At demagogue and race-baiter Donald "COVID Donnie" Trump's poorly attended super-spreader rally in Tulsa recently, the campaign cranked up the late Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" over the arena's loudspeakers. That prompted a "cease and desist" letter from Petty's family, who wrote that the Trump campaign "was in no way authorized to use this song to further a campaign that leaves too many Americans and common sense behind." As lawless as their cult leader, the campaign will likely continue to thumb their noses at the Petty family and fans and continue to play the song.
Now, after repeatedly hearing their song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" played at Trump rallies, including the Tulsa fiasco, the Rolling Stones have warned the Trump campaign to stop using their songs or face a lawsuit. They're working with their music publishing company, BMI, to stop what they call the campaign's "breach of its licensing agreement":
“The BMI have notified the Trump campaign on behalf of the Stones that the unauthorized use of their songs will constitute a breach of its licensing agreement,” the Stones said. “If Donald Trump disregards the exclusion and persists, then he would face a lawsuit for breaking the embargo and playing music that has not been licensed.’’The Stones join a growing list of artists that have objected to Trump's use of their songs as a campaign backdrop, including Neil Young, Axl Rose, Rihanna, and many others.
To throw the Trump campaign a bone, perhaps the Stones' could restrict the Trump campaign to playing their 1968 hit, "Sympathy For The Devil."
(photo: Rex / Media Punch / Shutterstock)
