Imagem Music Signs George Gershwin Catalog

The work of one of modern music’s legends may have just gotten more accessible.

A Gershwin gathering (left to right): Richard Stumpf, President of Imagem Music, Marc Gershwin, Todd Gershwin, Peter Raleigh, Vice President, Copyright Administration, Imagem Music

Imagem Music, the pop music division of the Imagem Music Group and the world’s largest indie music publisher, announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with the Arthur Gershwin Testamentary Trust.

Imagem, with offices in NYC and LA, will now administer the work George Gershwin created during the last three years of his life, a highly prolific period wherein he wrote the songs featured in Porgy and Bess, Shall We Dance, A Damsel In Distress, and The Goldwyn Follies, among others.

Gershwin was just 38 when he died of a brain tumor in 1937, cutting short an amazing career where he wrote unforgettable compositions in both the popular and classic genres. The portion of the catalog that Imagem now administers includes such essential songs as “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “A Foggy Day,” “They All Laughed,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” and “Summertime.”

Here are some more details on the deal, direct from Imagem, including input from Gershwin’s family:

Gershwin’s works are performed today with greater frequency than they were during his brief lifetime. Countless singers and musicians have recorded his works including Janis Joplin, Diana Ross, Madonna, Barbara Streisand, Sting, and Amy Winehouse. Porgy and Bess was revived most recently in 2012 and many Gershwin songs are featured in Tony Award Winning Nice Work If You Can Get It, currently on Broadway.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the entire Imagem team,” commented Marc George Gershwin. “We look forward to collaborating with such a uniquely qualified organization on finding ways to share George Gershwin’s music with the world.”

“The chance to work with musical masterpieces by Gershwin is rare,” said Richard Stumpf, President of Imagem Music. “We feel very fortunate that Marc and his family have chosen us as a partner when they could have gone anywhere. Continuing the legacy of the songs through aggressive promotion is our number one priority.”

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