The family of the late singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes is suing Donald Trump after accusing the former president of using “Hold On, I’m Coming” at campaign rallies between 2022 and 2024.
On February 24, the last day of the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump gave a speech in which he addressed many issues surrounding the 2024 election. When he finished, he thanked the crowd and danced to “Hold On, I’m Coming.” At the time, there was speculation that he hadn’t received permission to use the 1966 track, which was sung by the R&B duo Sam & Dave and written by the songwriting team of Isaac Hayes and David Porter.
This speculation appears to be true, as a social media post by Isaac Hayes III, Isaac Hayes’ son, shows that the estate of the soul musician has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Trump’s presidential campaign over unauthorized use of the hit song.
“We the family of @isaachayes Isaac Hayes Enterprises, represented by Walker & Associates, are suing @realDonaldTrump and his campaign for 134 counts copyright infringement for the unauthorized use of the song ‘Hold On I’m Coming’ at campaign rallies from 2022-2024,” Isaac Hayes III wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“We demand the cessation of use, removal of all related videos, a public disclaimer, and payment of $3 million in licensing fees by August 16, 2024. Failure to comply will result in further legal action,” he continued.
We the family of @isaachayes Isaac Hayes Enterprises, represented by Walker & Associates, are suing @realDonaldTrump and his campaign for 134 counts copyright infringement for the unauthorized use of the song “Hold On I’m Coming” at campaign rallies from 2022-2024.
We demand… pic.twitter.com/GOBLz7ejYL
— Isaac Hayes III (@IsaacHayes3) August 11, 2024
At the time of writing, his post had been viewed 1.2 million times. Newsweek has contacted a spokesperson for Trump for comment via email outside normal working hours.
The accompanying letter in Isaac Hayes III’s post is addressed to Trump from the Hayes family and their lawyer. It demands that the Trump campaign pay $3 million, take down any footage of the song being used at rallies or in other campaign materials, and issue a statement saying the Hayes’ family and estate did not give the campaign permission to use the musician’s songs.
Isaac Hayes’ attorneys wrote in the letter that the $3 million requested by the estate is “a very discounted fee for the normal license fee associated with this many multiple uses. The normal fee for these infringements will be 10 times as much if we litigate, starting at $150,000 per use.”
In addition, the lawyers threatened legal action against Trump’s campaign should they not receive a response by August 16.
Hours after posting the letter to X, Isaac Hayes III said his family had been asking Trump to stop using the song for two years.
“Imagine asking someone to stop playing a song your family legally owns for 2 years and they just keep on doing it,” he wrote. “And then folks get mad when you take action to stop it. The gall. Artists and their heirs have rights too.”
Scott Olson/Michael Putland/Getty Images
Before Isaac Hayes III shared the cease-and-desist letter on X, he criticized Trump on the social media platform, writing: “Today, on the anniversary of my father @isaachayes death we have repeatedly asked Donald Trump, the RNC and his representatives not to use ‘Hold on I’m Coming’ written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter during campaign rallies but yet again, in Montana they used it.
“Donald Trump represents the worst in integrity and class with his disrespect and sexual abuse of Women and racist rhetoric. We will now deal with this very swiftly.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has found himself in hot water when it comes to music usage. During his rally on Friday, he played “My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion’s award-winning song from the Titanic soundtrack. On Saturday, the singer denounced the move.
“Today, Celine Dion’s management team and her record label, Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., became aware of the unauthorized usage of the video, recording, musical performance, and likeness of Celine Dion singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ at a Donald Trump / JD Vance campaign rally in Montana. In no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use,” a post on Dion’s X account said, adding, “And really, THAT song?”
Footage was also shared online of Trump using “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” by English rock band the Smiths at the South Dakota Republican Party rally in Rapid City on September 9, 2023.
The video was posted on X by Soorin Kim, the 2024 campaign reporter for ABC. “You actually hear the Smiths more often than you’d think at 2024 Trump rallies,” she wrote on January 23.
That day, the band’s guitarist, Johnny Marr, reposted her message, adding: “Ahh…right…OK. I never in a million years would’ve thought this could come to pass. Consider this s*** shut right down right now.”
In May 2023, the disco group Village People sent Trump a cease-and-desist letter contesting a performance of their song “Macho Man” at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.