Rick Ocasek (Gus Stewart/Redferns Series)
NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Independent music publisher Primary Wave has announced a new partnership with the estate of Ric Ocasek, lead singer and primary songwriter of legendary new wave band The Cars.
Under the deal, Primary Wave will work with Estate to publish Ocasek’s publishing catalog, which includes all songs from his tenure with the Cars, as well as all music he released as a solo artist.
In addition, Primary Wave will hold rights to his name, image and likeness, and provide marketing team and publishing support for new marketing, branding, digital and sync opportunities, as well as film and television projects.
Ocasek’s career spanned five decades and sold more than 20 million records with the Racing Team, including more than 10 top ten hits. Over the course of his career, Ocasek and the Cars were nominated for six Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018.
The catalog includes hits such as “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Let The Good Times Roll” and “Let’s Go,” as well as 1984’s “Drive,” which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Ocasek’s solo albums include Beitude (1982), Fireball Zone (1990), Troublizing (1997) and Nexterday (2005), and his artwork includes 2012’s Lyrics & Prose,” a book of poems, lyrics and pictures, and a series of art galleries in 2017 showcasing his paintings and prints.
Ocasek died in 2019 from complications of hypertensive heart disease and coronary artery disease.
