Former President Donald Trump might find the tune “Hold On, I’m Comin” to be an empowering mantra in his latest bid for the presidency, but Isaac Hayes’ family is demanding that he stop playing the tune immediately.
Trump, Stop Playing That Song
“Donald Trump epitomizes a lack of integrity and class, not only through his continuous use of my father’s music without permission but also through his history of sexual abuse against women and his racist rhetoric,” Isaac Hayes III wrote on his Instagram account. “This behavior will no longer be tolerated, and we will take swift action to put an end to it.”
On Aug. 11, Hayes III, the son of the late music producer and crooner, disclosed that attorney James Walker filed a copyright infringement notice. The notice was shared with Trump and his campaign, demanding that $3 million in licensing fees be paid for using the song without permission.
In Walker’s cease-and-desist letter, the Atlanta-based attorney claimed the Trump campaign played the song “without authorization from the copyright holder, despite being asked repeatedly not to engage in such illegal use by our client.” According to an appendix compiled by Walker, the former President has played the tune more than 100 times at various rallies since 2022. Walker expects Trump’s attorneys to respond by Aug. 16 or a trial will be in the near future, he said.
“I expect a full takedown of the song and the amount that was requested,” Hayes told The Hollywood Reporter. “And never, never use that song again.”
The song, “Hold On, I’m Comin” was written by Hayes and David Porter in 1966. Hayes died on August 10, 2008, with an estimated net worth of $2 million. Throughout his career, he was a singer, songwriter, and producer, most notably for Stax Records. Performed by Sam & Dave, the song reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, according to All Music.
And now it has gained popularity again at Trump rallies and campaign stops, much to the chagrin of Hayes’ family. In addition to the Hayes’ family, other singers and songwriters have asked the Trump campaign to stop using their music. Most notably, as Hayes III was busy on X and Instagram sharing the cease-and-desist, singer Celine Dion demanded that Trump stop playing “My Heart Will Go On.”
Other complaints have come from Sinead O’Connor’s estate for the misuse of “Nothing Compares 2 U” and Prince’s estate for using “Purple Rain” at a 2019 rally in Minneapolis. In addition, tunes by Tom Petty, Rihanna, the Rolling Stones, John Fogerty, Aerosmith, Journey, Linkin Park, and the Village People have also complained to Trump’s campaign concerning their misuse.
“Most of these artists just don’t want to take time or any of the smaller artists don’t have the money resources,” Walker shared to Hollywood Reporter. “And to know how Mr. Hayes is in that rare category where he understands copyright, he understands how you protect yourself, how you protect your publishing. So he knows this just as well as anybody else, if not better.”
