Sly Stone Awarded Millions In Unpaid Royalties

[jobeterob]

http://www.factmag.com/2015/01/28/sly-stone-awarded-millions-in-unpaid-royalties-after-court-ruling/

I fear if this really ever were paid, half of it will end up going to his lawyer.

[Hotspurman]

Even St. Productions, the company alleged to have syphoned off the money, has filed for bankruptcy protection whilst the two lawyers specifically named have said they will appeal. Winning the award is one thing, actually getting your hands on the money is another...

[theboyfromxtown]

Even St. Productions, the company alleged to have syphoned off the money, has filed for bankruptcy protection whilst the two lawyers specifically named have said they will appeal. Winning the award is one thing, actually getting your hands on the money is another...

Exactly!

And as Rob and I know, the first ones to get their money are - accountants and lawyers!

[Hotspurman]

And it is also why the last people to leave a company that fails are the accountants!

[Jerry Oz]

And they leave after checking their Rolex watches and seeing that it's time to skip down to their Aston-Martins and drive to the country club for dinner with their trophy wives. After all, no need for a tick to drop from the body until it no longer offers blood to suck.

[StuBass1]

http://www.factmag.com/2015/01/28/sly-stone-awarded-millions-in-unpaid-royalties-after-court-ruling/

I fear if this really ever were paid, half of it will end up going to his lawyer.

And the other half to his crack dealer... LOL

[marv2]

And the other half to his crack dealer... LOL

dats not cool.........................hehehehehehehe....!

[jobeterob]

I read one of the Defendants had gone bankrupt and this would be appealed. The only way that a lawyer would ever take this kind of file is on a contingency because Sly would have no way to pay them now. And the contingency would be high, likely charging interest on the money they have to expend. And it was a jury award, likely too high and years in appeals.

So many of these guys took such a beating.

[Soul Sister]

Another black artist getting ripped-off by the music industry. SMH! No big surprise.

Good luck collecting Sly! Don't think he'll see a dime.

S.S.
***

[Hotspurman]

Another black artist getting ripped-off by the music industry. SMH! No big surprise.

Good luck collecting Sly! Don't think he'll see a dime.

S.S.
***

It isn't only black artists who struggle to get their royalties - have a read of Tommy James autobiography.

[alexstassi]

.....and If he never got ripped off he woulda ended up like Sam Cooke

[Soul Sister]

Hotspurman,
Don't know nothing about Tommy James' story but you are correct it's across the board. I have just seen more of it with black artists I know of.
Truth is 99 per cent of all artists get ripped off, only the top wealthy 1 per cent don't because they have millions to hire the best industry lawyers to go to court and sue with bad publicity for the record companies. It takes a special kind of lawyer because it gets real complicated quick.

S.S.
***

[jobeterob]

Lesley Gore once said that after she left Mercury Records in about 1969, she never saw another penny out of them until 1989.

And even Diana Ross herself said she couldn't lay her hands on more than a couple hundred thousand dollars when she left Motown.

[stephanie]

Its a good thing Lesley and Diana Ross were still able to perform and make a good living because if they didnt.....oh well.

[jobeterob]

Diana got $20 Million and parlayed it into a fortune. Lesley got what most recording artists got - like Soul Sister says ~ a few pennies here and there.

But performing has provided many of these artists with some income.

[Soul Sister]

Performing is their "only" way to make a living but once they get too old, ill, or cannot perform anymore, there is nothing unless they have real working money into their Social Security, Jimmy did have a good S.S. check and pension from Aftra, some residuals from movies/SAG.
Artist's get very little in royalties from Records or CD's and that's if they are receiving any at all. Out of about 10 record labels only 2 paid out royalties to Jimmy. Most don't pay most artists because the record companies get away with it, they don't care! Why? Because the average artist does not have millions to take them to court with an expert lawyer who specializes in recording contracts, etc..........

S.S.
***

[marv2]

Its a good thing Lesley and Diana Ross were still able to perform and make a good living because if they didnt.....oh well.

Diane has finally come to that realization which is why she is touring all the time now. She is not making any money any other way.