Primary Wave Music has signed a new marketing and publishing administration agreement with Grammy-winning songwriter and performer Jimmy Webb.
The deal came as the 19-year-old, New York-headquartered acquisitive music company recently surpassed $4.5 billion in asset value.
Under the deal, Primary Wave will represent Webb’s extensive music publishing catalog and collaborate with him on branding, marketing, and sync opportunities.
The agreement includes some of Webb’s biggest hits, such as Wichita Lineman, MacArthur Park, and Up, Up and Away. Webb’s work has been performed by industry icons like Glen Campbell, Art Garfunkel, Frank Sinatra, Guns N’ Roses, Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Linda Ronstadt.
He is also known for hits such as By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Didn’t We, and All I Know.
“Jimmy Webb is one of the only contemporary songwriters who can write songs right into the orchestra, and his songs have 17-layer emotions and sophisticated chord charges that are absolutely dazzling,” said Ronstadt.
Webb’s catalog spans decades and genres, from country and pop to jazz and classical. He is the only artist to have won Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration.
“From Sinatra to Tim Burton to Kendrick Lamar, Webb continues to inspire generations of creatives. The team here at Primary Wave are honored and thrilled to welcome yet another legend to the family.”
Adam Lowenberg, Primary Wave
Webb became the youngest inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986. He was later inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame. In 2016, the Academy of Country Music honored him with the “Poet’s Award.”
The collaboration with Primary Wave is expected to introduce Webb’s music to new audiences through strategic marketing initiatives.
“I am looking forward to partnering with Primary Wave,” said Webb. “They have a youthful enthusiasm and creative approach to publishing that will expose my music to new audiences.”
Primary Wave’s Chief Marketing Officer, Adam Lowenberg, said: “From Sinatra to Tim Burton to Kendrick Lamar, Webb continues to inspire generations of creatives. The team here at Primary Wave are honored and thrilled to welcome yet another legend to the family.”
Beyond his music career, Webb is also an author. His memoir, The Cake and the Rain (2017), and his songwriting guide, Tunesmith: Inside the Art of Songwriting (1998), are considered essential reads for aspiring musicians. Webb continues to tour internationally and record music.
The deal expands Primary Wave Music’s catalog of hits from legendary artists such as Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Nicks, and Whitney Houston, and many others. The company says it focuses on reintroducing classic catalogs and bringing timeless music to new audiences through marketing and partnerships.
In December, the company struck a music rights deal with Grammy-winning violinist Itzhak Perlman, whom Orimary Wave described as the “reigning virtuoso of the violin.”
In October, Primary Wave inked a partnership with the estate of the legendary country and folk singer-songwriter, Jerry Jeff Walker.
Primary Wave has been on an acquisition spree, fueled by a $2 billion partnership with Brookfield Asset Management in 2022. This investment, which saw Brookfield take a minority stake in the Larry Mestel-led music publisher, has enabled a series of high-profile deals.
Recent acquisitions include a multi-million dollar partnership with the estate of Ric Ocasek (The Cars), as well as deals with Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), The Spin Doctors, Neil Finn (Crowded House), The Village People, the estate of P.F. Sloan, and Neil Sedaka.
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