Michael Jackson, a BLACK man who owned half of Sony Music, ATV catalog, wanting to make movies about Africa, making Remember The Time music video exposing Egypt's (Kemet's) TRUE history, being crowned as King in Africa (Sanwi, Ivory Coast), breaking all other artist records; Elvis, The Rolling Stones, and The Beatles, then he purchased the Beatles catalog; always featured women of color in his music videos, exposed Tommy Motolla, had him fired, married Elvis daughter, pretty much owned everyone signed to a Sony Music and BMG distributed label, help cure cancer by paying for ALL hospital stays, and treatment of EACH patient; child or an adult. Michael purchased the rights of several artist, including Little Richard and Chuck Berry, in which after purchasing the rights to their catalog, he gave each of them back their rights, free of charge, had the most racially controversial director at the time, to direct his music video, "They Don't Really Care About Us", both the prison and Brazilian version(s). He donated almost 300 mil to African charities, then you wonder why he was set up and murdered?
IN ADDITION
He currently holds 20 Guinness World Records
He was the first black man in American to own an almost 3000 acres of land, called Neverland, which inspired other black artist and other persons of color to shrive even harder in their own careers, including Chris Tucker, Jamie Foxx and Bill Bellamy
Take a virtual tour: Courtesy of OCMotivator on YouTube
Twice Inducted Into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
Michael Jackson, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, becoming one of only a few artists to be inducted twice (he was inducted in 1997 as a member of The Jackson 5 and again as a solo artist in 2001
Induction In The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: 2001
by 'NSync' (who's members include Justin Timberlake)
A look back at the history of Jackson and the Sony/ATV catalog:
1957: The music publishing company is founded as a division of Associated Television, whose owner, Sir Lew Grade, was a renowned British media mogul in the ’50s and ’60s.
1969: Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney fail in their bid to gain control of their publishing after their publishing company, Northern Songs, is sold to Grade.
1982: Jackson learns about the importance (and lucrative nature) of song publishing from soon-to-be-former friend and musical companion Paul McCartney, during their London sessions for the song “Say, Say Say.”
1985: Informed by attorney John Branca (who would later be part of the brain trust handling his estate) that the 4,000-song ATV catalog was available, Jackson paid a then-unheard-of price of $47.5 million for the rights to the priceless Lennon-McCartney catalog, as well as songs by Bruce Springsteen, Cher, Elvis, Hank Williams, Little Richard and The Rolling Stones.
1988: CBS sells its recording division to the Sony Corp. for $2 billion in cash. The purchase of the world’s then-most powerful record company, home to Columbia, Epic and Portrait Records, included a deep roster of acts including MJ, Dylan, Springsteen, Willie Nelson, Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel. The company was renamed Sony Music Entertainment in 1991.
1995: Sony and Jackson form Sony/ATV Music Publishing after Jackson sells a 50 percent share of ATV to Sony for around $100 million.
2002: Sony/ATV buys country music publisher Acuff-Rose for $157 million, scooping up the rights to 55,000 country songs by the likes of Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, Boudelaux Bryant, Marty Robbins and The Everly Brothers.
2006: Under a crushing debt load in excess of $270 million, Jackson agrees to give Sony an option to buy half of his stake in Sony/ATV for around $250 million.
2007: Sony/ATV acquires one of the crown jewels of publishing catalogs with its purchase of the songs of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. The deal brings into the fold such iconic songs as “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog,” “On Broadway” and “There Goes My Baby.”
2008: Sony/ATV purchases the international administration rights to Famous Music for $370 million from the Universal Music Group. Among the hits in the 125,000-song catalog are songs by Eminem, Shakira, Pink and Beck.
2009: Jackson dies on June 25, 2009 at age 50, leaving behind three young children and an estate in dire financial straits. His longtime attorney, John Branca, and music industry veteran John McClain take control of the estate and begin an ambitious plan to pull the star’s assets into the black.
2012: A group led by Sony/ATV and the Jackson estate (among others) close a $2.2 billion deal for the purchase of EMI Music Publishing. EMI’s assets count more than 1.3 million songs, including 251 Beatles compositions, as well as songs by The Police, Justin Bieber, One Direction and The Beach Boys.
2015: In October, Sony triggers the buy-sell process with the Jackson estate that allows it to buy out MJ’s stake in 750,000-song Sony/ATV catalog, which now includes hits by everyone from Marvin Gaye to Taylor Swift, A$AP Rocky, Fall Out Boy, Adele and Lady Gaga.
2016: March 15, Sony announces plans to complete its acquisition of the estate’s 50 percent of Sony/ATV for $750 million.. A definitive agreement is expected by March 31, with deal closure to come in late 2016 or early 2017, pending regulatory approval.
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