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Sony/ATV to administrate Jackson’s other songs catalogue
By CMU Editorial | Published on Tuesday 21 August 2012
The worldwide administration of Michael Jackson’s Mijac Music catalogue will now be handled by Sony/ATV, a three decade partnership with Warner/Chappell having ended in late 2010.
Jackson, of course, owned half of the Sony/ATV music publishing company, having bought the firm outright in 1985, before selling 50% to Sony Corp ten years later. However, the Mijac Music company, which preceded Jackson’s acquisition of ATV, was never made part of the bigger publishing venture, even when Sony became a partner in the ATV company in 1995.
However, Sony/ATV – recently expanded, of course, by gaining control of the EMI Music Publishing business – will now also administrate the Mijac catalogue, which includes Jackson’s own songs plus music by the likes of Sly And The Family Stone, Leon Huff and Kenneth Gamble, and songs that became famous after being recorded by Ray Charles, Elvis Presley or Aretha Franklin.
Confirming the new deal with Mijac, Sony/ATV boss Martin Bandier told reporters: “Everyone at Sony/ATV looks forward to finding innovative ways to use these songs while protecting their legacy”.
Meanwhile John Branca and John McClain, the executors of the Michael Jackson Estate, which still owns 50% of Sony/ATV, said: “We are excited that the company Michael helped found, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, and in which his Estate remains a 50% partner, will represent these amazing songs along with a rich collection of other music recorded by some of our greatest popular artists”.
