More Than 300 Artists Pressing Members of Congress to Fix the “Pre-1972” Loophole for Music Pioneers Ahead of House Judiciary Committee Markup Next Week
Washington, D.C. (April 3, 2018) – An unprecedented coalition of music artists, supported by eight leading music organizations, continues to grow, with 89 additional musicians joining the call on Congress to pass the CLASSICS Act. This bipartisan legislation has been introduced in both chambers of Congress and will address one of copyright law’s most glaring loopholes. The number of artists supporting CLASSICS now totals 302.
Digital radio makes billions of dollars a year from airplay of music made before February 15, 1972. However, because of a glaring inequity in copyright standards, artists who recorded their work before February 15, 1972 are not required by federal law to be paid when their work is played on SiriusXM and digital streaming services. The CLASSICS Act would correct this injustice and ensure that music creators who made those timeless recordings finally get their due.
The CLASSICS Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and will be a part of the music copyright package scheduled for markup by the House Judiciary Committee the week of April 9th. Companion legislation in the U.S. Senate, (S. 2393), is sponsored by Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and in recent weeks Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) have signed in support of the legislation.
The growing coalition of artists urging passage of the CLASSICS Act is supported by music community leaders including A2IM, American Federation of Musicians, Content Creators Coalition, the Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America, SAG-AFTRA and SoundExchange.
The artists recently joining the coalition to pass the CLASSICS Act include:
| Albert Hammond | Janita |
| Allen Toussaint (Estate) | Jesse Colin Young (of the Youngbloods) |
| Allman Brothers Band | Jewel |
| Aloe Blacc | Joe Williams (Estate) |
| Ann-Margret | John Lennon (Estate) |
| Anthony Hamilton | Johnny Rivers |
| Betty Everett (Estate) | Jon “Bowzer” Bauman |
| Big & Rich | Jonatha Brooke |
| Big Joe Turner (Estate) | Judy Collins |
| Bill Gaither | Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues) |
| Billy Preston (PMGI Billy Preston’s Legacy) | Laurence Corky Laing |
| Billy Talent | Lionel Richie |
| Blackwood Brothers Quartet | Louis Jordan (Estate) |
| Blake Morgan | Mac Davis |
| Bob Crosby (Estate) | Martha Reeves |
| Bruce Springsteen | Maurice White (Estate) |
| Camper Van Beethoven | Mel Schacher |
| Candi Staton | Michael McDonald |
| Cathedral Quartet | Mike Curb Congregation |
| Chris Clark | Milt Jackson (Estate) |
| Chuck Berry (Estate) | Oak Ridge Boys |
| Clara Ward (Estate) | Outkast |
| Claudette Robinson/The Miracles | Pat Boone |
| Cracker | Patty Smyth |
| Curtis Stigers | Paul McCartney |
| Cyrille Aimee | Petula Clark |
| Danny Hutton | Portugal. The Man. |
| David Barbe | Randy Crawford |
| David Lowery | Ricky Nelson (The Ricky Nelson Company) |
| David Poe | Ringo Starr |
| David Sanborn | Rob Thomas |
| Dickey Betts | Rush |
| Dinah Washington (Estate) | Ryan Cabrera |
| Dorothy Norwood | Sam Moore |
| Don Brewer | Shawn Mendes |
| Duane Betts | Simon Kirke (Bad Company) |
| Elf Power | Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Estate) |
| Ella Fitzgerald (Estate) | Smokey Robinson |
| Engelbert Humperdinck | Tennessee Ernie Ford (Estate) |
| Ethel Merman (Estate) | The Beatles |
| Frank Zappa (Estate) | The Empty Pockets |
| Glen Campbell (Estate) | The Nelons |
| Gunnar Printz “Mert” Madsen | Tracy Bonham |
| J.D. Sumner (Estate) | Trombone Shorty |
| Jackie “Moms” Mabley (Estate) |
Click here to see the full list of artists who have signed on in support of the CLASSICS Act.
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