Primary Wave Music has partnered with the estate of Harry Chapin in a deal covering the late singer and songwriter’s music catalog, as well as his name, image, and likeness rights.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
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. and more.
Cat’s in the Cradle, 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 list in 2001. To date, the track has been streamed nearly 209 million times on Spotify.
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).
Commenting on the deal, Jason Chapin, son of Harry Chapin, said: “My 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.”
“My 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.”
Jason Chapin, Son of Harry Chapin
Cole Rushworth, Primary Wave’s Senior Director of Business & Legal Affairs added: “Harry Chapin’s 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’s 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’s legacy.”
Born on December 7, 1942, in New York City, Chapin was influenced by The Weavers at Carnegie Hall album. Before building his music career, he worked in film and received an Oscar nomination for the documentary Legendary Champions. His debut single Taxi, 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 to promote the single.
“Harry Chapin’s 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’s roster of legendary singer-songwriters.”
Cole Rushworth, Primary Wave
Chapin’s career extended beyond music, winning an Emmy for his contribution to ABC television’s children’s series Make a Wish and earning two Tony nominations for his Broadway show The Night That Made America Famous.
The deal marks the latest in Primary Wave’s streak of estate and heritage catalog acquisitions. Last month, the company acquired the music catalog, and the name, image and likeness rights of Eartha Kitt, who died in 2008. Kitt is known for hits including Santa Baby, C’est Si Bon, and Let’s Do It.
As MBW previously reported, Primary Wave’s acquisition activity has been powered by a $2 billion partnership with Brookfield Asset Management, struck in 2022, which saw the financial giant take a minority interest in the New York-headquartered publisher founded and led by Larry Mestel.
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, and Aerosmith, among others.
Last year, the company confirmed it had acquired a stake in the Notorious B.I.G.’s recordings and publishing catalog, plus name, image, and likeness rights, in a deal that valued the late rapper’s estate at over $200 million.
Primary Wave is also reportedly in talks to acquire Kobalt Music Group, in a deal that would create one of the largest independent music rights companies in the world.
Last month, Primary Wave said it made a “strategic investment” in POPS Music, a prominent music company based in Vietnam. POPS claims to be “home to the largest catalog of Vietnamese and Indonesian music”.
Music Business Worldwide
