Primary Wave Music has partnered with the estate of Harry Chapin in a deal covering the late singer and songwriter\u2019s music catalog, as well as his name, image, and likeness rights.<\/p>\n
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.<\/p>\n
Chapin, who died on July 16, 1981, at the age of 38, was known for his narrative-driven folk-rock songwriting throughout the 1970s, producing hits including Cat’s in the Cradle, Taxi, I Wanna Learn a Love Song, Sunday Morning Sunshine, W.O.L.D.<\/i> and more.<\/p>\n
Cat’s in the Cradle, <\/i>written originally as a poem by Chapin’s wife Sandra, topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974, has since been certified double platinum, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. The RIAA included it on its Songs of the Century <\/i>list in 2001. To date, the track has been streamed<\/a> nearly 209 million times on Spotify.<\/p>\n Primary Wave says Chapin’s catalog encompasses 11 albums, 14 singles, and more than 16 million albums sold worldwide, according to an announcement on Tuesday (April 28).<\/p>\n Commenting on the deal, Jason<\/b> Chapin<\/b>, son of Harry Chapin, said: \u201cMy family is incredibly impressed with Primary Wave and their remarkably talented team. We are so excited to support them as they introduce Harry Chapin music to wider and younger audiences while giving long-time fans more of what they love.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy family is incredibly impressed with Primary Wave and their remarkably talented team. We are so excited to support them as they introduce Harry Chapin music to wider and younger audiences while giving long-time fans more of what they love.\u201d<\/p>\n Jason<\/b> Chapin<\/b>, Son of Harry Chapin<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Cole<\/b> Rushworth<\/b>, Primary Wave\u2019s Senior Director of Business & Legal Affairs added: \u201cHarry Chapin\u2019s unique gift as a storyteller and his ability to capture experiences that are at once personal and universally relatable make him one of the all-time greats, and an incredible addition to Primary Wave\u2019s roster of legendary singer-songwriters. It has been a true pleasure working with the Chapin family to bring this partnership to life and we are honored to have the opportunity to uphold Harry\u2019s legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n Born on December 7, 1942, in New York City, Chapin was influenced by The Weavers at Carnegie Hall <\/i>album. Before building his music career, he worked in film and received an Oscar nomination for the documentary Legendary Champions.<\/i> His debut single Taxi,<\/i> released in 1972, stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. He also performed on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson<\/i> to promote the single.<\/p>\n \u201cHarry Chapin\u2019s unique gift as a storyteller and his ability to capture experiences that are at once personal and universally relatable make him one of the all-time greats, and an incredible addition to Primary Wave\u2019s roster of legendary singer-songwriters.”<\/p>\n Cole<\/b> Rushworth<\/b>, Primary Wave<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Chapin\u2019s career extended beyond music, winning an Emmy for his contribution to ABC television’s children’s series Make a Wish<\/i> and earning two Tony nominations for his Broadway show The Night That Made America Famous.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n The deal marks the latest in Primary Wave\u2019s streak of estate and heritage catalog acquisitions. Last month, the company acquired<\/a> the music catalog, and the name, image and likeness rights of Eartha<\/b> Kitt<\/b>, who died in 2008. Kitt is known for hits including\u00a0Santa Baby<\/i>,\u00a0C\u2019est Si Bon<\/i>, and\u00a0Let\u2019s Do It<\/i>.<\/p>\n As MBW previously reported, Primary Wave\u2019s acquisition activity has been powered by a $2 billion partnership<\/a> with Brookfield Asset Management<\/b>, struck in 2022, which saw the financial giant take a minority interest in the New York-headquartered publisher founded and led by Larry<\/b> Mestel.<\/p>\n Since being founded in 2006, Primary Wave has built a portfolio that includes rights to music from Bob Marley, Prince, Whitney Houston, Stevie Nicks, James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles, Burt Bacharach, <\/strong>and Aerosmith<\/strong>, among others.<\/p>\n Last year, the company\u00a0confirmed<\/a>\u00a0it had acquired a stake in the Notorious B.I.G.<\/b>\u2019s recordings and publishing catalog, plus name, image, and likeness rights, in a deal that valued the late rapper\u2019s estate at over $200 million<\/b>.<\/p>\n Primary Wave is also\u00a0reportedly in talks<\/a>\u00a0to acquire\u00a0Kobalt Music Group<\/b><\/a>, in a deal that\u00a0would create one of the largest independent music rights companies in the world.<\/p>\n\n
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