Reservoir Media acquired the rights to the recorded music catalog of “Feliz Navidad” artist and songwriter José Feliciano. The deal includes non-exclusive rights to Feliciano’s name, image and likeness.
The Puerto Rican-born and New York-raised Feliciano is a seven-time Grammy winner who has scored two top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, for “Feliz Navidad” and his 1968 cover of The Doors‘ “Light My Fire.” Born blind, he began performing as a teenager in Greenwich Village before signing with RCA Victor in 1964. He’s also known for writing and performing the theme to the TV show Chico and the Man, along with songs including “Rain,” “Affirmation” and “Let’s Find Each Other Tonight.” He also featured on recordings by John Lennon, Joni Mitchell and Bill Withers. He’s released more than 60 albums and continues to record and tour globally.
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“I’m excited to be in partnership with the talented Reservoir Team, ensuring the enjoyment of my music for generations to come,” said Feliciano in a statement.
“José Feliciano’s incredible gift extends far beyond the accomplished hit ‘Feliz Navidad,’” said Reservoir executive vp and global creative director Donna Caseine. “His catalog is extensive, with countless bilingual recordings that helped popularize Latin music with a global audience. José’s legacy is a credit to the high-quality, popular music he has written and shared with the world for over half a century, and it’s an honor to champion José and his body of work at Reservoir.”
Reservoir founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi added, “This year, our Reservoir team has focused concertedly on expanding our portfolio of Latin music, and bringing José’s music to Reservoir is an important continuation of those efforts. His countless accolades showcase just how much impact his catalog has had on Latin and popular music, and we look forward to continuing to support such influential music.”
Feliciano was represented in the deal by Denny Marte (MPA Advisors), Jay Stollman (Jay Stollman Entertainment) and Brett Green, Esq.
Read on for more recent music industry deals.