The family of the late soul singer Isaac Hayes has demanded that Donald Trump stop using the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at his campaign rallies, threatening legal action if he does not comply by August 16.
The song, originally composed by Hayes and Dave Porter and made famous by the soul duo Sam and Dave, has been a staple at Trump’s events, played repeatedly between 2022 and 2024.
Despite numerous requests from the Hayes family to cease using the song, the Trump campaign has allegedly used it 134 times without authorization. In response, the family is demanding $3 million in licensing fees for the unauthorized use and has warned that if a lawsuit is necessary, they will seek damages of $150,000 per use, potentially exceeding $20 million.
The family has also insisted that the Trump campaign remove any videos featuring the song and publicly acknowledge that the Hayes family has not approved its use.
The situation is not the first time the Hayes family has objected to the use of “Hold On, I’m Coming” in a political context. They previously criticized Trump for playing the song at a National Rifle Association convention shortly after the tragic Uvalde school shooting in 2022.
Dave Porter, the song’s co-writer, and Sam Porter, the original singer, have both expressed disapproval of their music being used in political campaigns without their consent.
This latest conflict adds to a growing list of musicians who have clashed with the Trump campaign over unauthorized use of their music, including major artists like The Beatles, Neil Young, Adele, and Bruce Springsteen. While these disputes have garnered significant attention, artists often face challenges in preventing politicians from using their music due to the broad licenses political campaigns obtain from music rights bodies like BMI.
Despite these licenses, many musicians have struggled to stop the use of their songs in political campaigns. Campaigns are required to obtain a Political Entities License, granting them access to millions of tracks for rallies, but artists can request their songs be removed from these licenses.
However, compliance is inconsistent, and many campaigns continue to use the music without proper clearance. This issue has been particularly prevalent with Trump’s campaign, but it is not unique to him; other political campaigns have also faced similar accusations of disregarding artists’ rights.
Legal battles often result in settlements rather than court cases, as seen with Jackson Browne’s lawsuit against John McCain in 2008. The recurring nature of these disputes highlights the ongoing tension between musicians and political campaigns over the use of creative works.
