HarbourView Equity Partners has closed a deal with the estate of the late Christine McVie to acquire the iconic artist’s share of Fleetwood Mac’s recorded music royalties.
Notably, McVie’s contributions to Fleetwood Mac’s Grammy-winning album Rumours included You Make Loving Fun, Don’t Stop and the piano ballad Songbird.
HarbourView was founded in 2021 by former Tempo Music CEO Sherrese Clarke Soares with backing from Apollo Global Management.
The company says that it owns a catalog of over 24,000 songs, encompassing both master recordings and publishing income streams.
Described by HarbourView as a “brilliant vocalist, musician and songwriter who shined as one of the most iconic females in rock history,” McVie passed away in November 2022, aged 79.
HarbourView notes that McVie was a “profound presence in Fleetwood Mac, one of the most enduring rock bands to ever exist, and a groundbreaking artist who cultivated a new standard for women in rock bands”.
HarbourView’s deal with the estate of Christine McVie follows a string of acquisitions announced by the company over the summer.
Amongst them were, in July, select recorded assets and the publishing catalog of multi-platinum-selling, singer, songwriter, and music producer Blackbear.
Also in July, HarbourView announced a deal for the “select recorded music and publishing assets” of Wiz Khalifa.
News of that deal arrived just hours after HarbourView announced that it had acquired “select recorded music assets” of Grammy Award-winning rapper, Nelly.
This latest acquisition also follows HarbourView’s purchase of SoundHouse Acquisitions LLC’s catalog for a reported $325 million.
HarbourView has been actively pursuing deals over the past couple of years, including the acquisition of publishing catalogs from country music artists Lady A and Brad Paisley, as well as the publishing catalog of Latin music superstar Luis Fonsi.
The company also secured Big Loud Mountain Music’s publisher share of select songs from the catalog of country music duo Florida Georgia Line and the music publishing catalog of Incubus.
“We are honored to uphold that legacy as we welcome Christine’s lifetime of work with the band into HarbourView.”
Sheresse Clarke Soares, HarbourView
“Christine’s remarkable talents played an integral role in shaping Fleetwood Mac’s sound. The band’s timeless music and worldwide influence continues to captivate all generations of listeners today,” said Sheresse Clarke Soares.
“We are honored to uphold that legacy as we welcome Christine’s lifetime of work with the band into HarbourView. Christine is a decorated and iconic legend in the history of Rock ‘n’ Roll. She is a global treasure. We hold her works with pride.”
Fleetwood Mac achieved success over several decades. Christine McVie became a full member of the band with the album Future Games (1971), and as a member of the band which went on to record Bare Trees (1971), Penguin (1973), Mystery To Me (1973), and Heroes Are Hard To Find (1974).
In 1998, McVie was awarded the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution, the same year Fleetwood Mac was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Fox Rothschild served as legal counsel to HarbourView in this transaction.
Christine McVie’s estate was represented by Christine’s longtime attorney Mario Gonzalez, and by the executers of her estate, Paul Glass and Martin Wyatt.
Glass was Christine’s business manager for decades, and Wyatt was her personal manager for many years.
“Christine’s music will live forever.”
Mario Gonzalez (McVie’s attorney)
“I found the people at Harborview and their lawyers at Fox Rothchild to be professional, straightforward, and a pleasure to deal with,” said Gonzalez. “Christine’s music will live forever.”
In August 2021, Hipgnosis Songs Fund acquired a catalog consisting of 115 songs from Christine McVie.
That deal followed Hipgnosis’ acquisition in January of 100% of the publishing rights of Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, including both his publishing and writer’s share, across 161 songs.
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