Michael Jackson’s death spurred renewed interest in his catalogue and made money for his estate. Insiders point out that Whitney Houston’s estate will not experience the same phenomenon. She was living off of advances from her label company before her death, so her estate likely owes the record company a hefty sum and any future sales that would be attributed to Whitney will go to pay back that loan before it would go to her estate. Additionally, Whitney did not write any of her biggest hits, so she will not get the writer’s and publisher’s rates when the songs get more airtime on the radio and on television. Most of singer’s profits come from ticket sales. It is not uncommon for artists to owe the record label money even after selling millions of records.
Dolly Parton wrote Whitney’s biggest hit, “I Will Always Love You,” so she will be receiving the benefits of a renewed interest in that song.
See Whitney Houston’s Death To Earn Dolly Parton A Fortune, Huffington Post, Feb. 16, 2012.
Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.
