Leonard Cohen's estate 'in new legal move against Donald Trump'

admin admin | 10-16 08:15

Leonard Cohen's estate has reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter to Donald Trump after he used Rufus Wainwright's cover of Hallelujah at a rally.

Canadian-American singer Wainwright has also issued a statement saying he was "horrified" by his recording of the 1984 song being used at the "bizarre" town hall event.

The rally took place in Oaks, Pennsylvania, and saw the former US president, who is running for a second term as the current Republican Party presidential candidate, stand in front of his supporters while a number of songs were played through a sound system behind him.

Rufus Wainwright - "Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy"

In the post, Wainwright said he would be supporting the Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris in this year's US election, which takes place on Tuesday 5 November.

In his statement, Wainwright said: "The song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth.

"I've been supremely honoured over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance.

"Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy.

"Of course, I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen's masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he's caused. I'm not holding my breath.

"And needless to say, I am all in for Kamala."

At the bottom of the statement, Wainwright said: "The publishing company for the Leonard Cohen estate has sent the Trump campaign a cease and desist letter."

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It is not the first time Cohen's estate has moved against Trump for use of the song.

The estate confirmed it would be taking legal action in 2020 when the then-president used it twice during the Republican National Convention.

The estate said it had initially denied a request to use the song at the convention.

Other artists who have taken action after Trump used their music include The Rolling Stones and Neil Young.

Linkin Park issued a cease-and-desist order after the band's song In the End appeared in a video supporting the then-president.

Leonard Cohen, pictured in Leeds in September 2013

The PA news agency has contacted the Cohen estate and its publishers for comment.

Cohen's Hallelujah was a single taken from the Canadian singer-songwriter's 1984 album Various Positions.

It has been covered widely by artists including former Velvet Underground member John Cale, the late American singer Jeff Buckley, and X Factor winner Alexandra Burke.

Cohen died in November 2016 aged 82.

Source: Press Association

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