David Byrne
has been entangled in a lawsuit against former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, who The Talking Heads song "Road to Nowhere" in a web campaign video without permission. Crist, and the production company that made the spot, have now apologized and the case has been settled (the financial terms of the settlement are confidential). Crist has released a (soundtrack-free) video apology (watch below), and Byrne says:
“I was shocked to discover, while working out our settlement, that the use of songs for political ads is pretty rampant. It turns out I am one of the few artists who has the bucks and cojones to challenge such usage—I'm feeling very manly after my trip to Tampa! Other artists may actually have the anger but not want to take the time and risk the legal bills. I am lucky that I can do that. Anyway, my hope is that by standing up to this practice maybe it can be made to be a less common option, or better yet an option that is never taken in the future.”
Other musicians with cojones, and a strong dislike for Republicans using their tunes: Heart, Bon Jovi, Rush, Van Halen, Don Henley, Tom Petty and the Foo Fighters.
