The estate of Isaac Hayes is suing Donald Trump.
On Friday (August 23), Isaac Hayes III, the late soul singer’s son, announced on social media that a federal judge had granted his father’s estate an emergency hearing in its lawsuit against the former president for using the tune “Hold On, I’m Coming” at several campaign events without permission.
“The Federal Court granted our motion for an emergency hearing to obtain a preliminary injunction,” Hayes III wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Donald Trump, the RNC, Trump, Trump for President Inc. 2024, Turning Point, and the NRA are scheduled to appear in Northern U.S. District Federal Court in Atlanta on September 3, 2024. See you in court.”
On August 11, attorneys for Isaac Hayes Enterprises filed a copyright infringement notice and threatened further legal action against the Trump campaign for the unauthorized use of the Sam & Dave classic at several Trump rallies from 2022 to 2024.
“Today, on the anniversary of the death of my father, Isaac Hayes, we have repeatedly asked Donald Trump, the RNC and its representatives not to use the song ‘Hold on I’m Coming,’ written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, at campaign rallies, but in Montana they used it once again,” Hayes III said. wrote on X on August 10th.
He added The next day it said: “We demand a cessation of use, removal of all associated videos, a public disclaimer, and payment of $3 million in royalties by August 16, 2024. Failure to comply will result in further legal action.”
Hayes died on August 10, 2008 at the age of 65. He and David Porter wrote “Hold On, I’m Coming,” which was recorded by soul duo Sam & Dave and released on the Stax label in 1966, peaking at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has had numerous clashes with other musical groups. Numerous well-known artists and songwriters have protested his campaign’s use of their songs at political rallies since he first ran for president in 2015, including the Rolling Stones, Adele, Rihanna, the estate of Sinead O’Connor and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
“It is highly unfortunate that these artists have posted publicly on social media urging Team Trump and other candidates not to use their music – and yet their candidates continue to use their music,” James L. Walker Jr., an attorney for Hayes Enterprises, previously said.
On Friday, the Foo Fighters joined the list of artists opposing Trump’s use of their music at his events. The Dave Grohl-led group’s 1997 anthem “My Hero” was played as Trump welcomed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage in Glendale, Arizona, after the independent presidential candidate suspended his campaign and endorsed the Republican candidate.
“Foo Fighters were not asked for permission, and if they had been, they would not have granted it,” says a spokesman Billboard of unauthorized use. In addition, “appropriate action” will be taken against the campaign, the spokesperson continues, and any royalties collected as a result of this use will be donated to the Kamala Harris/Tim Walz campaign.
This was the second time this week – and the third time in August – that the Trump campaign has clashed with a superstar over the use of music without permission. On Tuesday (August 22), Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung posted a 13-second video on his X account showing Trump disembarking from a plane while Beyoncé’s “Freedom” played. The video came long after his opponent, Democratic presidential candidate Harris, had already been using the song (with permission) for weeks.
Beyoncé’s record label and music publisher sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Trump campaign on Wednesday (August 21) over the use of “Freedom.” Later that evening, the video was deleted from Cheung’s X-account.
See Isaac Hayes III’s contributions to X below.
