Music News

Posted: Sun., Jan. 1, 2006, 5:00am PT

Hit music from beyond the grave

Shakur, ODB, Garcia earn booming posthumous sales

Death continues to be a solid career move in the music biz.

The second posthumous release from Notorious B.I.G. did brisk business right before Christmas, selling 438,000 copies in its first week of release.

Meanwhile, the first release from Old Dirty Bastard since his death in 2004 was issued by his mother as "A Son Unique" and the ninth Tupac Shakur album released since his death, "The Rose Vol. 2," hit retail in September.

Two more live Jerry Garcia albums came out, pushing his posthumous total to nine; Elvis Presley had eight singles chart in Europe and a compilation related to a CBS telepic land in the top 20. 

The year did not, however, see a release from Jimi Hendrix, whose heirs have put out 14 official albums of unreleased perfs since his death 35 years ago.

Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

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