Global Music Rights Signs Prince Estate for Performing Rights
LOS ANGELES (January 11, 2017) – Global Music Rights (GMR) is proud to announce that it has signed a deal to represent the iconic catalog of songs written by Prince, including “Purple Rain,” “1999,” “When Doves Cry,” and “Raspberry Beret.” A long time advocate of artists’ rights, Prince left ASCAP in 2014 seeking an alternative to traditional public performance licensing practices. The Estate, represented by Bremer Trust, their music industry advisors, Charles Koppelman and Londell McMillan, and attorney Jason Boyarski, concluded that GMR’s philosophy of providing an elite group of writers with heightened customer service and control was most consistent with Prince’s values. As of October 1, 2016, GMR is responsible for licensing for all of Prince’s catalog –both released and unreleased tracks– on a worldwide basis.
Commenting on the signing, Irving Azoff, founder of GMR, said, “I couldn’t be happier that Prince, who, during his lifetime, I worked with at various times over the last 30 years, will have his incredible roster of works represented by GMR. Prince was an iconoclast, who never settled for second best, and now his Estate has ensured that the public performance rights are protected in a way befitting their significance.”
GMR CEO, Randy Grimmett said, “Prince was a musical genius. It is a privilege to represent his vast catalog which has influenced, informed and inspired fans for decades.”
Estate advisor Charles Koppelman stated that, “Uniting Prince with GMR was a no-brainer. Prince has always advocated for artist rights, and GMR is on the forefront of protecting performing rights for writers and composers. We are thrilled that we are part of Global Music Rights for worldwide representation.”
For more information about Global Music Rights, please visit: www.globalmusicrights.com
About GMR:
GMR was founded in 2014 by Irving Azoff and Randy Grimmett making it the first new entrant in the United States public performance rights industry in over seventy years. GMR represents a select group of prolific writers who have written some of the most popular music in the world including Drake, Bruno Mars, the Eagles, The Who, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Ira Gershwin, Smokey Robinson and Pharrell Williams, among others.
About Prince:
Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He won seven GRAMMY® Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award® for the film “Purple Rain.” Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the first year of his eligibility, 2004. Born Prince Rogers Nelson in Minneapolis, MN, Prince resided in the Minneapolis area throughout his life, until his death on April 21, 2016.
