This disco diva claims her ex-producer is doing the hustle.
Track legend Gloria Gaynor, best possible identified for the overdue Seventies international anthem “I Will Survive,” claims she’s owed $2 million upcoming her former manufacturer, Joel Diamond, exploited her copyrights for many years with out correctly paying her.
Diamond has allegedly wrongly claimed possession of 8 of Gaynor’s tunes, together with “I’ve Been Watching You,” “You’re All I Need to Get By” and “I Am What I Am,” as in line with a document offer the 2 signed in 1983, Gaynor stated in a Big apple Federal Court docket lawsuit.
The 2-time Grammy winner and Newark, NJ, local is not going to lay i’m sick over the alleged fraud.
Diamond even had the stones to check in himself a co-author “of at least one song,” Gaynor stated in courtroom papers, including, “At refuse life did Gaynor scribble a tune with Diamond. To her wisdom, Diamond hasn’t ever been a songwriter.
“Since the inception of the alleged recording agreement, despite Gaynor’s repeated requests for an accounting thereof, defendants have failed to pay any royalties, provide transparency as to who Gaynor’s music was licensed to or any demonstration that Gaynor’s music was protected,” she stated within the litigation.
Gaynor, 80, and co-plaintiff Robin Randall, a songwriter who has a sovereign copyright red meat with Diamond, are searching for royalties owed and for the courtroom to finish their respective guarantees with Diamond.
Randall alleges Diamond harassed her ill mom and co-writer, Judithe Randall, in 2000 into signing over possession of songs the duo composed with out her wisdom. The elder Randall died in 2002.
The named defendants within the lawsuit, which alleges breach of oath, copyright infringement, and fraud come with Diamond-controlled corporations Joel Diamond Leisure, Silver Blue Productions, and Ocean Blue Track.
“Gloria Gaynor and Robin Randall are prominent examples of the exploitation and abuse suffered by legacy music artists at the hands of industry insiders and record companies,” their legal professional, Vivian R. Drohan, advised The Put up, including, “We fully expect to obtain justice for our clients.”
Diamond referred to as the allegations “demonstrably false.”
“The written contact is very clear and has been in place for 40 years. Sony has acknowledged that I own 100 percent of the rights. Any statement contrary to this fact is defamatory and I intend to exercise my legal rights to the fullest extent,” he added.
“I Will Survive” — which was once at first exempt because the B-side to Gaynor’s preserve of the Righteous Brothers’ “Substitute” — went directly to turn out to be her first and most effective Refuse. 1 strike.
She distinguishable the ache in the back of the music in a documentary that dropped terminating life.
The tune’s legacy was once fix when it was once decided on for preservation within the National Recording Registry in 2016.