Marilyn Monroe and other late legends still earn millions of dollars each year from image royalties and music usage rights .
On November 13, Forbes magazine published a list of famous people who have passed away (including artists, engineers, painters, athletes…) but still had millions of dollars in income in the past year, starting from November 1. October 2019 to October 1, 2020 and tax has not been deducted. King of pop Michael Jackson leads the chart with 48 million USD. “ The disastrous documentary Leaving Neverland did not shake Michael’s throne. In particular, royalties from the music platform Mijac Music account for 70% of his revenue this year,” the American magazine wrote. Photo: BBC.
Rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley ranked 5th with $23 million. This year, although the late artist’s family’s Graceland museum had to close for 2 months due to the epidemic, it still brought him $10 million in ticket sales. The singer of Can’t Help Falling In Love passed away at the age of 42 after a heart attack. Photo: NY Daily News.
Rapper Juice WRLD , real name Jarad Higgins, has reportedly had a spike in music streams since his death in December 2019, just 9 months after he released his second album, Death Race for Love. Forbes reports that WRLD was paid $15 million in royalties last year. Photo: BBC.
Bob Marley pioneered reggae music and was honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after his death in 1981. After 39 years, audiences still remember him as a legend. Marley’s online music streams skyrocketed and the late artist’s electronics brand pocketed more than $3 million, bringing his total yearly income to $14 million. Photo: Wamc .
40 years after member John Lennon was murdered, The Beatles’ music still makes millions of dollars from the song Penny Lane . Furthermore, the products that Lennon composed for The Fab Four also helped the late artist make money when the melodies were used on TV or in movies. Lennon ranked 9th with 13 million USD. Photo: People.
Paisley Park , better known by his stage name Prince, followed with $10 million. During his lifetime, the owner of the hit Little Red Corvette had a strong influence on the Minneapolis sound genre, mixing many different styles such as funk, rock, R&B, soul, spychedelia and pop. Photo: Time Magazine.
Freddie Mercury died at the age of 45 due to AIDS. In 2018, director Bryan Singer produced the film Bohemian Rhapsody about the life of the king of rock music. The effects of the movie helped the name Freddie Mercury become hot again, meaning Queen’s music copyright revenue also skyrocketed and brought him 9 million USD. Photo: Voice of America.
8.5 million USD is the income of “The Quiet Beatle” (real name George Harrison) in 2020. He is a British singer-songwriter and music producer who plays the guitar position in the group The Beatles. In 2001, he passed away from cancer. Photo: America Songwriter.
“The late blonde queen will forever be worshiped. Her image and name are used by nearly 100 brands globally, including Dolce & Gabbana, Zales and even Lego Group,” Forbes wrote and reported that Marilyn Monroe earned $8 million last year. Photo: Elle Magazine.
