nsfs
Page: 34
Prior to Liam Payne‘s death on Wednesday (Oct. 16), a hotel manager in Buenos Aires, Argentina called 911 to report a guest who was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol,” adding, “he’s destroying the entire room and, well, we need you to send someone, please.”
According to the Associated Press, the caller’s voice grew more anxious as the call continued, with the hotel manager noting that the room had a balcony. Former One Direction and solo star Payne, 31, was found dead on Wednesday after officials said he sustained “extremely serious injuries” in a fall from the third-floor balcony of his room — approximately 42-45 feet from the ground — at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Palermo neighborhood of the nation’s capital city.
While the initial reports stated that Payne fell, the AP reported that Buenos Aires Security Ministry spokesperson Pablo Policicchio told the news service in a statement that Payne “had jumped from the balcony of his room.”
Trending on Billboard
Police were dispatched the to scene following the emergency call around 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday according to Policicchio, after being told by hotel staff that there was an “aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.” Officials are reportedly still investigating the circumstances of Payne’s death, with an autopsy under way.
In the days since, fans have gathered in a vigil outside the hotel for the beloved boy band star, lighting candles and singing 1D’s “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life,” while his music industry peers and family have shared their grief over the shocking loss.
Payne’s rise to stardom began in 2010 at age 17 when he was paired with the other members of what would become One Direction by Simon Cowell after the quintet’s singers all auditioned for the British X-Factor as solo acts. Along with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik, Payne was thrust into instant global adoration in 2012 after the late 2011 release of the band’s debut single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” which went to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 in the UK.
The song memorably opens with one of Payne’s most beloved, iconic vocals, in which he sings, “You’re insecure, don’t know what for/ You’re turning heads when you walk through the door/ Don’t need makeup to cover up/ Bein’ the way that you are is enough.” During the band’s subsequent six-year run they scored four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and six top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits.
After the group hit pause, Payne — who never headlined his own tour — released his lone solo album, 2019’s LP1, as well a string of singles, including the 2017 Billboard Hot 100 No. 10 Hit “Strip That Down” (featuring Quavo), “Get Low” (feat. Zedd, No. 23, 2017), “Bedroom Floor” (No. 35, 2017), “For You (Fifty Shades Freed)” (feat. Rita Ora, No. 37, 2018) and “Familiar” (feat. J Balvin, No. 25, 2018). He also released the 2018 EP First Time, as well as singles with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella (“Polaroid,” 2018), A Boogie Wit da Hoodie (“Stack It Up,” 2019), Cheat Codes (“Live Forever,” 2019) and Dixie D’Amelio (“Naughty List,” 2020).
His final single, “Teardrops,” co-written by former *NSYNC member JC Chasez, was released in March.
After the group went on indefinite hiatus in 2016, the singer was open about how the dizzying rush of fame overwhelmed him, leading to a yearslong substance use struggle. In July 2023, he posted an eight-minute video in which he revealed that he was almost six months sober following a 100-day stay in a Louisiana rehab facility.
“I just kind of feel like I’ve got more of a grip on life and everything that was getting away from me, I just feel like I’ve got more of a handle on it,” Payne said at the time. “I just needed to take a little bit of time out for myself actually because I kind of became somebody who I didn’t really recognize anymore. And I’m sure you guys didn’t either. I was in bad shape up until that point and I was really happy to kind of put a stopper to life and work.”
In a 2019 interview, Payne admitted that he had trouble adjusting to 1D’s Beatles-like level of fan adoration at the height of the group’s success, frequently leaning on alcohol to cope with the stress. “It’s almost like putting the Disney costume on before you step up on stage and underneath the Disney costume I was pissed quite a lot of the time because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on,” he said. “I mean, it was fun. We had an absolute blast, but there were certain parts of it where it just got a little bit toxic.”
Then, in a Diary of a CEO podcast appearance in 2021, Payne talked about struggling with depression and substance use disorder during the chaotic 1D years. “I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me?” the singer told host Stephen Bartlett. “And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it. No one would ever have seen it.”
