The Band’s Robbie Robertson Sells Catalog, Rights to New Firm, Iconoclast

variety.com:

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Band’s Robbie Robertson has joined the growing catalog-sale party and sold his music publishing, recorded interests and name, image & likeness rights to Iconoclast, a new firm founded by Olivier Chastan, the former CEO of Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group.

The news was first reported by Music Business Worldwide.The acquisition covers Robertson’s entire six-decade career, from his early 1960s compositions with early outfits like the Hawks to his classic songs with the Band to his solo and film soundtrack material.Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources tell Variety the deal was for around $25 million, for a catalog including such iconic songs as “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Shape I’m In,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and more.

The share is smaller on “The Weight,” possibly Robertson’s most classic song, since the publishing on that song and others from the Band’s classic 1968 debut album is owned by Bob Dylan — a move Robertson has pinned on the late Albert Grossman, who managed both acts at the time — although Robertson retained his writer’s share.

Dylan’s ownership was revealed as part of his nearly $400 million publishing-catalog sale to Universal in 2020.Robertson, 78, joins others of his generation — including Dylan, Paul Simon, Neil Young and others — in taking advantage of the recent boom in music rights, presumably with a long view toward estate planning, leaving their heirs with money rather than a valuable but deeply complicated asset.As part of the deal, Robertson has joined Iconoclast’s board.At Iconic, Chastan helmed such catalog acquisitions and the Beach Boys, David Crosby, and Linda Ronstadt.