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Queen Catalog to Be Acquired by Sony Music for £1 Billion

The Queen music catalog, along with a number of other rights, is in the process of being acquired by Sony Music for £1 billion, two sources confirm.

However, in Sony’s case, that is not surprising as the company rarely comments on catalog acquisitions and its nine-figure deals for Bruce Springsteen’s publishing and recorded-music rights, and Bob Dylan’s recorded-music rights, have never been officially commented upon but have become common knowledge in the industry. The success of the 2018 biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” shows the potential for the group’s name and likeness rights, and the likelihood of a jukebox musical that could open in London or on Broadway and then tour indefinitely. Queen originally formed in London in 1970 with May and Taylor — who previously played together in a group called Smile — joined by Freddie Mercury on vocals and piano and, the following year, John Deacon on bass.

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