He described how the pressure and intense fan attention during the height of the group’s fame transformed him into an “angry person” who turned to prescription pills and alcohol to numb his anxiety and fear. When host Bartlett asked if that period included “suicidal ideation,” Payne said it did, explaining, “There is some stuff that I have definitely never, never spoken about. It was really, really, really severe. It was a problem. And it was only until I saw myself after that I was like, ‘Right, I need to fix myself.’”
Payne said the substance use continued for “many years” and then returned during England’s COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, when he took a break from recording solo songs for a few months due to exhaustion, only to find himself drinking more and more, and earlier and earlier in the day. “What I’ve found more than anything with the alcohol is boundaries. If you’re on Zoom you can probably get away with being a bit tipsy, when you’re not supposed to be,” he said at the time.
After catching a glimpse of one of his performances on TV looking bloated and unwell, he said he began working out, attending meetings and going to therapy.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or substance abuse disorders, reach out to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration‘s national helpline 24/7 at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for confidential treatment referrals and information. For those who are experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or distress, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 by texting 988.
A day after Rufus Wainwright and Village People co-founder Victor Willis lashed out at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for playing their songs during a 39-minute musical interlude at one of his campaign events, the Republican National Committee has responded to the criticism.
In a statement to Billboard, RNC spokesperson Taylor Rogers noted that the campaign has the appropriate licenses from performing rights organizations BMI and ASCAP to play the music heard at the town hall in Oaks, Pa. on Monday during which the twice impeached former President halted the planned Q&A session to cue up a playlist of his favorite songs. “It’s a shame that some artists want to limit half of the country from enjoying their music,” Rogers said.
The unusual event hosted by Trump in one of the most crucial swing states was intended to be a back-and-forth with voters. But less than an hour in, after an audience member required medical attention Trump halted the proceedings and inexplicably asked his team to fire up Schubert’s “Ave Maria.”
The strange sight of convicted felon Trump doing a swaying dance to the instrumental version of that song instantly became fodder for mockery on late night programs and news casts on Tuesday. Democratic rival Kamala Harris’ X feed piled on with a trolling statement saying “hope he’s okay” along with video from the event of Trump solemnly swinging side-to-side as he listened to his playlist in the overheated room.
“Let’s not do anymore questions. Let’s just listen to music,” Trump said after a second audience member reportedly fainted from the heat. “Personally, I enjoy this,” Trump said. “We lose weight. We could do this, lose 4-5 pounds.” He then asked his for his sound person to cue up a second version of the funeral and church service staple “Ave Maria,” requesting a vocal version sung by Luciano Pavarotti.
“We’ll do a little music. Let’s make this a musical-fest,” said Trump, whose unusual request prompted NBC News to report that the incident once again put the focus on Democrats’ questions about 78-year-old Trump’s mental acuity with just three weeks to go before the Nov. 5 presidential election; if elected a second time, Trump would be the oldest president in the nation’s history.
In addition to the “Ave Maria” double-down, Trump spun Rufus Wainwright’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” as well as Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain,” James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” Elvis’ “An American Trilogy,” the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” and Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye,” another song often played at funerals.
Harris supporter Wainwright issued a statement on Tuesday blasting Trump for playing his version of Cohen’s beloved, oft-covered 1984 hymn.
“The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth. I’ve been supremely honored over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance,” wrote Wainwright. “Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy. Of course, I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen’s masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he’s caused. I’m not holding my breath.” The statement also noted that the publishing company for the Cohen estate has sent a cease-and-desist order to the Trump campaign.”
GNR and O’Connor’s reps have publicly requested that Trump not to play their music during his campaign stops, and the Village People threatened to sue the former reality TV star last year over a lookalike band playing their hits at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Florida private. Trump has long been enamored with the group’s 1978 queer disco classic, which he plays a many of his events; spokespeople for GNR and O’Connor’s estate had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Trump’s event.
