If all press is good press, then Donald Trump and J.D. Vance are getting a lot of good press over the fact that everybody in the music industry except Kid Rock doesn’t want to be associated with them. Twice in recent days, artists whose songs have been played at Trump-Vance rallies have released statements saying that, actually, they’re not down with that. Most recently, on August 11, the family of the late singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes threatened to sue Donald Trump 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.†They are asking for $3 million as a retroactive licensing fee and for his team to share a statement clarifying that the family and estate of Hayes “have not authorized, endorsed or permitted use of the Isaac Hayes Enterprises’ property at any point, now or in perpetuity throughout the universe.â€
This follows a separate statement from global treasure Céline Dion’s camp after Trump used her song “My Heart Will Go On†at a rally. “In no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use,†they said in a statement on Twitter. “…And really, THAT song?†Really great point, Céline Dion! Maybe Trump just really likes the parts in Titanic when Billy Zane makes fun of a poor person.