Isaac Hayes’ Family Threatens Lawsuit Over Trump’s Use of Song at Rallies

The family of the late soul and funk singer Isaac Hayes has demanded that Donald Trump cease using Hayes’ song “Hold On, I’m Comin’” at his campaign rallies.

A letter from Hayes’s son, Isaac Hayes III, sent to Trump and his campaign team, threatens legal action if the 1966 Sam & Dave song, written by Hayes and David Porter, continues to be used. The letter alleges copyright infringement and demands $3 million in licensing fees for the period between 2022 and 2024.

Attorney James Walker sent the letter, accusing the Trump campaign of “willfully and brazenly engaging in copyright infringement,” despite repeated requests to stop. The $3 million figure is described as “heavily discounted” due to the frequent use of the song. If a resolution is not met, the Hayes family will seek damages of $150,000 per use through a lawsuit.

On Saturday, Hayes III noted that Trump had used the song in a Montana rally despite prior warnings. He expressed strong disapproval, stating, “Donald Trump represents the worst in integrity and class with his disrespect and sexual abuse of women and racist rhetoric.”

The Hayes family had already criticized Trump in 2022 for using the song at a National Rifle Association convention shortly after the tragic Uvalde school shooting, where 19 students were killed. “Our condolences go out to the victims and families of Uvalde and mass shooting victims everywhere,” they wrote at the time.

David Porter, the song’s co-writer with Hayes, also voiced opposition: “I did not and would not approve of them using the song for any of his purposes.” Hayes and Porter composed the song while working as staff writers for Stax Records, before Hayes embarked on his solo career. Some of their other hits include Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man.”

Trump and his campaign team have yet to comment on the legal threat and the allegations of copyright infringement.

On the same day, Céline Dion rebuked Trump for using her song “My Heart Will Go On” at the same rally in Bozeman, Montana, though she did not threaten legal action. Dion’s statement clarified that the use was unauthorized and that she did not endorse it. The statement humorously added, “And really, THAT song?”—mocking the choice of a song associated with a sinking ship for a campaign rally.

Dion’s song choice was just the latest in a series of peculiar and even comical music selections by the Trump campaign. Earlier this year, The Smiths’s “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” played at a rally, prompting the band’s Johnny Marr to react strongly: “Consider this shit shut right down right now.” Similarly, Michael Stipe of R.E.M. condemned Trump’s use of “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (and I Feel Fine)” back in 2015, calling it “a moronic charade of a campaign.”

Numerous musicians have publicly opposed Trump using their music at his rallies, to the point where they collectively have their own Wikipedia page. Among the notable names are Adele, the Rolling Stones, and Aerosmith. The estates of Leonard Cohen, Luciano Pavarotti, and George Harrison have also voiced their objections.

Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” was another frequently used track at Trump rallies. In response, Young penned an open letter in 2020, acknowledging he lacked legal recourse to stop the use but expressing his disdain: “You are a disgrace to my country … Your mindless destruction of our shared natural resources, our environment, and our relationships with friends around the world is unforgivable.”

Source: Various