Post by Admin on Jul 10, 2020 18:41:06 GMT
Anita White has spent decades singing the blues as Lady A. Weeks after Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum changed their name to Lady A to acknowledge the former name’s racial connotation, she worries she’s being erased.
The black Seattle blues singer has been in talks with the band for weeks about using the name, maintaining that she doesn’t want to share the Lady A brand and that she shouldn’t have to fight to keep a name she’s used for more for 20 years. With a newly filed lawsuit from the band, she now may have to fight in court for it.
After getting new legal representation, White sent a revised settlement offer to the band this week, which included a demand for financial compensation for the first time. White asked for $10 million, which she says would have been split between herself and donations to Black Lives Matter, a charity for seniors and youth in Seattle, and musicians in need of legal counsel. Country trio Lady A, who’s had a registered trademark on the name since 2010, responded by suing White over the name rights on Wednesday, asking for no monetary damages but for a declaration that they aren’t infringing on a trademark in using the name and that both parties can “continue to coexist.” In their suit, the band called White’s financial demands “exorbitant” and noted that “prior to 2020, White did not challenge, in any way, Plaintiffs’ open, obvious, and widespread nationwide and international use of the LADY A mark.”
White says that while the band told her they’d ensure she doesn’t get buried behind the group, she thinks the damage had already been done. She claimed it was harder to verify her name to upload her new single “The Truth Is Loud,” a few weeks ago, and that it’s more difficult for fans and new listeners to find her on streaming services like Spotify.
White spoke with Rolling Stone after the band filed the lawsuit about the weeks leading up to the suit, her frustrations about feeling unheard and being an ally to the black community. “They want to change the narrative by minimizing my voice, by belittling me and by not telling the entire truth,” she says. “I don’t think of myself as a victim, but I’ve worked too long and too hard to just walk away and say I’ll share the name with them. They want to appropriate something I used for decades. Just because I don’t have 40 million fans or $40 million, that should not matter.”
At this point, I’m not surprised by anything they would do. When they talked about how talks broke down, they never talked outside of trying to get me to do what they wanted me to do, which is coexist, and that’s something I never wanted. I stand by that. I’ve said it so many times. And in our conversations, I told them, I didn’t think coexistence would work. They said they were going to do their best efforts at insuring that my name could stay out in the forefront [with SEO and streaming services]. Before them, my name was under theirs; I could find myself easily, no problem. Now you can’t find me anywhere, so their ability to keep their word was false. Their best efforts were hollow; they didn’t mean what they said. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been erased. I have new fans sending me emails asking how to get my music because they can’t find me anywhere.
The shifting of their name follows the trend of many other groups and organizations working to distance themselves from racist undertones in the wake of the uprisings in this post-George Floyd world. Not wanting a name that is a reminder to many black folks of how so much was taken from us: our freedom, languages, families, and even our names makes sense. However, to do so by taking the name on which I, a black woman, have built my career in the music industry for over 20 years is ironic. Lady Antebellum to Lady A didn’t change the connotation or yield to them being inclusive. They are yet again using their privilege to take because I don’t want to share in the name. They brought this to the forefront. I didn’t. If they had been true to their word, their name would have completely changed. They have the means and the power.
The black Seattle blues singer has been in talks with the band for weeks about using the name, maintaining that she doesn’t want to share the Lady A brand and that she shouldn’t have to fight to keep a name she’s used for more for 20 years. With a newly filed lawsuit from the band, she now may have to fight in court for it.
After getting new legal representation, White sent a revised settlement offer to the band this week, which included a demand for financial compensation for the first time. White asked for $10 million, which she says would have been split between herself and donations to Black Lives Matter, a charity for seniors and youth in Seattle, and musicians in need of legal counsel. Country trio Lady A, who’s had a registered trademark on the name since 2010, responded by suing White over the name rights on Wednesday, asking for no monetary damages but for a declaration that they aren’t infringing on a trademark in using the name and that both parties can “continue to coexist.” In their suit, the band called White’s financial demands “exorbitant” and noted that “prior to 2020, White did not challenge, in any way, Plaintiffs’ open, obvious, and widespread nationwide and international use of the LADY A mark.”
White says that while the band told her they’d ensure she doesn’t get buried behind the group, she thinks the damage had already been done. She claimed it was harder to verify her name to upload her new single “The Truth Is Loud,” a few weeks ago, and that it’s more difficult for fans and new listeners to find her on streaming services like Spotify.
White spoke with Rolling Stone after the band filed the lawsuit about the weeks leading up to the suit, her frustrations about feeling unheard and being an ally to the black community. “They want to change the narrative by minimizing my voice, by belittling me and by not telling the entire truth,” she says. “I don’t think of myself as a victim, but I’ve worked too long and too hard to just walk away and say I’ll share the name with them. They want to appropriate something I used for decades. Just because I don’t have 40 million fans or $40 million, that should not matter.”
At this point, I’m not surprised by anything they would do. When they talked about how talks broke down, they never talked outside of trying to get me to do what they wanted me to do, which is coexist, and that’s something I never wanted. I stand by that. I’ve said it so many times. And in our conversations, I told them, I didn’t think coexistence would work. They said they were going to do their best efforts at insuring that my name could stay out in the forefront [with SEO and streaming services]. Before them, my name was under theirs; I could find myself easily, no problem. Now you can’t find me anywhere, so their ability to keep their word was false. Their best efforts were hollow; they didn’t mean what they said. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been erased. I have new fans sending me emails asking how to get my music because they can’t find me anywhere.
The shifting of their name follows the trend of many other groups and organizations working to distance themselves from racist undertones in the wake of the uprisings in this post-George Floyd world. Not wanting a name that is a reminder to many black folks of how so much was taken from us: our freedom, languages, families, and even our names makes sense. However, to do so by taking the name on which I, a black woman, have built my career in the music industry for over 20 years is ironic. Lady Antebellum to Lady A didn’t change the connotation or yield to them being inclusive. They are yet again using their privilege to take because I don’t want to share in the name. They brought this to the forefront. I didn’t. If they had been true to their word, their name would have completely changed. They have the means and the power.