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A nail in the casket is hardly the end for some stars. Instead, their work, as well as their iconic images, continues to appeal to fans who remember them, and to those born long after they died. The 13 icons on our sixth annual Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list collectively earned $247 million in the last 12 months.
Their estates continue to make money by inking deals involving both their work and the rights to use their name and likenesses on merchandise and marketing campaigns. To land on this year’s list, a star needed to make at least $7 million between October 2005 and October 2006.
How does a posthumous star land--and stay--on our list? Solitary events--a successful film release or an estate sale--won’t necessarily do it over the long term. Staying power comes from a body of work--or simply an iconic image--with long-lasting appeal. Elvis Presley has both, which has kept the King near the top of our list every year. And last year, entertainment mogul Robert Sillerman’s paid $100 million for an 85% share of Presley’s estate.
The Top-Earning Dead Celebrities
But a one-off event can catapult a star onto the list. Or, in the case of Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, to the top. While his music continues to sell, his debut atop the list is largely due to his widow, Courtney Love, who sold a 25% stake in his song catalog to publishing company Primary Wave for a reported $50 million. Thanks to this deal, audiences will be hearing much more of the angst-ridden rocker as his library graces the big and small screens. And, in a turn the rock star likely never imagined in his lifetime, his music may one day be used in advertising campaigns.
Other stars’ fortunes fluctuate a bit depending on how active their handlers have been in the past year: Music legend Johnny Cash released two new albums this year, and Bob Marley’s team continues to find new ways to repackage his reggae catalog. Former Beatle John Lennon could see a significant increase in income in coming years: His widow Yoko Ono is involved in two lawsuits against record label EMI Group for unpaid royalties.
Looking ahead, the future looks bright for late-night legend Johnny Carson, whose personal library of 4,000-plus Tonight Show hours could make millions in the YouTube era. Sadly for his fans--and his estate’s finances--less than 20 hours have been released thus far. Of course, with emerging technology, the public will likely get an opportunity to hear--and see--a lot more of many deceased stars, often as they’ve never been seen before. Already, voice modeling and computer-generated imaging can bring posthumous stars back to provide authentic performances for videogames, films and advertisements. You need only flip on the TV to see Audrey Hepburn dancing about in the Gap's skinny-black-pants advertising campaign.
Kurt Cobain
Earnings: $50 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: April 5, 1994
Age: 27
Cause: Suicide
Will Kurt Cobain sell cars? Perhaps. The Nirvana front man's music could start popping up in some unexpected places now that his widow Courtney Love has sold a 25% stake in his band's song catalog to Primary Wave, a New York music publishing company. Primary Wave, which paid a reported $50 million for its stake, has already struck a deal to feature Nirvana music in an episode of CSI: Miami. Now it is considering licensing the music to certain marketers. Meanwhile, Nirvana's recording catalog sold 1.1 million units in the U.S. in 2005 and is on track to come close to that total this year as well, according to Nielsen SoundScan. -- Louis Hau
Elvis Presley
Earnings: $42 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Aug. 16, 1977
Age: 42
Cause: Heart attack
Die-hard fans of the King continue to buy more product, such as another boxed set of his greatest hits and the umpteenth release of the King's legendary recordings for Sun Records. But Presley's estate, now managed by Robert Sillerman's CKX, has seen a slight falloff in the Elvis business in the last year. Presumably that will pick up again if CKX is able to pull off the Elvis-themed Las Vegas attraction it has in the works. --Louis Hau
Charles M. Schultz
Earnings: $35 million
Occupation: Cartoonist
Died: Feb. 12, 2000
Age: 77
Cause: Colon cancer
The Peanuts gang gets play every day through syndication in 2,400 newspapers around the world. But the real money comes from licensing, a hefty piece of which goes to the Schulz estate. U.S. retailer Urban Outfitters, for instance, is pushing a line of T-shirts, a Christmas tree and--soon--replicas of Linus' security blanket. This summer, China introduced a set of stamps featuring Snoopy in different locations throughout the country. --Amanda Schupak
John Lennon
Earnings: $24 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Dec. 8, 1980
Age: 40
Cause: Murder
