Iconoclast Buys Rights to Legendary Singer Tony Bennett’s Royalties

Elizabeth Dilts Marshall
·2 min read
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Iconoclast, an artist and brand development company, said on Tuesday (March 19) it acquired legendary Great American Songbook singer Tony Bennett‘s catalog and his name and image likeness rights.

Sony Music, however, said it still owns Tony Bennett’s catalog. A representative for Iconoclast could not immediately be reached for comment.

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The vocal titan known for his renditions of “Because of You” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” dedicated his nearly seven-decade career to the canon of American jazz classics, show tunes and popular songs from the first half of the century that are known as the Great American Songbook. Bennett, who died last July, became a bridge late in life between the classics and modern pop music through concerts and recordings with Amy Winehouse, Elvis Costello, k.d. lang and others.

Iconoclast founder Olivier Chastan, along with Bennett’s son and manager Danny Bennett, said the company has secured several Tony Bennett-branded projects, including a New York City restaurant, a series of watches with luxury American watch company Bulova and a Paramount+ documentary called The Lady and The Legend, about Bennett’s frequent collaborations with Lady Gaga.

“We all walk in the footsteps of giants. Tony was one of these giants,” Chastan said in a statement. “Besides his extraordinary talent that radiated for over 60 years, Tony’s legacy is one of character, integrity, kindness and courage. We are truly honored to be the custodians of this incredible and historical legend.”

Danny Bennett said he expects the deal will ensure his father’s works “endure for future generations.”

“In working with Tony for over 40 years, my philosophy was always that I didn’t manage a career but, rather, managed a legacy,” said Danny Bennett. “Iconoclast … will continue this tradition.”

Chastan founded Iconoclast in 2021, after having previously led Irving Azoff‘s Iconic Artists Group. The company owns rights to works by artists including The Band musician Robbie Robertson, Marianne Faithfull and David Cassidy.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Iconoclast was represented by Sam Roseme and Peter Paterno of King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, and Tony Bennett was represented by Don Friedman of Grubman, Shire, Meiselas & Sacks.

3:53pm EST: This story has been updated to reflect that Sony Music has disputed which rights Iconoclast purchased, including whether it purchased the Bennett catalog. A rep for Iconoclast could not be reached to clarify. This story will be updated further.

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