HIPGNOSIS INKS BLONDIE'S HARRY & STEIN

Hipgnosis and its investment adviser, The Family (Music) Limited, have acquired 100% of Blondie co-founders Debbie Harry and Chris Stein's writer's share and neighboring rights royalties in their catalogs, comprising 197 songs.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Blondie broke rose from the New York punk scene into the mainstream with 1978's Parallel Lines, which hit #1 in the U.K. and went on to sell 20m albums worldwide. The genre-bending single "Heart of Glass" reached #1 in eight countries. Blondie also hit #1 with "Call Me," "The Tide Is High"and "Rapture."

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein were represented by longtime manager Allen Kovac at 10th Street Management and lawyer Tim Mandelbaum at Fox Rothschild.

Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis said, "I have followed every move that Debbie and Chris have made since day one. No one should ever go anywhere without Blondie, Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, my favorite Eat To The Beat or Autoamerican with them at all times. I am delighted to welcome Debbie, Chris and Allen to the Hipgnosis Family and look forward to working with them for years to come."

Harry and Stein added, "We are so happy to be working with a progressive company. We are looking forward to the future with Hipgnosis’ forward thinking team."