Lennon's legacy was burnished again this year with the release of The U.S. Vs. John Lennon, a documentary by Lionsgate recounting the late Beatle's peace activism and his battles with the U.S. government. Meanwhile, the Beatles continue to sell more than a million discs a year in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. More money could be in the pipeline: In August, a New York state Supreme Court judge cleared the way for the Beatles, living and deceased, to sue EMI Group for at least $25 million in damages and unpaid royalties and for the rights to the band's master recordings. In October, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono sued EMI in October for $10 million in unpaid royalties on sales of Lennon's solo recordings. --Louis Hau
Albert Einstein
Earnings: $20 million
Occupation: Scientist
Died: April 18, 1955
Age: 76
Cause: Natural causes
Albert Einstein's genius continues to inspire thinkers of all stripes, while his visage makes marketers write big checks--image licensing shop Corbis says it gets more requests for Einstein than for any other person. Rights to Einstein's name belong to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which also earns a substantial cut from Walt Disney's Baby Einstein line of educational toys and videos. --Lacey Rose
Andy Warhol
Earnings: $19 million
Occupation: Artist
Died: Feb 22, 1987
Age: 58
Cause: Complications after a gall bladder operation
The pop artist remains a pop icon. Most recently, his estate, managed by the nonprofit Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, signed off on a new apparel line with jeansmaker Levi Strauss & Co. It will also reap royalties from a licensing deal with Barneys New York. The high-end department store will feature Warhol's work in a holiday campaign--think bags, billboards and store windows--aptly titled "Happy Warholidays." --Lacey Rose
Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel)
Earnings: $10 million
Occupation: Author
Died: Sept. 24, 1991
Age: 87
Cause: Natural causes
The Grinch is coming to Broadway. Representatives of Geisel's green icon of Christmas had to strike an agreement with the theater unions in order to put on 12 shows a week, four more than the industry standard. But ticket prices, all under $100, are cheaper than for most musicals. Meanwhile, his cherished children's books still fly from the shelves, bringing in millions of dollars every year. -- Amanda Schupak
Ray Charles
Earnings: $10 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: June 10, 2004
Age: 73
Cause: Liver disease
Charles' estate continues to benefit from a rekindled interest in the musician's life and work. Royalties from Ray, the 2004 biopic staring Jaime Foxx, continue to roll in, boosted by DVD sales; so do dollars from the sale of his music. --Louis Hau
Marilyn Monroe
Earnings: $8 million
Occupation: Actress
Died: Aug. 5, 1962
Age: 36
Cause: Overdose of sleeping pills
Marilyn Monroe remains the embodiment of Hollywood glamour, and her likeness continues to grace products and advertisements alike. New deals include a "Marilyn" perfume line in Europe; other recent projects include advertising campaigns with Dom Perignon, Absolut and General Motors. --Lacey Rose
Johnny Cash
Earnings: $8 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Sept. 12, 2003
Age: 71
Cause: Complications from diabetes
The Man in Black had a banner year last year, and this year has been even better--he's sold 3.6 million discs in the U.S. this year, up from 2.8 million in 2005. Those totals have been boosted by the February DVD release of his biopic, and two new album releases: Personal File, a Sony Music collection of previously unreleased tracks, and Lost Highway's American V: A Hundred Highways, from Cash's final recording sessions with producer Rick Rubin. --Louis Hau
J.R.R. Tolkien
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: Author
Died: Sept. 2, 1973
Age: 81
Cause: Bleeding ulcer
In retrospect, maybe Hobbits don't belong onstage: A long-awaited Toronto stage production of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga flopped this year. The over-the-top Middle Earth musical took four years to get to the stage--and five months to get the hook. The final curtain fell in September. But on DVD the timeless tales are still ripe for reissues and new releases. New limited editions of the trilogy came out in August, touting hours of never-before-seen footage, for $30 a pop. A Two Towers complete recordings box set is due next month. --Amanda Schupak
George Harrison
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: Nov. 29, 2001
Age: 58
Cause: Cancer
Thanks to the Quiet Beatle's friendship with Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté, the Canadian circus troupe launched a new show in June at the Las Vegas Mirage called "Love," which makes extensive use of the Beatles' song catalog. Harrison's solo catalog sells relatively modestly, having moved about 68,000 units so far this year in the U.S., according to SoundScan. --Louis Hau
Bob Marley
Earnings: $7 million
Occupation: Musician
Died: May 11, 1981
Age: 36
Cause: Cancer
He's still reggae's biggest star, and Marley's music sales spiked this year. His estate has proved adept at releasing a steady stream of new product, such as a late-2005 singles collection and the 2006 release of Marley Legend, an
illustrated biography with facsimiles of rare memorabilia. --Louis Hau
http://www.forbes.com/2006/10/23/celebrities-earnings-fame-tech-media-06deadcelebs-cx_lr_topearnintro.html
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