In a statement sent to Billboard on Tuesday morning, Village People co-founder, “Y.M.C.A.” lyricist and one of the owners of the song’s copyright Victor Willis wrote, “I have been inundated with hundreds of complaints from the public and press about Donald Trump and his campaign’s use of my song,” he said. “Me, and the Village People as well, have in the past opposed Trump’s use of ‘Y.M.C.A.’ and we have made this very clear to him.”
While Willis acknowledged that Trump has continued to play the song because he is “legally entitled” to thanks to what the RNC said in its statement is the proper licensing, he noted that despite his objections he will not be taking legal action at this time. “Could I have asked my wife, who’s a lawyer, to have BMI revoke his political use license… yes,” Willis said, adding that he decided not to because Trump’s repeated spins have “greatly benefited” the song.
“Some fans are demanding that I sue. I am not going to sue the President over his use of ‘Y.M.C.A.’ because it’s stupid and just plain hateful,” Willis said. “Though I don’t dislike Trump, I am a registered Democrat who supports Kamala Harris for President.” He added that Harris is also free to play the song if she wants to.
Trump has accrued a long list of artists who have objected to his use of their songs at his events, including, over two weeks this summer, Beyoncé, the Foo Fighters and Jack White, who blasted him for using their music without permission. They joined a long roster of acts who’ve made similar requests since Trump launched his first presidential bid in 2015, one that includes: Adele, Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie, Celine Dion, Earth, Wind & Fire, George Harrison, Neil Young, Isaac Hayes, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Ozzy Osbourne, Prince’s estate and R.E.M., among many others.
Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs are demanding that the government reveal the names of his alleged sexual abuse victims, arguing he cannot fairly defend himself without knowing their identities.
In a motion filed late Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, the star’s attorneys asked the judge to force prosecutors to filed a so-called bill of particulars, disclosing who exactly was accusing him of abuse.
Citing a “torrent” of anonymous civil accusations ranging from “false to outright absurd,” Combs’ lawyers say they cannot mount an adequate defense without knowing which of those claims forms the basis for the criminal charges.
“The government is forcing him, unfairly, to play a guessing a game—one made all the more challenging by the onslaught of baseless allegations that desperate plaintiffs are lodging at him (for the most part anonymously) in civil suits designed to exact a payoff from Mr. Combs and others,” Combs attorney Marc Agnifilo writes in the filing.
The defense attorneys say the wording of the sex trafficking and racketeering indictment is so vague that it “could be interpreted as treating Mr. Combs’ entire sexual history over the past sixteen years as part of the alleged criminal conspiracy.”
“Without clarity from the government, Mr. Combs has no way of knowing which allegations the government is relying on for purposes of the Indictment,” Agnifilo writes.
Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, was once one of the most powerful men in the music industry. But last month, he was indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking over what the government says was a sprawling criminal operation aimed at satisfying his need for “sexual gratification.”
The decades-long scheme allegedly involved not only elaborate sexual parties called “freak offs” and other sex abuse, but also forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery. If convicted on all of the charges at trial – currently set to start May 5 – Combs potentially faces a sentence of life in prison.
With the trial still months away, Combs’ attorneys have already begun to fight back. In a motion last week, they accused the government of leaking evidence to the press, including the infamous video of Combs assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Prosecutors have argued back that those “baseless” claims are a strategic move aimed at preventing prosecutors from showing the video to jurors.
In Tuesday’s filing, Combs’ lawyers argued that the continued anonymity of the alleged victims would seriously hamper their practical ability to prepare for the trial
“Mr. Combs … anticipates that the discovery will contain voluminous evidence of consensual sexual activity – making it all the more difficult for Mr. Combs to ascertain which of his prior sexual partners now claim, years later, that they felt coerced,” his lawyers write.
If history is any guide, Combs’ lawyers face an uphill battle in convincing the judge to unmask his alleged victims.
