Isaac Hayes' Family Threatens Legal Action Against Trump For Unauthorized Song Use

Isaac Hayes’ family is not playing around with former president Donald Trump.

According to CBS News, the family of Hayes has threatened to sue the former president for using the late soul singer’s song Hold on, I’m Coming at his campaign rallies.

In fact, a letter from Hayes' family posted on social media on Sunday demanded that Trump comply by Friday and pay $3 million in licensing fees for using Hayes' song at his campaign events since 2022.

"It has come to our attention that you or the campaign have authorized the illegal public performance of the song on multiple occasions during various rallies for your political campaign without authorization from the copyright holder, despite being asked repeatedly not to engage in such illegal use by our client," said the letter from the family's attorney James Walker. 

The song Hold On, I’m Coming was released back in 1966 by the R&B duo Sam & Dave. It was written by Isaac Hayes, who passed away in 2008, along with David Porter.

The song, though, has been played a whopping 134 times by the Trump campaign in the last two years, according to Hayes’ family.

The letter from Walker stated that the requested $3 million payment represents a 'very discounted fee' given the number of times the song has been played. It also eloquently warned that the family would seek a much higher sum, including attorney’s fees, should they pursue legal action against Trump and his campaign.

"The normal fee for these infringements will be 10 times as much if we litigate, starting at $150,000 per use," it said. 

Additionally, the family requested that the campaign release a statement on its social media accounting, stating that “they did not have authorization from Hayes’ estate to use the song."

This is at least the second time in recent days that Trump’s presidential nominee campaign has been asked to halt using an artist’s song.

Celine Dion’s representatives said last Saturday that the use of her song My Heart Will Go On at a rally was “unauthorized” and “had not done with her permission.”

Photo Credit: DepositPhotos.com