The late soul icon Isaac Hayes’ family claims it is suing Donald Trump and his campaign for continuing to use the unapproved version of the Sam & Dave smash song “Hold On, I am Coming,” which Hayes co-wrote.
The son of Grammy and Oscar winner Isaac Hayes III announced on social media on Sunday that the family has launched a lawsuit against the Trump campaign for using the Sam & Dave song at rallies between 2022 and this year.
“We the family of @_isaachayes Isaac Hayes Enterprises, represented by Walker & Associates, are suing 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,” the official Isaac Hayes account posted on X, in a post signed by The Hayes Family.
The post added, “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.”
Isaac Hayes III provided more direct justifications for his attempts to dissociate his father’s work from the Trump campaign on his own Instagram account on Sunday. “Donald Trump’s constant unauthorized exploitation of my father’s music, together with his history of sexual violence against women and his racist remarks, are the epitome of dishonesty and lack of class. Isaac Hayes III commented, “We will swiftly take steps to put an end to this behavior, which will no longer be accepted.”
He added, “We stand in solidarity with all musicians whose work has been co-opted without consent by divisive political campaigns. A musical performers art is a reflection of their soul, not a tool for promoting hatred or bigotry. It’s time for all artists to unite and demand respect for their creative legacies.”
“Hold On, I am Coming” was co-written by Hayes and David Porter, their songwriting collaborator. First released by Sam & Dave in 1996, the song went gold and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts.
The song is now frequently played both before and after the former president’s stump speech at Trump rallies. It was also played significantly at the Republican National Convention in 2024, where a band began playing the song after Trump’s long and meandering speech lasted ninety minutes. The Hayes family complaint is the most recent legal dispute between the Trump campaign and musicians. Artists that have used their music at political rallies, such as The Beatles, Adele, Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, and Earth, Wind & Fire, have criticized Trump and his entourage. In fact, there are so many musicians that have openly demanded that the Trump campaign cease use their music that it has its own Wikipedia page.
The management team of Celine Dion issued a statement on Saturday on behalf of the singer and her record label, Sony, regarding the Trump campaign’s use of the iconic song “My Heart Will Go On” during a Montana event on Friday. “This use is not approved in any manner, and Celine Dion does not support this or any usage that is comparable… Furthermore, that tune, really?” the statement said.
