Rod Stewart has reportedly sold the rights to his music catalog to Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group.
The deal, which includes Stewart’s interests in his publishing catalog, recorded music, and some name and likeness rights, amounts to nearly $100 million. Iconic Artists Group, led by music mogul Irving Azoff, is dedicated to preserving the legacies of legendary artists and aims to expand Stewart’s six-decade musical legacy to new generations of fans.
Stewart expressed confidence in the deal, stating that his life’s work is in safe hands with Azoff:
“Irving and I are a couple of old-timers and I believe we have a mutual respect and admiration for each other. My life’s work is in safe hands with him.”
Iconic Artists Group has also acquired catalogs from other artists like the Beach Boys, Cher, David Crosby, Linda Ronstadt, Graham Nash, and Stephen Stills. The company has raised over $1 billion to invest in future catalog purchases.
The decision to sell the song follows Stewart’s rejection of a potential deal with Hipgnosis Songs less than a year ago.
New Music Is On The Road
Rod Stewart is preparing for the release of his 32nd album, ‘Swing Fever,’ scheduled for February 23. This album is a collaboration with Jools Holland and consists mainly of live studio recordings, featuring 13 covers of classic big band numbers.
In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, Stewart shared insights into the recording process, stating that Jools Holland would rehearse with the band for a day, and then everything would be recorded live the next day. The entire process, including solos, was completed in three hours, with only Stewart’s vocals being recorded separately. This approach, emphasizing live recording, is a departure from the typical production methods used in contemporary music.
You can watch the official visualiser below.
