Hipgnosis Songs Acquires Catalog From Bon Jovi’s Richie Sambora
By Variety Staff
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Hipgnosis Songs has acquired a music catalog from Richie Sambora.
The guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer is best known for his tenure as a member of Bon Jovi. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
According to an announcement released March 30, Hipgnosis has acquired 100% of Sambora’s copyrights on this catalogue, which comprises 186 songs. songs on which Sambora is co-credited include “You Give Love a Bad Name,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Never Say Goodbye,” “Bad Medicine” and “I’ll Be There For You,” among others.
One of the most successful rock bands of the last 30-plus years, Bon Jovi’s 1986 album “Slippery When Wet” sold more than 28 million copies and was certified 12-times platinum for sales in the U.S. Sambora was with the band through 12 studio albums, five compilations and two live albums, totaling sales of more than 130 million worldwide.
Sambora also released three solo albums and has credits on songs written for Jennifer Nettles and Cher.
Said Merck Mercuriadis, Founder of The Family (Music) Limited and Fund Limited: “In uncertain times such as this you are reminded of the power of great songs and great music and amongst the greatest set of songs of the last 35 years are the incomparable songs Richie Sambora co-wrote for Bon Jovi and other great artists. He’s a musician’s musician and a songwriter’s songwriter and is one of the very precious few that is an inductee of both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I m delighted to welcome Richie to the Hipgnosis family and look forward to working closely with him for many years to come on this elite set of songs.”
“I’m very privileged to have had the incredible success I have achieved as a songwriter and artist to date,” added Sambora. “These songs are very important to me and I feel very strongly that Merck is the only person I could have entrusted my babies to. I believe the work he is doing that has transformed the way that the world looks at the power of great songs and the songwriting community is very special. I look forward to working with him and his Hipgnosis team to deliver more success for all of us.”
Sambora was represented in the sale by Michael Guido of Carroll, Guido & Groffman Cohen Bar & Karalian, LLP.
