The estate of soul star Isaac Hayes is suing former President Donald Trump over the unauthorized use of the 1966 hit “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” which Hayes helped compose, the latest in a growing list of complaints from musicians over Trump’s use of their music.
What you need to know
- The estate of soul legend Isaac Hayes is suing former President Donald Trump over alleged unauthorized use of the 1966 hit “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” which Hayes helped write.
- It is the latest in a growing list of complaints from musicians about Trump using their music
- Isaac Hayes III, Hayes’ son, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday that a federal court had granted a request for an emergency hearing on September 3 in Atlanta “to obtain a temporary restraining order.”
- Representatives of Beyoncé, Foo Fighters and Céline Dion have also recently raised objections to Trump’s use of their music.
Isaac Hayes III, Hayes’ son, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday that a federal court had granted a request for an emergency hearing on Sept. 3 in Atlanta “to seek a temporary restraining order.” Isaac Hayes, the singer best known for “Theme from Shaft,” died in 2008.
Trump, the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, Turning Point USA and the National Rifle Association – all defendants in the Isaac Hayes Enterprise lawsuit – must appear at the hearing, Hayes III said.
According to Hayes III, Trump and the groups used the song more than 134 times after being repeatedly warned to stop.
The Trump team did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Monday.
“If you’re a political candidate and you want to use an artist’s song, you have to get a political use license from one of the PROs (collecting societies) like BMI or ASCAP,” Hayes III said in a video he posted on X on Saturday. “Then you can play an artist’s song at any campaign rally you want, no problem. The problem is: At some point, Donald Trump was told to stop playing ‘Hold On, I’m Comin’ because that song was removed from the political use license for his use, and he continued to play the song anyway.”
Under U.S. copyright law, a court can award a plaintiff up to $150,000 per incident if it finds that the copyright infringement was intentional. Hayes III has said he is seeking “a cessation of use, removal of all related videos, a public disclaimer, and payment of $3 million in royalties.”
“Hold On, I’m Comin'” was a No. 1 hit for Sam & Dave on the Billboard Hot R&B singles chart in 1966. The song was written by Hayes and David Porter.
Hayes’ estate is not the first to object to the use of music in the Trump campaign.
After Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung posted a video on X last week using Beyoncé’s “Freedom” and showing Trump getting off a plane, the superstar’s record label and music publisher sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump campaign, Rolling Stone first reported. Cheung later deleted the video.
Vice President Kamala Harris has used “Freedom” as her campaign theme song. The former Destiny’s Child member gave the Democratic candidate permission to use her song, according to CNN.
The Foo Fighters objected to Trump playing their 1997 song “My Hero” at a rally on Friday when he announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A Foo Fighters spokesperson told Billboard that the band was not asked for permission, adding: “Appropriate action will be taken against the campaign.”
When asked on X if they had given Trump the OK to use the song, the Foo Fighters replied, “No.” They then posted a screenshot of the conversation with the message, “Let’s get this straight.”
Earlier this month, a statement on Céline Dion’s social media accounts said her management team and her record label, Sony Music Entertainment Canada, had not given Trump permission to play a video of her singing her iconic 1997 ballad “My Heart Will Go On” at a campaign rally in Montana.
“This use is not authorized in any way and Céline Dion does not endorse this or any similar use,” the statement said. And continued: “And really, THIS song?”
In March, Sinead O’Connor’s estate asked Trump not to play her music at campaign events because the “Nothing Compares 2 U” singer considers him a “biblical devil.”
In recent years, the Rolling Stones, Adele, Rihanna, Neil Young and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith have also objected to Trump playing their music.
