Legendary Singer’s Estate Orders Trump to Halt ‘Outrageous’ Use of Her Music at Rallies

Ceveland ^ | Mar. 04, 2024

[nickcarraway]

Legendary singer’s estate orders Trump to halt ‘outrageous’ use of her music at rallies Updated: Mar. 04, 2024, 11:50 a.m.|Published: Mar. 04, 2024, 11:35 a.m. Irish singer Sinead O'Connor is seen at the Grammy Awards at New York's Radio City Music Hall, Feb. 22, 1989. (AP Photo) The estate of Irish singer Sinead O'Connor, who died in July 2023, issued a joint statement with her label, Chrysallis Records, ordering Donald Trump's campaign to stop playing O'Connor's music at his rallies. By Robert Higgs, cleveland.com LONDON – Donald Trump’s selection of music for his political rallies has again sparked discord.

The estate of Sinead O’Connor, in a joint statement with her longtime label Chrysalis Records, said Trump’s use of the late singer’s best-known song, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” at a campaign event in January was outrageous.

“Throughout her life, it is well known that Sinéad O’Connor lived by a fierce moral code defined by honesty, kindness, fairness, and decency towards her fellow human beings,” the statement said, according to the BBC.

“It was with outrage therefore that we learned that Donald Trump has been using her iconic performance of Nothing Compares 2 U at his political rallies,” the statement continued. “It is no exaggeration to say that Sinéad would have been disgusted, hurt, and insulted to have her work misrepresented in this way by someone who she herself referred to as a ‘biblical devil’.”

The statement concluded with a demand that the Trump campaign cease and desist from using the song at his rallies.

O’Connor, 56, died in July 2023 in her flat in London. In January the Coroner Court ruled the Irish singer’s death a result of natural causes.

At the rally in Maryland in February, Abba’s “Dancing Queen,” Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” as well as “Nothing Compares 2 U” were among the songs played before Trump took the stage, The Guardian said.

But a host of artists have told Trump and his campaign to keep his hands off their music, and in many cases threatened legal action if he keeps playing it at his rallies.

Among those artists are Adele, Aerosmith, the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Guns n’ Roses, Leonard Cohen, Linkin Park, Neil Young, Nickelback, Ozzy Osbourne, Panic! at the Disco, Pharrell Williams, Phil Collins, Prince, Queen, R.E.M., Rihanna, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Village People and the White Stripes, Variety reported.

Johnny Marr, the guitarist for The Smiths, joined the list in January after spotting a video ABC presidential campaign reporter Soo Rin Kim posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, in which the band’s song “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want” can be clearly heard playing for a pre-rally crowd in South Dakota.

“Ahh…right…OK. I never in a million years would’ve thought this could come to pass,” Marr posted on X. “Consider this s--- shut right down right now.”

[nickcarraway]

She can ask, but she can't force them to take it down, because Prince wrote the song, not her. So, it owuld have to be Prince's estate.

There was a case where Prince asked YouTube to pull a video of him singing Creep by Radiohead. YouTube actually pulled it down, but Radiohead contacted them and forced them to put it back up.

So, in summary, it's the songwriting rights, not the performance.

[traderrob6]

What’s a Ceveland?

[RetiredTexasVet]

In the past, Trump has leased the use of the songs from their authorized organizations and the requests have been blunted.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

One thing about Sinbad O'Connor, lately she has never sounded better.

[BenLurkin]

Skinead O’Connor is a bit overrated as well. Don’t know where they get “legendary”.

[Gay State Conservative]

I thought that as long as you paid some kind of standard “royalty fee” you could play a song if you wanted. Of course this worthless whore would do something like this.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

If he paid the license fee, he can play what he wants. I’d play it twice as much.

[nickcarraway]

The city was going broke, so they had to sell one of their “L”s.

[pawpawrick]

I remember when Heart was outraged and demand Governor Palin to stop using “Barracuda” when they had paid for the rights to use it.

[nickcarraway]

Well, she’s dead, so you can’t blame it on her.

[bigbob]

Public Performance License. They can cash the check or go pound sand. And shove therir cease and desist letters right up their Fanis.

[SunkenCiv]

SineAid, Cue Ball, Uncle Fester. It takes more than middling talent and mental illness to make legend.

The Sinatra Group - Saturday Night Live | 6:45
Saturday Night Live | 14.1M subscribers | 713,195 views | October 29, 2013

[nickcarraway]

I thought that as long as you paid some kind of standard “royalty fee” you could play a song if you wanted.

That's what I've always thought, but musicians often ask their songs be pulled from Republican politicians. That goes back to Springsteen with Ronald Reagan. I don't know if they can actually force it, if the royalty is paid, but maybe the politicians don't think it's a good look to play it, if the Musician complains.

By the way, am I right that this has only happened to Republicans?

[nickcarraway]

Maybe, but every time a musician complained about this, the politician stopped playing the song. Do you know of any exceptions.

[BB62]

I think you need to study the subject more, as your brief answer is not necessarily correct.

I suggest you start here:

https://www.lfarberlaw.com/post/can-artists-prevent-politicians-from-using-their-music

[nickcarraway]

It takes more than middling talent and mental illness to make legend.

I am pretty sure I could find a lot of examples to contradict this, but I don't want people to get mad at me, so you think of them.

[Vlad0]

I believe in most cases the VENUES have standard ASCAP and/or BMI agreements, so that they can play music. Like most department stores, restaurants, bars, etc.

7. Public performance licenses for songs are typically issued by PROs (performing rights organizations). The big four PROs in the United States are ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), GMR (Global Music Rights), and SESAC.

Each of these performing rights organizations will have a different catalog of music. Each usually offers a blanket license that gives you rights to any song in that PRO’s library.

[BB62]

There are plenty of exceptions.

See post 15 for some of them.

[pfflier]

By the way, am I right that this has only happened to Republicans

Every feakin' election cycle.

[DesertRhino]

Also, if they have the song up for public play, and receive the royalties. They don’t get to say who plays it and who doesn’t. For example they can’t say chilies can use it, but the barbershop cannot.