David Bowie’s Music Catalog Just Sold For A Shocking Price
You won't believe how much David Bowie's catalog just went for!
This article is more than 2 years old
With David Bowie being one of the most influential and relevant artists in music, there is no doubt that his music would come with a huge price tag. The influential rock star had made some of the most iconic music but tragically died in 2016 after a long battle with cancer. Now six years later, Bowie’s estate has come to an agreement with Warner Chappell Music. The company purchased Bowie’s entire collection for $250 million (via AV Club).
Though this amount is mighty, it is also understandable given how important David Bowie’s music meant to the world at large. Warner Chappell Music’s COO Carianne Marshall agrees in the statement she made about the purchase: “This isn’t merely a catalog, but a living, breathing collection of timeless songs that are as powerful and resonant today as they were when they were first written,” stated Marshall.
David Bowie was born David Robert Jones and was told that he would never work in the industry (Via TIME). Not to be deterred, Bowie turned out to be prolific, continuing to publish music up until his death. Bowie’s first album was self-titled and came out in 1967 (via Vox). Since then his music continued to evolve with hits such as “Space Oddity,” “Ziggy Stardust,” and “The Man Who Sold the World.” The singer did not stop at just performing music. He branched out into other avenues such as acting.
Jim Henson’s 1986 film Labyrinth was groundbreaking for many reasons. The film featured one of Jennifer Connelly’s early roles as Sarah, a young girl looking to save her brother. She enters a world populated with puppets and of course, The Goblin King. Jareth The Goblin King is one of Bowie’s most recognizable feature roles. The film has interesting subtextual elements, though this is natural for films of the time. Bowie was 38 when he played the role while Connelly was only 15, a strange power dynamic when considering the romanticism of the film (via Den of Geek). However, it seems almost impossible that the role could have been played by anyone other than Bowie. A feat considering that Bowie was up against another pop star for the role.
Later in life Bowie would appear in other various roles, including a fleeting but integral character in a Christopher Nolan film. Bowie appeared in Nolan’s under appreciated film The Prestige starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale. The film was a complex story about two magicians in competition for completing the perfect trick. There was no one better to play the role of Nikola Tesla than David Bowie. He only appeared in about ten minutes of the film, but The Prestige could not have worked without it. Bowie portrayed Tesla’s mysterious mysticism admirably.
The musician continues to live on through his work in immense ways. Though the irreparable icon is gone, his music still remains integral. In addition to the sale of his music catalog, a previously unreleased album is finally seeing the light of day. The album entitled “Toy” had been leaked a few years ago but is getting a legitimate release in conjunction with his catalog’s sale (via Variety). Due to a previous conflict with his label, it was unable to come out until now. David Bowie continues to prove his longevity and his legacy to the world at large.
