Michael Jackson’s Estate Renews Longstanding Partnership With BMI
Michael Jackson’s estate has renewed a longstanding partnership with Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). The company has represented the superstar’s work since he sang with his brothers as the youngest member of the Jackson 5.
BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill released a statement on representing Michael’s entire body of work.
Since 1976, we’ve had the privilege of licensing his works and we’re honored to continue this relationship with his estate.
Pleased to announce our cont’d rep. of @michaeljackson‘s vast catalog of work. They don’t call him the #KingofPop for nothing – greatness!
— Mike O’Neill (@MONBMI) December 17, 2014
Not only does BMI hold Jackson’s entire catalog, which is vast, but the company represents the public performances and presentations of the late entertainer’s work.
Since his untimely death in 2009, two posthumous albums have been released, Michael and Xscape. The latter included “Love Never Felt So Good,” a 2014 pop hit.
Michael shipped at over a million and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and as of September 13, 2014, Xscape has sold nearly 1.5 million albums. The King of Pop continues his reign and a hologram form of Jackson performed “Slave to the Rhythm” at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.
Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, performed by Cirque du Soleil, began on October 2, 2011, traveling the globe, and ended on August 31, 2014, earning $371 million in ticket sales, in 27 countries. Michael’s music is combined with acrobatic and theatrical performances. The show is no longer traveling, but can now be seen in Las Vegas.
Jackson, considered to be the greatest entertainer of all time, made his stage debut at the age of eight, singing James Brown’s “I Got You (I Feel Good),” with his four older brothers. On the road to becoming the King of Pop, Jackson established himself as a solo performer with Off the Wall, which sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
But it was Thriller, released in 1982, that propelled Michael into global superstardom. Quincy Jones, winner of 27 Grammy awards, worked with Jackson on the production. He wrote four of the songs: “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “The Girl Is Mine,” “Beat It,” and “Billie Jean.” At its peak, the album sold at the rate of a million per week worldwide and won eight Grammy awards in 1984, including Album of the Year.
As of August 21, 2009, the RIAA certified Thriller 29 times platinum. To date, it remains tied for the best selling album of all time, and Jackson topped Forbes’ list of 2014 deceased celebrity earners, with $140 million in earnings.
[Image: Fan Pop]
