Boutique music publisher Raleigh Music has signed a worldwide deal to represent the catalog of the late Hugo Peretti. The catalog includes the 1961 hit for the Tokens “The Lions Sleeps Tonight” and music from the 1968 Broadway musical Maggie Flynn. Peretti, along with writing partners Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss, also wrote Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” which Raleigh Music also publishes.
Born in New York City to an Italian American family, Peretti began his music career as a teenager, playing the trumpet in the Borscht Belt in upstate New York. He graduated to playing with orchestras, then in the 1950s, partnered with his cousin Luigi Creatore to form the Hugo & Luigi songwriting team that evolved to producing records. In 1957, they bought into Roulette Records, where they wrote songs for various artists such as Valerie Carr, and produced major hits for Jimmie Rodgers, including "Honeycomb" (Billboard #1), and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" (Billboard #3).
“We are thrilled and excited to represent this incredible catalog. It’s a wonderful addition to our iconic roster of recognizable hit songs,” says Steven Storch co-founder and partner of Raleigh Music Group.
Raleigh Music Group, with offices in New York and Los Angeles, was founded in 2015 by music execs Peter Raleigh and Steven Storch. The company represents the catalogs of Elvis Presley, George Gershwin, Anthony Newley, Bo Diddley, America, Lords of the Underground, Jerry Ragovoy, Willy Deville, Lester Sill and Muhammad Ali. The company also publishes a select roster of contemporary artists, composers and producers including Brooklyn rapper PHresher, composer Randy Edelman, singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick, and hip-hop DJ Torae.
