Last checked at 
11 Jun 2019 07:00
11 June 2019
Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited ("Hipgnosis" or the "Company")
Acquisition of Music Catalogue
The Board of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited and its Investment Adviser, The Family (Music) Limited, are pleased to announce that the Company has acquired a music catalogue from Michael Knox, an American music producer best known for discovering and producing for the American country music singer Jason Aldean.
In April, the three times 'Entertainer of the Year' winner, Jason Aldean was named by the Academy of Country Music (ACM) as its 'Artist of the Decade', signifying his stature as the most important artist in the genre over the last 10 years.
Michael Knox has produced eight albums for Jason Aldean, four of which consecutively reached Number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. Together with Jason Aldean, Michael Knox has sold over 35 million singles in addition to 18 million albums, and has 22 Number 1 hits on either the Billboard 'Hot Country Songs' or 'Country Airplay' charts, including "Girl Like You" which is the Number 1 Airplay song of 2019 to date on the 'Country Aircheck' Top Airplay Songs.
The albums include the eponymous debut 'Jason Aldean' (2005), 'Relentless' (2007), 'Wide Open' (2009), 'My Kinda Party' (2010), 'Night Train' (2012), 'Old Boots, New Dirt' (2014), 'They Don't Know' (2016) and most recently 'Rearview Town' (2018).
Jason Aldean has been nominated for more than 115 music awards by the Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, American Music Awards, iHeart Radio, the Academy Of Country Music, the Country Music Association, American Country Awards and Country Music Television, and has won 28 times.
Michael Knox is currently the Senior-Vice President of peermusic Nashville. Prior to this Knox was an executive at Warner Chappell Music. In 2011, Knox won 'Album of the Year' from the Country Music Association for his production on 'My Kinda Party' by Jason Aldean. In 2012, he won two Academy of Country Music awards for Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson's 'Don't You Wanna Stay'. He won the Academy of Country Music award for Vocal Event in 2013 for producing 'The Only Way I Know', with Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Eric Church. In 2018 Michael Knox launched the syndicated radio show Knox Country 360 as well as a joint venture with BMG on Music Knox Records.
Michael Knox is the son of Buddy Knox which makes him Rock N' Roll and Rockabilly royalty, with his father having composed seminal classics such as 'Party Doll' and 'Hula Love' and having been the first artist in the rock era to write and sing his own Number 1 hit song.
Hipgnosis has acquired 100% of Michael Knox's producer royalties for the catalogue which will include all of Jason Aldean's recordings for the duration of his agreement with the Broken Bow Records label including his brand new album due for release later this year.
Merck Mercuriadis, Founder of The Family (Music) Limited and Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, said:
"Jason Aldean, as recognized by the Academy of Country Music, is undoubtedly country music's most important artist of the last 15 years. Behind him stands Michael Knox who is arguably the best 'record man' in Nashville with the responsibility of identifying great songs and producing great recordings. Theirs is a relationship that has not been seen since the days of George Jones and Billy Sherrill, and it's an honor to welcome Michael into the Hipgnosis family. We are very excited to work with Michael, Jason, Jason's management team, the peermusic team and Broken Bow. This is just the beginning of our endeavors in Nashville where we have the greatest respect for the creative community and its incomparable tradition of great songs!"
Michael Knox said:
"I am excited to be a part of the Hipgnosis movement. Merck has shown a lot of excitement and appreciation for my 20 years of hard work. It's difficult letting go of something I love so much but finding someone as passionate about music as I am, made this transition a lot easier."
Jason Aldean said:
"Michael is like a brother to me. He always believed in me as an artist when nobody else did and you can't put a price tag on that. He has taught me a lot in this business and I wouldn't have had the career I have had without him."
For further information, please contact:
The Family (Music) Limited Merck Mercuriadis
| Tel: +44 (0)1481 742742 |
N+1 Singer James Maxwell / James Moat (Corporate Finance) Alan Geeves / James Waterlow / Sam Greatrex (Sales)
| Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3000 |
The Outside Organisation Alan Edwards / Nick Caley | Tel: +44 (0)7711 081 843 |
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited
(www.hipgnosissongs.com)
Hipgnosis, which was founded by Merck Mercuriadis, is a Guernsey registered investment company established to offer investors a pure-play exposure to songs and associated musical intellectual property rights. In its Initial Public Offering on the Specialist Fund Segment of the London Stock Exchange's main market on 11 July 2018, the Company raised approximately £200m gross equity capital. In its Subsequent Placing under its Placing Programme on 12 April 2019, the Company raised approximately £140m of further equity capital.
About The Family (Music) Limited
The Company's Investment Adviser is The Family (Music) Limited, which was founded by Merck Mercuriadis, former manager of globally successful recording artists, such as Elton John, Guns N' Roses, Morrissey, Iron Maiden and Beyoncé, and hit songwriters such as Diane Warren, Justin Tranter and The-Dream, and former CEO of The Sanctuary Group plc. The Investment Adviser has assembled an Advisory Board of highly successful music industry experts which include award winning members of the artist, songwriter, publishing, legal, financial, recorded music and music management communities, all with in-depth knowledge of music publishing. Members of The Family (Music) Limited Advisory Board include Nile Rodgers, The-Dream, Giorgio Tuinfort, Starrah, Nick Jarjour, David Stewart, Bill Leibowitz, Ian Montone, and Jason Flom.