On Monday, Donald Trump turned a city corridor Q&A right into a music-listening session, with the previous president swaying on stage for greater than half-hour to a few of his favourite songs — together with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” as coated by the singer Rufus Wainwright within the movie “Shrek.”
Now, Wainwright and Cohen’s property are taking difficulty with Trump’s use of the tune, with Wainwright writing on social media that “witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music final evening was the peak of blasphemy.”
The publishing firm for Cohen’s property has despatched a stop and desist letter to the Trump marketing campaign, Wainwright stated. Cohen, who died in 2016 on the age of 82, initially launched the tune in 1984, with many musicians later masking it, together with Wainwright and the late Jeff Buckley.
The Trump marketing campaign and representatives for Wainwright and Cohen’s property did not instantly reply to requests for remark.
The spat over “Hallelujah” marks the most recent tussle between musicians and the Trump marketing campaign, which has repeatedly been requested to cease taking part in songs by artists starting from Celine Dion to Queen. A few of the artists stated they’re against their music accompanying any kind of political occasion, whereas others, like Wainwright, have been extra pointed in linking their music to Trump.
“The tune ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen has turn out to be an anthem devoted to peace, love and acceptance of the reality,” Wainwright wrote on Tuesday.
He added that he was “mortified” that the tune was performed on the Trump occasion, including that “the great in me hopes that maybe in inhabiting and actually listening to the lyrics of Cohen’s masterpiece, Donald Trump simply would possibly expertise a touch of regret over what he is triggered.”
Wainwright added that he’s supporting Vice President Kamala Harris within the presidential election.
Trump performed a number of different recordings on the city corridor occasion in Oaks, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles exterior Philadelphia, after two attendees wanted medical consideration. These songs included “It is A Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown, “An American Trilogy” by Elvis Presley and “Nothing Compares 2 U,” by the late Sinead O’Connor.
Musicians who’ve objected to Trump utilizing their music
Wainwright joins a protracted checklist of different musicians who’ve requested the Trump marketing campaign to cease utilizing their songs. A few of the latest circumstances embody:
- Celine Dion, whose representatives in August advised Trump that his use of her Nineteen Nineties tune “My Coronary heart Will Go On” was “unauthorized” and had not acquired her permission.
- The Foo Fighters, who in August objected to Trump taking part in the band’s “My Hero” when he welcomed former unbiased candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the stage at an Arizona rally. The Foo Fighters stated they hadn’t given permission for using the tune, and that any royalties acquired on account of the Trump marketing campaign’s use of the tune could be donated to Harris’ marketing campaign.
- Isaac Hayes, with a federal decide in Atlanta ruling final month that Trump and his marketing campaign should cease utilizing the tune “Maintain On, I am Coming” whereas the household of one of many tune’s co-writers pursues a lawsuit towards the previous president over its use.
- The White Stripes, who in September sued Trump in a case that alleges he used their hit tune “Seven Nation Military” with out permission in a video posted to social media.
