hollywood billionaire

Chapter 499 A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

"Irving J. Sloan?"

"My Irving J. Sloan?"

Stevie Nicks' expression froze instantly, like a record that had been paused. It wasn't the nostalgic and playful surprise she'd felt upon hearing Dave Stewart's name, but a pure, almost uncontrollable shock. She felt as if she'd been struck by an invisible electric current; her back straightened instantly, and her body, which had been lounging against the back of her chair, tensed completely.

"There's no other celebrity in the music industry with that name, is there?"

Han Yi nodded slightly and chuckled softly.

“The Irving J. Sloan I’m referring to is your lawyer.”

With over 45 years of experience, Irving is one of the most respected lawyers in the entertainment industry, representing numerous well-known artists. His client list is stellar, including legendary musicians such as Elton John, Barry Mannello, Kenny Rogers, ABBA, Frank Zappa, and Stevie Nix, as well as leading companies in the entertainment, publishing, internet, and consumer sectors such as Playboy, HBO, and Coca-Cola.

To give an analogy, if Jordan Bromley is like Justin Bieber, who is currently popular but needs more time and experience to solidify his position in the industry, then Irving J. Sloan is like Paul McCartney, who has a wealth of works and honors and is worshipped by younger generations wherever he goes.

"It seems you're planning to completely surround me." After the initial shock, Stevie tapped her fingertips rhythmically on the armrest of her chair, looking at Han Yi with a half-smile. "If Dave was an accident, what about Owen?"

“Owen is… an accident caused by you.” Han Yi pondered for a moment before answering sincerely. “We have always known that you are surrounded by the best talent in the industry. Don’t misunderstand, you are one of the best songwriters in the world, but to achieve commercial success, climb to the top and stay in the same position for decades, you must have a team of experts with rich experience in music promotion, image management, transaction negotiation and risk management.”

“And the team you’ve recruited is truly something many artists envy…including myself.” Lionel Richie offered his praise from his perspective at the right moment, “Cheryl Lewis—her name is always mentioned when people talk about great artists managers. There are very few business partners in this industry who have worked together so closely for almost half a century like her and you.”

"The talent agents, Robert Norman and Jeffrey Friedman, two star employees of CAA, I've heard they've climbed the corporate food chain faster than anyone imagined. And the lawyers, not to mention Irving J. Sloan, do you know what that name means, McGrady?"

“I know he’s remarkable, but as for his more specific achievements… I haven’t looked into them in depth yet,” Madison replied honestly.

And you, Lana?

"I'm not quite sure either," Lana shook her head.

“See… I’m not blaming you two, because nobody told you this, but this is exactly what the new generation of kids needs to know—what our industry used to be like, and how it has evolved to where it is today.” Lionel waved his arms dramatically. “The important figures in the industry aren’t just the artists who release records, but also the unsung heroes like Irving who work behind the scenes. They tried to break the mold, make changes, create new normal, and through their tireless efforts, ultimately reshaped the entire music industry.”

"For decades, he has handled countless complex and sophisticated transactions for clients, including acquisitions, mergers, and licensing negotiations in the music, film, television, and digital media sectors." "Through negotiation, he facilitated some of the early agreements involving the internet, mobile ringtones, satellite video transmission, mobile entertainment, broadband, and wireless. In other words, the revenue models and distribution methods used to calculate online music revenue were largely created by him."

"Through negotiation, he helped clients sign some of the biggest and most innovative record deals in the music industry, including the first artist-owned label agreement in the rock music scene."

"He is so authoritative on issues such as contracts, intellectual property, royalty calculations, contracts with minors, and music industry practices that almost all estate distribution cases in the industry, including the estates of Bing Crosby, Nine Inch Nails, and Michael Jackson, seek his guidance as an expert witness or litigation advisor."

"He is also the co-founder of the renowned music publishing company Killer Tracks, widely recognized as a pioneer in music copyright library management. If you haven't heard of Killer Tracks yet, it's because it now has a different name: Universal Music Productions, a subsidiary of Universal Music Distribution, specializing in licensing music for film, television, advertising, and interactive media."

“So, yes, we contacted him because we wanted him to be another strong ‘expert witness’—to invite him to learn more about our business model, to get deeply involved in our operations, and through him, to persuade long-term clients like you to join our cause.” Han Yi concluded, “Every member of your team is invaluable. And in my opinion, Irving is the most valuable of them all. In many ways, he is very different from Dave, but by serving as a permanent member of the board of directors, they both help the foundation in the same way.”

"That is, to become the key that unlocks countless opportunities for the foundation."

“You just said that Irving helped his client sign the first deal in rock music to have an artist with their own label.” Lana Del Rey, her mind still lingering on the previous topic that had captivated her, asked, “Which artist?”

“Frank Zappa,” Stevie answered Lana before Lionel could speak. “Frank was Irving’s long-time client, much earlier than I was. Irving not only helped Frank secure the opportunity to operate his own independent label within a major music group, but also negotiated distribution and music copyright agreements with considerable autonomy. And after Frank’s death, Irving has served as chairman of his estate…”

At this point, Stevie suddenly stopped talking, her gaze lingering on Han Yi's face for a moment longer.

"Have you spoken to Irving about Frank's copyright library? I mean, about acquiring the entire copyright library?"

"We certainly cannot ignore such a valuable copyright library."

Observing Stephenie's reaction, Han Yi hesitated for a few breaths, but ultimately chose to continue telling the truth:

"Yes, we are discussing matters related to the Frank Zappa Estate with Irving. Frank's situation... is slightly different from other artists. Because most of his music was released through his independent record label, which means he owns the master tapes of those songs, or at least a large portion of the rights. In addition, there are, of course, the song and music copyright library, video footage, and all the content in 'The Vault,' including his name and image rights."

"This is a truly unique opportunity for us to...deeply tie ourselves to the entire assets of a renowned artist."

(End of this chapter)