In the similar racketeering case against R. Kelly, prosecutors privately disclosed the names of several alleged victims to Kelly’s legal team, but argued that others must remain hidden, citing concerns that the singer or his entourage might seek to intimidate them.
The judge eventually agreed, saying that federal courts “routinely deny requests for victims’ identities in racketeering cases, especially when the government demonstrates a risk to witness safety [or] the potential for witness intimidation.” At Kelly’s eventual trial in 2021, several victims testified under pseudonyms.
On Tuesday night (Oct. 15), Fat Joe and Too Short sat down with Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards to discuss a bevy of pressing issues ahead of this year’s upcoming election. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “There’s a lot of misinformation […]
Bow Wow is weighing in on Sean “Diddy” Combs amid his arrest.
“I never thought I would see it like this,” the rapper recently said during a guest appearance on the More to the Story podcast with Rocsi Diaz. “He’s like the gatekeeper to the game, to the point to where BET Award weekend, like the past two, it just didn’t feel right because there was no motion, there was no parties.”
While he didn’t mention Combs’ sexual “freak off” parties, Bow Wow continued, “It’s like a hole. He was just such a gatekeeper for the liquor and the clubs. He was everything hip-hop. So for that to die out, you just really never thought. Especially when you look at somebody as somebody you studied, somebody you idolized.”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Diddy was arrested last month in New York City, and Manhattan federal prosecutors are accusing him of operating a criminal enterprise centered on his “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women.”
The indictment, obtained by Billboard, includes allegations of sexual abuse, accusing rapper and music executive of running a racketeering conspiracy that included sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery. If convicted of the charges, Combs is facing a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life behind bars. Diddy pleaded not guilty and his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, has maintained his client’s innocence.
In a video obtained by CNN earlier this year and dated March 5, 2016, Combs appears to shove his longtime former partner, Cassie Ventura, to the ground near an elevator bank, kick her several times while she lies on the ground and drag her down a hallway. The contents of the video mirror an assault allegation Ventura made in a now-settled lawsuit she filed against Diddy in November.
The embattled Bad Boy mogul has repeatedly been denied bond and will remain behind bars until his trial begins in May 2025.
Jake E. Lee — a former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne — was shot multiple times in Las Vegas early Tuesday morning (Oct. 15) while walking his dog, TMZ reports. He is expected to make a full recovery. The outlet writes that the shooting occurred around 2:40 a.m. as Lee took his dog out for a […]
Diddy broke his social media silence on Tuesday (Oct. 15) when he returned to Instagram to wish his daughter Love Sean Combs a happy birthday. Love Combs turned 2 on Tuesday, and Diddy’s account posted a slideshow of photos for the occasion, including from a photo shoot eating cake and hanging with her dad in […]
This is The Legal Beat, a weekly newsletter about music law from Billboard Pro, offering you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, important rulings and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: Limp Bizkit sues Universal Music Group for $200 million over claims that the band has ‘never’ been paid royalties; a lawsuit against Nelly takes a twist as his former bandmates allegedly push back on the case; Barry White’s estate files a lawsuit over Future and Metro Boomin’s chart-topper “Like That”; and much more.
THE BIG STORY: Has Limp Bizkit Really Never Gotten Royalties?
At one point in the bombshell, $200 million lawsuit Limp Bizkit filed against Universal Music Group last week, the band’s attorneys explicitly asked the question that everyone was thinking as they read the case: “The band had still not been paid a single cent by UMG in any royalties until taking action against UMG, leading one to ask how on earth that could possibly be true.”
How on earth, indeed. How had one of the biggest bands of its era, which sold millions of records during the music industry’s MTV-fueled, turn-of-the-century glory days, still never have been paid any royalties nearly three decades later?
According to Limp Bizkit and frontman Fred Durst, the answer is an “appalling and unsettling” scheme by UMG centered on “systemic” and “fraudulent” policies that were “deliberately designed” to conceal royalties from artists and “keep those profits for itself.”
Scathing language aside, the lawsuit really appears to be a long-delayed dispute over recoupment.
