The Estate of Michael Jackson/MIJAC Music has acquired majority ownership of Sly and the Family Stone’s catalogue in the United States. Outside of the U.S., it owns the entirety of the band’s catalogue. In a press release obtained by Pitchfork, Sly Stone said, “Thank You Mijac (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),†a reference to the 1969 Sly and the Family Stone hit “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin).â€
“Sly and the Family Stone were a force for enlightenment and positive change, a message that Michael believed in,†the estate’s co-executors John McClain and John Branca added in the release. “He recognized [Sly Stone]’s genius and the power of his words and music which is why he first acquired the catalog and why we at MIJAC follow in Michael’s footsteps today.â€
Sly and the Family Stone’s royalties have been hotly disputed, even in recent years. Just a year ago, Primary Wave Music Publishing claimed to have interest in the band’s catalogue, but the Jackson Estate disputed those claims. In 2010, Sly Stone sued his longtime manager, Jerry Goldstein, for allegedly defrauding Stone of “tens of millions†in royalties. A jury awarded Stone $5 million in damages in 2015, but later that year a judge ruled that Stone could not collect because he sold his royalties to a production company in the 1980s.