General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Open mic nights at bar lead to lawsuit from BMI over music, ask for $121,000 [View all]graham4anything
(11,464 posts)As an example- go into any country bar, and someone will sing
"Friends in low places" or The Dance.
Now, you may think that Garth Brooks is mega rich.
Might be true or not true
But guess what, he didn't write either of them, and the songwriters
(Tony Arata wrote Dance, and Dewayne Blackwell and Earl Bud Lee wrote "friends in low places" and I bet no one has ever heard of any of those three.
The only income they have is their songs.
They do not get a salary, they have no benefits that they didn't self-make.
They have bills like all of us.
And the very, very ironic part of this is, for a democratic board?
BMI and SESAC and ASCAP are like the unions
and the songwriters are the union members.
(and its the big names that are like the Ed Asner's and Martin Sheen's that fight for union rights.)
And if Paul mcCartney wanted to give his music away, he could.
And before putting them down, maybe one should look into how much they do or don't give.
Madonna has given millions and millions in time and money to AIDS.
Irving Berlin wrote God Bless America- and 100% of God Bless America goes to charity.
Anyone stealing it, is taking money out of a child's hand, so to say.