Quincy Jones Estate Sells Music & Other Assets to Harbourview

HarbourView Equity Partners has acquired select music and non-music assets from the estate of Quincy Jones, the company announced Thursday (March 12).

The deal includes both recorded music and publishing assets and other ancillary rights, including the music legend’s participation in the iconic NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which Jones executive-produced.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

With the deal, Harbourview “will work in close partnership” with the Jones estate on future initiatives pertaining to the icon’s name, image and likeness, according to a press release.

“Our father was endlessly curious and always ahead of his time. Long before anyone talked about ‘multi-platform,’ he was already building bridges and connecting the dots across music, film, television, publishing, technology and culture, creating iconic juggernauts like Thriller, The Color Purple, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Vibe,” said Jones’ daughter Rashida Jones in a statement on behalf of the family.

“These projects didn’t just succeed; they became the gold standard,” she continued. “What made him extraordinary was his ability to see around corners and bring together the right people, ideas, and sounds to create timeless work again and again. As his children, our responsibility is to protect not only the catalog, but the spirit and love behind it. HarbourView understands that legacy and has the vision and expertise to help ensure that future generations can feel the full scope of his everlasting impact.”

“Our father didn’t just create hits, he built platforms that shaped culture across music, film, media, and technology,” added Jones’ son Quincy Jones III. “He believed innovation was a creative tool and embraced it early, from serving on the board of MIT to pushing the boundaries of what storytelling could be. He had a deep passion for empowering future generations of creatives, and saw technology/innovation as a conduit if used ethically. HarbourView was the clear partner for our family: Sherrese Clarke’s vision, cultural pride, and mission alignment give us great confidence that our father’s legacy will be thoughtfully protected and carried forward.”

In her own statement, Sherrese Clarke, CEO of Harbourview, wrote, “Quincy Jones was not just a once-in-a-generation talent, he was a once-in-a-century architect of culture. Our partnership with the Estate is rooted in deep respect for Quincy’s creative vision and a long-term commitment to safeguarding his work, his likeness, and his influence for generations to come.”

Among Jones’ many creative ventures, he produced three of Michael Jackson‘s biggest albums — Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad — along with the smash 1985 charity single “We Are the World.” When he was only 28, he rose to vp of Mercury Records, making him the first Black executive at a major U.S. record company, according to the release. In film, he co-produced Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of The Color Purple, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including best picture and best original song for “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister),” which Jones co-wrote with Rod Temperton and Lionel Richie.

Jones earned a total of 28 Grammys, one Emmy, one Tony and two non-competitive Oscars: the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and, posthumously, the Academy Honorary Award.

Harbourview’s portfolio includes roughly $2.67 billion in regulatory assets under management and more than 70 music catalogs, according to a press release, including assets from performers including Kelly Clarkson, T-Pain, Christine McVie, Pat Benatar, Nelly, Hit-Boy and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins.

Fox Rothschild served as Harbourview’s legal counsel in the transaction. The Quincy Jones estate was represented by Gene Salomon and Don Passman at Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.