Isaac Hayes' family threatens to sue Trump campaign over use of his song, demand $3 million in fees

The family of the late singer-songwriter Isaac Hayes is threatening to sue Trump and his campaign over the unauthorized use of the song "Hold On I'm Coming" at rallies and in campaign videos.

In a post on X, Hayes' son, Isaac Hayes III, said Trump and his campaign had infringed upon the family and Isaac Hayes Enterprises' copyright of the song 134 times from 2022 to 2024. Unless the family is paid $3 million in licensing fees by Aug. 16, they say they will take further legal action against the former president.

Hayes, who died in 2008, co-wrote Sam & Dave's song "Hold On I'm Coming" with David Porter in 1966. But Trump has recently adopted the hit into his campaign trail playlist, with his Friday stop in Montana being the latest instance of its use, according to Hayes III.

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The day after the Montana rally, and on the anniversary of Hayes' death, Hayes III had said in another post on X that the family had repeatedly asked Trump to stop using the song and would now "deal with this very swiftly." He also called Trump a representation of "the worst in integrity and class with his disrespect and sexual abuse of women and racist rhetoric."

The next day, Hayes III posted a copy of the notice of copyright infringement sent to Trump and his campaign, stating the former president has continued using the song during rallies "despite being asked repeatedly not to engage in such illegal use by our client," including in Montana after Trump's camp was "apparently aware that you had no permission."

The family says this unauthorized use prompted the notice, which makes four demands to be fulfilled by Aug. 16 before a lawsuit commences.

It firstly demands Trump and his campaign cease using "Hold On I'm Coming" and any other intellectual property belonging to Hayes' family or Isaac Hayes Enterprises. It also says the Republican presidential nominee must remove any videos that have featured the song or any reference to it from websites related to Trump, his campaign, the Republican National Committee and "any organization or entity affiliated."

The notice also demands the Trump campaign release an official statement as a formal disclaimer, stating Hayes and his family haven't "authorized, endorsed or permitted use of" the property.

Lastly, it demands the $3 million licensing fee, which it states is "very discounted" for the multiple times the copyright was infringed upon. The family says if the damages are not paid and a lawsuit ensues, they will demand the "normal fee for these infringements" starting at $150,000 per use.

"Please be advised that failure to respond or delay in complying with these demands will be deemed evidence of intentional infringement, and we will have no choice but to proceed against all those involved, accordingly," the notice states. "Thus, it is our hope that we can resolve this issue quickly and amicably."

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This isn't the first time Trump and his campaign have faced criticism over using songs without the artist's consent, and it wasn't even the first in relation to the event in Montana.

On Saturday, a post on Celine Dion's X page said that her management team and record label were made aware of the "unauthorized usage of the video, recording, musical performance and likeness of Celine Dion singing 'My Heart Will Go On" at the event.

"In no way is this use authorized, and Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use... And really, THAT song?" the post read.

And in January, after Trump played The Smiths' "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" at a rally, the band's guitarist, Johnny Marr wrote on X, "I never in a million years would've thought this could come to pass. Consider this s*** shut right down right now."

Other musicians have rebuked Trump's use of their music, including Neil Young, Adele, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Guns N' Roses, Nickelback, Prince, Queen and Tom Petty.