Michael Jackson's estate 'signs biggest recording deal ever'
Michael Jackson's estate 'signs biggest recording deal ever'
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By Darren Estwick. |  |
Tuesday, 16, Mar 2010 07:49
By Lewis Bazley.
The estate of the late Michael Jackson has reportedly signed the biggest deal in recording history, worth more than $200 million (£133 million), with Sony Music.
According to Variety, the contract involves a plan for some ten album projects over the next seven years, with an official confirmation of the agreement expected later on Tuesday.
Jackson died at the age of 50 at his Los Angeles home in June 2009 following a cardiac arrest. His death has since been ruled as homicide through the administering of the powerful anaesthetic Propofol, though Jackson's physician Dr Conrad Murray has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and stressed he neither prescribed nor administered anything that should have killed the self-styled King of Pop.
Jackson's death saw the cancellation of his planned comeback concerts at the O2 Arena in London but his record sales have soared in the last year, buoyed by the release of a documentary film, This Is It, about the rehearsals for his comeback shows.
The new deal with Sony Music could be worth up to $250 million if certain conditions are met, according to the Wall Street Journal, with an unnamed source speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of an expected official announcement.
Jackson's estate is thought to have recordings of dozens of unreleased songs written and performed by the Thriller star and at least one of the planned new album releases will feature never-released material, with a November release planned.