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BBC Learning English
Words in the News
17
th
March 2010
Jackson's record record deal
Record company Sony have signed a deal to release old and new songs by the late pop star
Michael Jackson. The deal is worth about $250 million and is the biggest ever made for any
artist, living or dead. This report is from Rajesh Mirchandani:
The deal with Michael Jackson's
long-time record company
Sony is worth up to a quarter of
a billion dollars over seven years. It's the biggest ever and includes ten projects. Among them
at least one album of entirely new songs Jackson recorded before he died.
Some old hits will be
re-issued
as well, perhaps
re-mixed
for a younger audience. And a
DVD of his music videos is likely too.
It's
a bonanza
for fans but also
a shrewd bet
on his future
bankability
. Pop stars often earn
money after they have died, but nothing on this scale. More than 30 million Michael Jackson
albums have been sold since his death, making him one of the highest-earning artists of last
year.
It means Michael Jackson's
estate
can look forward to huge earnings, benefitting his children,
his mother and several charities. It will also help to pay off some of the $400 million in debt
the star left behind.
The contract
dwarfs
those for other stars. In recent years rap
mogul
Jay-Z signed a deal worth
$150 million and Madonna for $120 million.
Rajesh Mirchandani, BBC, Los Angeles
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
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bbclearningenglish.com
Vocabulary and definitions
long-time record company
organisation which had published his music for many
years
re-issued
made available again
re-mixed
with different musical production
a bonanza
a large amount of something good
a shrewd bet
a clever investment
bankability
ability to make money
estate
legal term for the property and money, including debts, of
someone who has died
dwarfs
is so much bigger than that it makes others look very small
mogul
powerful and important person in a particular business
More on this story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8569481.stm
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2010/03/100317_witn_jackson.shtml
Words in the News
© British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
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bbclearningenglish.com
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