Jack White has reportedly sold a portion of his extensive back catalogue to Sony Music for an unknown price.
The Hollywood Reporter have cited a source “familiar” with the deal, stating that it only encompasses a section of White’s catalogue, but it does take in rights relating to his work with The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather and his solo work.
The deal was reportedly closed earlier this summer, although neither Sony Music not White himself have publicly commented on the matter. The deal is not thought to apply to any future recordings that White makes.
White has had a working relationship with Sony dating back to a partnership that was signed with the musician’s own Third Man Records in 2012 following the dissolution of The White Stripes.
Many high-profile musicians have been selling their back catalogues and publishing rights to companies such as Sony Music in recent years. In 2021, Bruce Springsteen signed a deal worth approximately $500million for his entire music library, while Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks and Neil Young made similar deals.
Just last month, Slipknot sold their catalogue to HarbourView Equity Partners for $120million, while other recent deals include Pink Floyd for $400million, as well as Queen, KISS and Tame Impala.
As for White, he recently got into a spat with Donald Trump. He initially hit out at the President’s White House redesign, describing his taste as “disgusting” and calling the slew of gold ornaments and picture frames in the Oval Office as “vulgar, gold leafed and gaudy”.
He went on to call Trump “an embarrassment to American history”, before adding, “Also pictured in this photograph, a REAL leader of a nation in a black suit,” referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung fired back, calling White a “washed up, has-been loser posting drivel on social media because he clearly has ample time on his hands due to his stalled career.”
White quickly responded, calling Cheung a “professional liar” and suggesting the White House focus on more pressing issues, such as “his inclusion in the Epstein files”, “his gestapo ICE tactics”, and “the dying children in Sudan, Gaza and the Democratic Republic of Congo.”
Elsewhere, White became the “reluctant owner of a cellular telephone” in July on his 50th birthday, having been a longtime opponent of them and banning them from his gigs.
