Twitty's Kids Sue For Royalty Rights
03 March 2008
The children of late country star Conway Twitty are suing record label Sony/ATV over royalty and publishing rights for their father's music.
Twitty's daughter Joni Jenkins Riels and her siblings filed their lawsuit in a Tennessee court last week (ends29Feb08) claiming they misunderstood the terms of a deal signed by their dad to hand over the rights to his songs to Sony in March 1990. He died in 1993.
Riels says, "Dad had a long relationship with Sony. We tried to work with them, but it didn't work out. So, we had to file the lawsuit."
But the kids' decision to take legal action has riled the controllers of the Mississippi Man hitmaker's estate, who insist the lawsuit is simply damaging their father's name.
Lawyer Rose Palermo says, "I'm somewhat astounded that they make an allegation that they didn't know what they were doing.
"He (Twitty) was supporting his children. And at the time, he was giving some of them $50,000 a year in salaries and a free place to live.
"To make this allegation is a direct slam at Conway, who was one of the most honourable and decent guys that I've known in the music business."
Twitty's daughter Joni Jenkins Riels and her siblings filed their lawsuit in a Tennessee court last week (ends29Feb08) claiming they misunderstood the terms of a deal signed by their dad to hand over the rights to his songs to Sony in March 1990. He died in 1993.
Riels says, "Dad had a long relationship with Sony. We tried to work with them, but it didn't work out. So, we had to file the lawsuit."
But the kids' decision to take legal action has riled the controllers of the Mississippi Man hitmaker's estate, who insist the lawsuit is simply damaging their father's name.
Lawyer Rose Palermo says, "I'm somewhat astounded that they make an allegation that they didn't know what they were doing.
"He (Twitty) was supporting his children. And at the time, he was giving some of them $50,000 a year in salaries and a free place to live.
"To make this allegation is a direct slam at Conway, who was one of the most honourable and decent guys that I've known in the music business."
Contactmusic
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