Tina Turner’s name, image, likeness rights, and a majority share of her music catalog rights have been sold from BMG to Pophouse.
According to the Associated Press, Pophouse, a Swedish company co-founded by Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA, “is known for its digital avatars and immersive experiences.”
Jessica Koravos, CEO of Pophouse, did not reveal the details of the deal but said that she shared her excitement about acquiring Turner’s rights. She also didn’t reveal if a Tina Turner digital avatar is on the way.
“One of the reasons that we were so interested in Tina is because she has such an incredible visual presence. And such an incredible stage energy, Koravos said. “So, we’re very much looking at projects that can portray that and try to recreate that to some degree.”
“What we want to do is really help to consolidate her legacy,” Koravos continued. “I think that Tina Turner is up there, or is going to be up there, with the Elvises and the Marilyn Monroes of the world.”
Pophouse also said that plans will be announced for Turner’s rights in the next six months.
Alistair Norbury, president of BMG U.K., Continental Europe, and APAC, issued a statement.
“Tina Turner’s voice and spirit shaped modern music and popular culture,” Norbury said. “Our responsibility, alongside Pophouse and the Estate, is to ensure her work continues to resonate with audiences around the world, while remaining true to the strength, independence, and originality that defined her career.”
TINA TURNER IS THE ‘QUEEN OF ROCK & ROLL’
Known as the “Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” Turner has sold over 100 million records and won 12 Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. After rising to fame in the 1960s with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue and surviving a deeply abusive marriage, she staged one of the greatest comebacks in music history with her 1984 solo album, Private Dancer. Her accolades include two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame—first as a duo in 1991 and later as a solo artist in 2021. She’s also the first Black artist and first woman to grace the cover of Rolling Stone.