New York, United States.- Pop stars, American classicists, British artists and heirs to deceased legends, many musicians oppose Donald Trump using their songs at campaign events.
After a video of a Celine Dion performance of “My Heart Will Go On” aired at a Trump campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana, last weekend, the response from his team was swift.
“This use is in no way authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use,” read a statement posted on social media. “And seriously, THAT song?”
Dion joins a long list of artists who have objected to Trump using their songs. Prior to the 2020 election, the list included Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Phil Collins, Pharrell, John Fogerty, Neil Young, Eddy Grant, Panic! at the Disco, REM and Guns N’ Roses.
He also has heirs of deceased artists, such as Leonard Cohen, Tom Petty and Prince, as well as English artists such as the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Adele.
Trump has, however, won the endorsement of some famous musicians, including Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood, known for his patriotic anthem, “God Bless the USA.”
Also heard at Trump’s rally on Thursday in Asheville, North Carolina: “YMCA” by the Village People.
“Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” by British band The Smiths was played at some Trump events, including a rally in Rapid City, South Dakota last September and in January of this year at a rally in Laconia, New Hampshire.
On X, The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr wrote: “Ahh… Right… Okay. Never in a million years would I have thought this could happen. Consider this sh*t over right now.”
In 2022, David Porter, one of the songwriters behind Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Coming,” tweeted.
“To hell with NO!” after learning that Trump used the song at a National Rifle Association rally. In 2017, it should be noted, Sam Moore of Sam and Dave performed “America the Beautiful” at a concert prior to Trump’s inauguration.
On Monday, the son of the late soul singer Isaac Hayes, whose father co-wrote “Hold On, I’m Coming,” announced on social media that he and his family have threatened legal action against Trump “for 134 counts of copyright infringement for the unauthorized use of the song ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ at campaign rallies from 2022 to 2024.”
And while artists can legally object to their songs being used in political campaigns, they rarely have full control over where, when and how their music is played.
The performing rights organizations that represent the most recognizable recorded music — ASCAP and BMI — require political campaigns to obtain licenses that allow them to use large numbers of songs from their vast catalogs.
This means that a political campaign does not have to make individual negotiations over each song used.
If a political license is purchased, artists can object to its use, and the song is removed from the license.
The problem, of course, is that not all campaigns immediately respond to such requests.
And it’s important to note that these political licenses go beyond a public performance license, which allows venues to play copyrighted music.
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