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You just have to know: Top-earning dead celebrities of 2004
Elvis Presley. As a rock-and-roll icon, Elvis Presley simply has no peer. Neither does Elvis Presley Enterprises, the for-profit organization that runs business affairs for his estate. EPE says that revenue was flat at $40 million, and claims it is split evenly between admissions to Graceland, licensing, merchandising and entertainment licensing. Elvis' image is used to sell everything from American Greetings cards to Zippo lighters. Next up, a clothing line and Broadway musical based on the King's music.($40 MIL)
Charles Schulz. There may not be any new Peanuts cartoons -- those now running in 2,400 newspapers are recycled from the 1970s -- but there's always a new licensing gimmick. This year it's retro fashions, so Peanuts-emblazoned clothing is everywhere from Wal-Mart Stores to H&M. Snoopy and the gang appear on one in five Hallmark cards; the beloved beagle also is a pitchman for MetLife and PepsiCo. The Peanuts empire may be sprawling, but it's still very much a family business. Schulz's survivors get creative approval on every project. Next up is the 40th anniversary of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 2005.($35 MIL)
J.R.R. Tolkien. The battle for Middle Earth came to a close with the last film of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, "The Return of the King." The Ring may have been destroyed but plenty of wealth was created: New Line Cinema grossed nearly $3 billion on the trilogy. The author's estate gets a slice of that and of home video sales, but merchandising was nary a glint in Gollum's eye when Tolkien's contracts were drawn up. So it's doubtful his heirs will see any of the $700 million that movie tchotchkes have grossed. Book sales peaked in 2002, but they still put $9.5 million in estate coffers this year. A film based on "The Hobbit" may now be in the works. ($23 MIL)
John Lennon. The Lennon estate will mark the 24th anniversary of his assassination by releasing two new recordings: a remastered edition of the 1975 covers classic "Rock 'N' Roll," and a compilation of acoustic performances aptly titled "Acoustic." But the real money still comes from the Beatles. Last year's "Naked," a stripped-down version of the band's "Let It Be" album, sold nearly 5 million copies worldwide. In November, EMI will release "The Capitol Albums Vol. 1," a box set of the first four Beatles albums. Two theatrical productions will add to the till: "Lennon," a musical, will open next summer; plans are underway for a Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show. ($21 MIL)
Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. The past year was a good one for Seuss Enterprises but should have been blockbuster, given the hype surrounding "The Cat in the Hat." Instead, its second feature film was savaged by critics and over-marketed with product tie-ins. It pulled down less than half of the first Seuss feature, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," at the box office. But Geisel's widow, Audrey, is known as a shrewd negotiator, and may have received as much as 5% of the movie's gross. Add in book sales (millions of Seuss titles are sold annually), TV rights, art sales, the Seuss Landing theme park and all the Seuss-themed merchandise, and you have a certified juggernaut. ($18 MIL)
Marilyn Monroe. More than 42 years after her death, Marilyn Monroe continues to be an iconic standard-setter when it comes to sex and glamour. Some of the major campaigns of the past year include Visa, Aliz International Luggage, HMY Airways, Volkswagen and Physicians Form cosmetics. More than half of the business comes from companies outside the U.S. CMG Worldwide, which manages and represents Monroe's estate, has signed on more than 150 new partners since last year. Marilyn left everything she had to famed acting coach Lee Strasberg, whose wife took control of Marilyn's estate when he died in 1982. ($8 MIL)
George Harrison. Harrison doesn't get a songwriter credit for the bulk of the Beatles repertoire, but the Fab Four guitarist penned some memorable tunes: "Here Comes the Sun," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Taxman" and "Something." His estate collects a one-quarter share of the royalties paid on every Beatles album sold, which last year approached 9 million units worldwide. It also enjoys the proceeds from Harrison's solo output, which includes songs such as "My Sweet Lord," and "Give Me Love." In February, EMI released "The Dark Horse Years, 1976-1992," a box set sure to find its way into holiday gifts this ($7 MIL)December.
Irving Berlin. Born Israel Beilin, young Berlin sang for pennies in the streets of New York. Landed his first major hit with "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in 1911. Over the next five decades, Berlin would produce a repertoire that defined American music: musicals (Annie Get Your Gun), jazz standards ("Cheek to Cheek," "Puttin' on the Ritz") and novelty tunes ("White Christmas," "God Bless America"). Along with huge publishing royalties, Berlin's heirs also own half of the historic Music Box theater in New York. Broadway producer Kevin McCollum is currently gearing up a theatrical version of Berlin's 1954 movie classic "White Christmas." ($7 MIL)
Bob Marley. As the reggae legend achieves sainthood in the music world, his progeny have become shrewd entrepreneurs in Miami. Under the Tuff Gong label, the Marley clan slices and dices and reissues every album in the Marley catalog. But nothing outsells "Legend." Since its release in 1984, the greatest hits compilation has sold more than 20 million copies and remains a staple on the record charts (yes, it too was augmented and re-released in 2002). Vintage Marley, the flagship store operated by son Robby, sells all things Bob, including the Original Rude Bwoy fashion line. ($7 MIL)
Richard Rodgers. While studying at the Manhattan School of Music (now Juilliard), Rodgers composed short pieces with upper classmate lyricists Oscar Hammerstein II and Lorenz Hart. After school he teamed with Hart, first to write musicals ("A Connecticut Yankee"), then Hollywood scores, a partnership that yielded such standards as "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Bewitched," "My Funny Valentine," and "Isn't It Romantic?" After Hart's death in 1943, Rodgers joined forces with Hammerstein to pen Broadway hits "Oklahoma," "The Sound of Music," "South Pacific," and "The King and I." They were among the first artists to retain ownership of their master recordings. ($6.5 MIL)
