Red Hot Chili Peppers Land Over $300 Million From Catalog Sale

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The Red Hot Chili Peppers have reportedly sold their recorded music catalog to Warner Music Group in a massive deal valued at more than $300 million.

The agreement arrives five years after the legendary rock band sold their publishing rights in a separate deal worth around $150 million. According to reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, the band’s recorded catalog, which includes 13 studio albums and nine releases distributed through Warner Music Group, was officially acquired on Friday for more than double the amount of the earlier publishing sale.

The acquisition is said to be part of a much larger partnership between Warner Music Group and Bain Capital. Together, the companies have reportedly spent around $650 million acquiring music and publishing assets, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers catalog making up nearly half of that total. Details regarding the remaining acquisitions have not yet been disclosed.

Back in May 2021, the Red Hot Chili Peppers sold their publishing rights to Hipgnosis Songs Fund for approximately $150 million. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, those rights could soon change hands again as Hipgnosis, now operating under the name Recognition Music Group, is currently being acquired by Sony Music as part of another multi billion dollar transaction.

The band’s recorded catalog had reportedly been available on the market since last year with an asking price close to $350 million. Warner Music Group was widely viewed as the most natural buyer considering the label has worked with the band since the release of 1991’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Before joining Warner, the group’s first four albums were released through EMI.

Financially, the catalog remains extremely valuable, reportedly generating around $26 million in annual revenue. Ownership of the recordings had remained with the band prior to this latest agreement.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers most recently released Unlimited Love and its companion album Return of the Dream Canteen in 2022. At the time of reporting, neither the band nor Warner Music Group had publicly commented on the catalog acquisition.

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Freddie Jackson Passes Away Just Days After Turning 70

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Freddie Jackson, the R'n'B singer behind You Are My Lady and Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake), has died at the age of 70.

He passed away on Monday (05.10.26), just three days after celebrating his 70th birthday. A cause of death has not been announced.

Announcing his death on social media, his family wrote: "It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Freddie Jackson, who went home to rest last night.

"Freddie was more than a legendary voice. He was a kind, generous soul who loved his fans, his family, his friends, and his music with everything he had. For decades, he gave us the songs that became the soundtrack to our love stories, our celebrations, and our most treasured memories. That gift will live on forever.

"To everyone who ever sang along, danced, or felt something when Freddie took the stage: thank you. You were family to him, and he carried your love with him always.

"Please keep his family, friends, and loved ones in your prayers during this difficult time. Details regarding arrangements and how to honor his legacy will be shared in the coming days.

"Rest in peace, Freddie. Your legacy and your voice will live on forever."

Freddie began his professional music journey in the late 1970s as a member of California funk band Mystic Merlin. He later moved back to the East Coast and found his direction in R'n'B.

A string of successful releases in the mid 1980s established him as one of the genre’s leading singers. Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake), You Are My Lady, Have You Ever Loved Somebody, Jam Tonight and Do Me Again became some of his best known songs and earned him a lasting presence on the US charts.

His career also extended to cinema. He joined Irene Cara for the duet Love Survives, featured in the 1989 animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven, and later made an acting appearance in the cult crime drama King of New York.

Freddie continued making music for decades, with his last album, Love Signals, arriving in 2018. He followed it in 2020 with Why, a single addressing racial injustice.

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