Durst says that UMG repeatedly told him that Limp remained unrecouped — meaning its royalties still had not surpassed the amount the group had been paid in upfront advances. UMG allegedly told Durst that it had paid out a whopping $43 million in advances over the years, a huge figure that would go a long way to explaining the lack of royalties.
Limp Bizkit’s lawsuit says UMG didn’t provide “any back-up for this alleged amount” – and that the label essentially kept the band in the red with shady bookkeeping, including “intentionally concealing the true amount of sales” and “fraudulent accounting practices.”
“Where did this additional $199,676.00 charged to the account come from?” the band’s lawyers wrote at one point, referring to one such alleged inconsistency. “It seems to have come out of thin air to overdraft Limp Bizkit’s due and payable account in order to defraud Limp Bizkit and show an unrecouped account.”
UMG has not yet publicly commented on the allegations, so we’ll keep you updated when the music giant files its first formal response in court…
Other top stories this week…
ALWAYS MORE DIDDY – Since you last heard from Legal Beat one whole week ago, there have somehow already been four big developments in the story of Sean “Diddy” Combs, who stands accused of decades of sexual abuse. Here goes:
-Attorneys for the rapper filed their opening salvo in an appeal of a ruling denying him pre-trial release on bail, arguing the “sensationalism” of the case led the judge to keep him locked up over “purely speculative” concerns about witness intimidation. In the days since, the appeals court has already declined to issue a quick ruling releasing him; instead, the court will hear the case at normal pace and rule at some point in the next few months on whether he should be set free until trial.
-Less than a day after filing the appeal, Combs’s team accused the government of leaking evidence to the media in order to “taint the jury pool and deprive Mr. Combs of his right to a fair trial.” Among other evidence allegedly shared with the press? The infamous surveillance video of Combs assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie in 2016, which his lawyers say was leaked “to mortally wound the reputation and the prospect of Sean Combs successfully defending himself.”
-The judge set a May 5 date for the start of Combs’ criminal trial, in which he will face charges of racketeering and sex trafficking over what prosecutors say was a sprawling criminal operation aimed at satisfying his need for “sexual gratification.” The schedule could still be pushed back, particularly if prosecutors file new charges or add defendants to the case, or if Combs eventually gets released on bail and chooses to waive his “speedy trial” right.
-Six new civil lawsuits were filed in Manhattan federal court, including one from a man who says he was sexually assaulted by Combs in 1998 when he was 16 years old and attending one of the rapper’s famed “white parties” in the Hamptons. The cases were the first in a wave of dozens of civil cases that are expected to be filed in the weeks ahead by Los Angeles attorney Andrew Van Arsdale and Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, who earlier this month said they are representing at least 120 such alleged victims.
ST. LUNATICS REBEL – Weeks after Nelly’s former St. Lunatics groupmates sued him for allegedly cutting them out of royalties, an attorney for the star claimed that three of them had never approved the lawsuit in the first place. In a letter sent last month, Nelly’s attorney warned the lawyer who filed the case last month that Murphy Lee (Tohri Harper), Kyjuan (Robert Kyjuan) and City Spud (Lavell Webb) had recently retained his services and had “informed me that they did not authorize you to include them as plaintiffs” and were “demanding you remove their names” from the case.
DR. DRE’S DR. DRAMA – Dr. Dre was hit with a lawsuit accusing him a waging a “malicious campaign of harassment” against a psychiatrist served as a marriage counselor and mediator for the rapper and his now-ex-wife Nicole Young. Dr. Charles J. Sophy says the rapper subjected him to a “barrage of threats” via text message, and even sent fake FBI agents to his home to intimidate him. Dre’s attorneys quickly fired back, saying Sophy only sued because Dre is currently seeking to have his medical license revoked over allegations of “dereliction of duties and incredible incompetence” during the divorce.
