focus wholly on the future and not worry about poaching…licensing…etc…
Personally I think his work is priceless. I secretly listened to Ziggy Stardust as a 12 year old (my older sister & brother had all the good stuff and let me borrow), and it changed my musical taste forever. I turned my friends on and we bought every single album he put out. His personas changed, but his music was and is timeless. For a former Midwest Michigan girl, it was a voyage that I treasure. All the films and other media that play his tunes make me happy. I can be transported to being 13, 20, 27….single and partying, married with “eclectic” taste, and passing all of it on to my kids; they knew the words to songs no one else in their worlds had ever heard of. Long live Bowie. And he will.
I first discovered Bowie with the Let’s Dance album when I was eleven. And he became an immediate obsession of mine. Then Labyrinth happened and OMG I can still quote and sing most of the movie. Pity my SO when he tries to give me directions: exaggerated cockney accent “Don’t go that way. Never go that way!”
I’ve been a big fan of his music since I was a teenager. I actually got to see him perform live in 1983 when he was touring in support of Let’s Dance. He was just phenomenal.
I’m not surprised that his estate was fully sorted out before he died. He knew he was sick and his daughter was only 15 or 16 at the time. He was an astute enough businessman to know he needed to make sure everything was settled.
Now seems like a good time for the estate to sell the catalogue. There is clearly a market and Lexi is now in her early 20s – old enough to know if she wants to manage it day-to-day or not (it appears not). It’s a full time job and it seems that Iman and Duncan Jones have enough going on in their own lives.
there’s been at least 5 or 6 major artists selling their music rights over the past 2 years. i wonder why.
It’s part of the estate planning for older artists – Springsteen, Dylan, Turner, Nicks – they are all in the 70s and 80s. Cash is easier for the estate to manage/invest than a song catalogue. You will not see younger artists doing it – they still want to control the use of their music, at least for the time being.
And there is a market willing to pay for the rights. Bowie’s family decided to take advantage of that market.
I am surprised. I thought he had people in place he trusted to take care of his vast catalogue and all of the music in the vault, so to speak. But everyone is getting older, and that’s a lot of money. Plus they’ve had six years since his passing to set in motion everything they’ve wanted to do release-wise and doing it how David would have wanted. Maybe they thought now is the right time for this type of sale.
Iman developed a new fragrance and has been really getting out more and doing interviews, etc. She is positively stunning. And when she talks about David, her emotions are always close to the surface. As she says, she is still married to David.
Here’s the Vogue video where she shows the grounds and part of their home they built. You will find it interesting if you are a Bowie lover, because she shows so much of his favorite art, sculptures, and she talks about their life and happiness in their Catskills second home. Her love for him is undeniable. She talks about having to stay there during the pandemic and having to really face her grief in that home, because it had so many happy memories.
Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk9cq3gRCP0&ab_channel=Vogue
Thanks for the link. I loved it. Her voice is wonderful and the stories about the special objects in her home are so heartwarming.
I’m an old who discovered Bowie in college with Ziggy Stardust and have loved his music and his philosophies and worldview ever since. One of my proudest moments as a progressive mom was when he died, my 20-ish daughter cried with me – she had written papers on his influence on music while in high school.
Ziggy played guitar.
I understand that Toy was inteded to come out years before David’s passing and it’s not the case but I don’t like posthumous releases at all. It feels invasive and exploitative.
…and Springsteen’s catalog went for over $500 million? Bowie’s estate was robbed!
Bowie’s estate sold the publishing. Springsteen sold his publishing and his recordings. And Bruce’s reputation of still being a big concert draw who still sells out large venues may have been factored in. (Perhaps more opportunities to create more live recordings which, sadly, Bowie can’t do anymore.)