THE MUSIC PUBLISHER ACQUIRES A MAJORITY STAKE IN LIND’S MUSIC-PUBLISHING CATALOG INCLUDING HIS HIT SONGS “BOOGIE WONDERLAND” BY EARTH, WIND & FIRE, “CRAZY FOR YOU” BY MADONNA, AND “SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST” BY VANESSA WILLIAMS
The music-publishing catalog of Award-winning songwriter, multi-platinum A&R, music publisher and Brooklyn native, Jon Lind is the latest acquisition for Primary Wave Music Publishing, the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world. In a deal that was announced today, Primary Wave has acquired a majority stake in the songwriter’s music publishing catalog. Included are some of Lind’s biggest hits such as “Boogie Wonderland” and “Sun Goddess” by Earth, Wind & Fire, “Save the Best for Last” by Vanessa Williams and “Crazy for You” by Madonna. Both “Save the Best for Last” and “Crazy for You” shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Save the Best for Last” stayed atop the Billboard chart for five weeks and was the biggest success of Vanessa William’s career. The song was named “Song of the Year” by ASCAP in 1992 and earned a Grammy nomination for “Song of the Year” and “Record of the Year” in 1993.
Jon will also now have access to Primary Wave’s marketing and publishing infrastructure, which includes digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities, and film & TV production.
“Jon has written timeless songs that have resonated in people’s lives for years and continue to do so to this day,” says Adam Lowenberg, Chief Marketing Officer of Primary Wave Music Publishing. He goes on, “Our team couldn’t be happier to welcome him to Primary Wave and are looking forward to bringing new life into his classic hits.”
“From a lifetime of ‘collaboration,’ I’d like to give special thanks to Bob Cavallo for always believing! And the Mighty Maurice White, who became my personal Picasso and Merlin whisperer, encouraging me to break rules, splash colors, and try to make real magic,” says Jon Lind. He goes on, “Today, I am excited, inspired, and humbled to be joining Larry Mestel and the Primary Wave family of artists, writers, composers and executives!”
Jon Lind’s attorney, Jeremy Rosen, adds “Little did I know as a child that decades later I would represent the maestro behind Rodney Dangerfield’s classic Caddyshack dance scene. I am genuinely pleased to facilitate this catalog partnership with Primary Wave on behalf of my legendary dear friend, Jon Lind.”
Jon Lind has had one of the most unique and notable careers in the music industry. He first established himself as a hit songwriter in the late 1970s, writing songs for Earth, Wind & Fire, Ramsey Lewis, Deniece Williams, Atlantic Starr, Betty Wright and others. He continued writing throughout the 80’s, penning hits for the likes of Madonna, Cher, Cheap Trick, Aaron Neville, Mica Paris, The Emotions, Jennifer Holliday, and Rick Astley, among others. By the 90’s, he had a number of hits on the charts, two with Vanessa Williams, plus a variety of prestigious collaborations, including Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey from The Who. In 1998, his mentor, Bob Cavallo, enlisted Lind as Head of A&R at Hollywood Records, where he was instrumental in developing the careers and successes of Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Jesse McCartney. Lind will utilize his legendary A&R chops to reimagine, and curate collaborations for, select songs from Primary Wave’s iconic song catalog.