A federal judge has ruled that former President Donald Trump and his campaign must refrain from using the song “Hold On, I’m Comin” after the family of the late singer Isaac Hayes sought an emergency injunction to stop its use at campaign events. The Hayes estate alleges that the campaign did not have approval to use the song.
Isaac Hayes, who co-wrote the song in 1966 with David Porter, passed away in 2008 at the age of 65 after suffering a stroke. The song was performed by the duo Sam & Dave, consisting of Sam Moore and Dave Prater, with Prater passing away in 1988.
Court documents reveal that the estate's attorneys claim the campaign did not obtain a valid public performance license and are seeking compensatory damages for the unauthorized use of Hayes’ music. The Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign, in response to the lawsuit, argue that the Hayes estate is not the license holder for the song.
Isaac Hayes III shared a letter dated June 5 from BMI, an organization that collects license fees for music use, stating that neither Trump nor his campaign holds a valid license to play the song. This legal dispute marks the first instance of the Trump campaign facing court action over alleged unauthorized use of music, although other artists have raised similar complaints.