Elvis Presley. As a rock-and-roll icon, Elvis Presley simply has no peer. Neither does Elvis Presley Enterprises, the for-profit organization that runs business affairs for his estate. EPE says that revenue was flat at $40 million, and claims it is split evenly between admissions to Graceland, licensing, merchandising and entertainment licensing. Elvis' image is used to sell everything from American Greetings cards to Zippo lighters. Next up, a clothing line and Broadway musical based on the King's music.($40 MIL)
Charles Schulz. There may not be any new Peanuts cartoons -- those now running in 2,400 newspapers are recycled from the 1970s -- but there's always a new licensing gimmick. This year it's retro fashions, so Peanuts-emblazoned clothing is everywhere from Wal-Mart Stores to H&M. Snoopy and the gang appear on one in five Hallmark cards; the beloved beagle also is a pitchman for MetLife and PepsiCo. The Peanuts empire may be sprawling, but it's still very much a family business. Schulz's survivors get creative approval on every project. Next up is the 40th anniversary of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 2005.($35 MIL)
J.R.R. Tolkien. The battle for Middle Earth came to a close with the last film of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series, "The Return of the King." The Ring may have been destroyed but plenty of wealth was created: New Line Cinema grossed nearly $3 billion on the trilogy. The author's estate gets a slice of that and of home video sales, but merchandising was nary a glint in Gollum's eye when Tolkien's contracts were drawn up. So it's doubtful his heirs will see any of the $700 million that movie tchotchkes have grossed. Book sales peaked in 2002, but they still put $9.5 million in estate coffers this year. A film based on "The Hobbit" may now be in the works. ($23 MIL)
John Lennon. The Lennon estate will mark the 24th anniversary of his assassination by releasing two new recordings: a remastered edition of the 1975 covers classic "Rock 'N' Roll," and a compilation of acoustic performances aptly titled "Acoustic." But the real money still comes from the Beatles. Last year's "Naked," a stripped-down version of the band's "Let It Be" album, sold nearly 5 million copies worldwide. In November, EMI will release "The Capitol Albums Vol. 1," a box set of the first four Beatles albums. Two theatrical productions will add to the till: "Lennon," a musical, will open next summer; plans are underway for a Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show. ($21 MIL)
Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. The past year was a good one for Seuss Enterprises but should have been blockbuster, given the hype surrounding "The Cat in the Hat." Instead, its second feature film was savaged by critics and over-marketed with product tie-ins. It pulled down less than half of the first Seuss feature, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," at the box office. But Geisel's widow, Audrey, is known as a shrewd negotiator, and may have received as much as 5% of the movie's gross. Add in book sales (millions of Seuss titles are sold annually), TV rights, art sales, the Seuss Landing theme park and all the Seuss-themed merchandise, and you have a certified juggernaut. ($18 MIL)
Marilyn Monroe. More than 42 years after her death, Marilyn Monroe continues to be an iconic standard-setter when it comes to sex and glamour. Some of the major campaigns of the past year include Visa, Aliz International Luggage, HMY Airways, Volkswagen and Physicians Form cosmetics. More than half of the business comes from companies outside the U.S. CMG Worldwide, which manages and represents Monroe's estate, has signed on more than 150 new partners since last year. Marilyn left everything she had to famed acting coach Lee Strasberg, whose wife took control of Marilyn's estate when he died in 1982. ($8 MIL)
George Harrison. Harrison doesn't get a songwriter credit for the bulk of the Beatles repertoire, but the Fab Four guitarist penned some memorable tunes: "Here Comes the Sun," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Taxman" and "Something." His estate collects a one-quarter share of the royalties paid on every Beatles album sold, which last year approached 9 million units worldwide. It also enjoys the proceeds from Harrison's solo output, which includes songs such as "My Sweet Lord," and "Give Me Love." In February, EMI released "The Dark Horse Years, 1976-1992," a box set sure to find its way into holiday gifts this ($7 MIL)December.
Irving Berlin. Born Israel Beilin, young Berlin sang for pennies in the streets of New York. Landed his first major hit with "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in 1911. Over the next five decades, Berlin would produce a repertoire that defined American music: musicals (Annie Get Your Gun), jazz standards ("Cheek to Cheek," "Puttin' on the Ritz") and novelty tunes ("White Christmas," "God Bless America"). Along with huge publishing royalties, Berlin's heirs also own half of the historic Music Box theater in New York. Broadway producer Kevin McCollum is currently gearing up a theatrical version of Berlin's 1954 movie classic "White Christmas." ($7 MIL)
Bob Marley. As the reggae legend achieves sainthood in the music world, his progeny have become shrewd entrepreneurs in Miami. Under the Tuff Gong label, the Marley clan slices and dices and reissues every album in the Marley catalog. But nothing outsells "Legend." Since its release in 1984, the greatest hits compilation has sold more than 20 million copies and remains a staple on the record charts (yes, it too was augmented and re-released in 2002). Vintage Marley, the flagship store operated by son Robby, sells all things Bob, including the Original Rude Bwoy fashion line. ($7 MIL)
Richard Rodgers. While studying at the Manhattan School of Music (now Juilliard), Rodgers composed short pieces with upper classmate lyricists Oscar Hammerstein II and Lorenz Hart. After school he teamed with Hart, first to write musicals ("A Connecticut Yankee"), then Hollywood scores, a partnership that yielded such standards as "The Lady Is a Tramp," "Bewitched," "My Funny Valentine," and "Isn't It Romantic?" After Hart's death in 1943, Rodgers joined forces with Hammerstein to pen Broadway hits "Oklahoma," "The Sound of Music," "South Pacific," and "The King and I." They were among the first artists to retain ownership of their master recordings. ($6.5 MIL)