SAMPLE SPAT – Barry White’s estate filed a copyright lawsuit over allegations that a prominent sample at the heart of Future and Metro Boomin’s chart-topping “Like That” infringes the rights to a 1973 song by the legendary singer — but they didn’t actually file the case against those stars. Instead, they sued duo Rodney-O (Rodney Oliver) & Joe Cooley, the classic hip hop duo behind “Everlasting Bass,” the track that Future and Metro Boomin sampled.
NAME BLAME – Attorneys for Garth Brooks publicly disclosed the name of a woman who sued the country star for sexual assault, naming her as a defendant in a lawsuit that accuses the woman of extortion and defamation. The move drew a sharp rebuke from the woman’s lawyers, who said Brooks had “publicly named a rape victim” in order to “punish” her for speaking out.
THE CASE ISN’T ALRIGHT – A California appeals court sided with The Offspring in a long-running court case filed by former drummer Ron Welty, rejecting his claims that he was owed millions more from the punk band’s $35 million catalog sale to Round Hill Music. A Los Angeles judge rejected those accusations last year, and California’s Court of Appeals ruled that there had been “no reversible error” in that decision.
I WANT MY ROYALTIES BACK, ROYALTIES BACK – What’s going on in the Chili’s legal department? For the second time this year, the huge restaurant chain was sued over accusations that it used copyrighted music on social media without permission — this time by Universal Music Group over dozens songs by Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and other stars. The new case came shortly after the advertising-averse Beastie Boys sued Chili’s over the same thing back in July.
TAKING THE STAND – Amid a lawsuit claiming Martin Shkreli might leak copies of Wu-Tang Clan’s ultra-rare album Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, a federal judge ruled that the pharma exec must personally go to court and testify under oath about the fate of the album. Shkreli once owned the album, but was forced to forfeit to federal prosecutors after he was convicted of securities fraud.
YE LAWSUIT UPDATE – Ye (formerly Kanye West) was sued by Lauren Pisciotta, a former assistant who claimed that the rapper drugged and sexually assaulted her during a studio session he co-hosted with Diddy. Pisciotta already sued Ye in July for sexual harassment, breach of contract and wrongful termination, but she filed an updated version of the case that includes the Diddy-linked claims.
With just three weeks to go before the crucial Nov. 5 presidential election, Donald Trump is doubling-down on a lot of his most controversial campaign rally greatest hits. In addition to denigrating his rival, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, by employing abelist slurs at a recent event, twice impeached convicted felon Trump threatened to employ the military to “handle” his left-wing detractors in an weekend interview. The MAGA leader also bailed on a planned town hall in Pennsylvania on Monday (Oct. 14) in favor of dancing along to a 40 minute playlist of songs featuring a number of artists who’ve explicitly asked him (more than once) to stop playing their music at his rallies.
According to ABC, the event in Oaks, PA in the crucial swing state was twice interrupted by medical emergencies in the crowd in the overheated Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and Fairgrounds. Half an hour in, an attendee was stretchered out of the venue, which reportedly prompted Trump to ask the sound person to fire up Schubert’s operatic “Ave Maria.” After a second person fainted and was attended to, Trump asked for the doors to be opened to let some fresh air in, before being told that was not possible for security reasons.
So, after making a joke about people passing out, Trump dispensed with questions and kicked off a bizarre 30-plus minute playlist song and dance during which he cued up a number of well-known tracks by artists who have explicitly, and repeatedly, asked him to cease and desist from playing their music at his rallies.
According to video of the evening, Trump played Rufus Wainwright’s cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” as well as Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Oliver Anthony’s “Rich Men North of Richmond,” Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain,” James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” Elvis’ “An American Trilogy,” the Village People’s “YMCA” and Andrea Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye.”
In a statement issued Tuesday morning (Oct. 15), Harris supporter Wainwright lambasted Trump for playing the singer’s version of Cohen’s beloved 1984 hymn to the universal struggle of love and heartbreak.
“The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth. I’ve been supremely honored over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance,” wrote Wainwright. “Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy. Of course, I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen’s masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he’s caused. I’m not holding my breath.” The statement also noted that the publishing company for the Cohen estate has sent a cease-and-desist order to the Trump campaign.
GNR and O’Connor’s reps have pointedly asked Trump not to play their music during his campaign stops, with the Village People threatening to sue the former reality TV star last year over what they said was a lookalike band playing their hits at his Mar-a-Lago Florida private club after years of asking him to remove their 1978 queer disco classic from his queue. At press time, spokespeople for all three acts had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment on Trump’s Monday playlist event, though a spokesperson for VP co-founder Victor Willis said a statement was in the works.
The candidate vying for a second White House stint — in the midst of his third overall campaign — has accumulated a long list of acts who do not want to be associated with his divisive, frequently mendacious rhetoric. Over the course of two weeks this summer, Beyoncé, the Foo Fighters and Jack White all slammed the Trump campaign for using their music without permission.
They joined a long list of acts who’ve made similar requests since Trump first ran for the nation’s highest office in 2016, a roster that includes: Adele, Panic! at the Disco’s Brendon Urie, Celine Dion, Earth, Wind & Fire, George Harrison, Neil Young, Isaac Hayes, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Ozzy Osbourne, Prince’s estate and R.E.M., among many others.
Trump has mostly ignored those pleas, even in the face of a lawsuit from the estate of Hayes, though according to previous Billboard reporting there is a long tradition of campaigns hijacking artist’s songs for their own political ends with little blowback. In reality, if a campaign obtains a license to use songs from the catalogs of the leading performing rights organizations BMI and ASCAP — which cover nearly every recognizable song you can think of — they are free to play them. There is, however, a “caveat” in the license that allows the songwriters to object to use of their compositions in a political campaign, which could result in the rights orgs pulling a song from a candidate’s license.
In August, the Foo Fighters vowed to donate royalties from “My Hero” to the Harris campaign following Trump’s blasting of the song at a rally where he was endorsed by rival-turned-supporter independent presidential candidate and anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. At the time, the Independent reported that it had reviewed documents that appeared to confirm that the Trump campaign had licensed the song from BMI’s Songview service.
It was unknown at press time if the Trump campaign had licenses for the other songs played at Monday event, and a spokesperson had not yet returned Billboard‘s request for comment.
Jon Bon Jovi announced his endorsement of Democrat Kamala Harris for President in a song on Friday, spotlighting the patriotic Forever album tune “The People’s House” featuring the War and Treaty in a post explaining his decision.
“The People’s House is a song that celebrates this beautiful place that we call home, from sea to shining sea. @thewarandtreaty,” Bon Jovi wrote. “The truth matters. And the truth is on election day I’ll be voting for @KamalaHarris and @TimWalz because I believe in the power of we, not of me. I’ve written a song reminding us that out of many, we are still one.”
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff thanked the Jersey rocker in a Bon Jovi-quoting post on X, writing, “It’s my wife, and it’s now or never. Election’s coming in November. Thanks for supporting Kamala, @JonBonJovi!” alongside a pic of him posing with the band’s singer.
Bon Jovi has long been a supporter of the Democratic party, lining up behind President Joe Biden at the current commander in chief’s 2021 inauguration day “Celebrating America” concert, where he performed an acoustic take on the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” as well as a pre-election “I Will Vote” concert that also featured Jennifer Hudson, Ciara, Ne-Yo, Sara Bareilles, A$AP Ferg, P!nk, John Legend and others.
After replacing Biden following the President’s surprise decision to drop out of the race in July following a disastrous debate performance against three-time candidate former President Donald Trump, Harris has racked up a bumper crop of A-list endorsements. Among the chart-topping musicians lining up behind the Vice President and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are: P!nk, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Beyoncé, Neil Young, Stevie Wonder, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift.
Twice impeached convicted felon Trump reacted with his typical disdain when Swift helped cap August’s Democratic National Convention by posting a full-throated endorsement of Harris, announcing on his Truth Social platform, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT.”
Check out Bon Jovi’s post and Emhoff’s response below.