I can't believe that Ed Sheeran will quit music if he is found guilty of ripping Marvin Gaye's song. I would go as far as to say that there is nothing similar at all between the beginning of the two songs. It is obvious that someone greedy is trying to leech off another person's fame and success. In this case, it is Kathryn Townsend Griffin who is trying to be the thief and benefit from a song that belongs someone else. She is trying to sue for music that she did not help to create in the first place. I am sure the late Marvin Gaye is shaking his head in heaven with this shameless act.
Ed Sheeran Will Quit Music If He Is Found Guilty
Ed Sheeran has claimed that he would quit the music industry if he is found guilty of stealing Marvin Gaye's song-Let's Get It On. The singer has said that these accusations are nothing but slanders to earn money from him. The 32-year-old British singer-songwriter has vehemently denied claims that his song "Thinking Out Loud" had infringed upon Gaye and his co-writer Townsend's 1973 hit in any way.
Ed Sheeran Was Accused of Copying Marvin Gaye's Song
Ed Sheeran even swore that he will completely retire from making music if the jury wrongfully finds him guilty. When asked by his attorney Ilene Farkas about the toll the trial is taking on him, Sheeran replied by saying that if that happens, he will be done, and he will stop. The 'Shape of You' singer added he finds it incredibly insulting to devote his entire existence to being a performer and songwriter and then have someone diminish it.
Kathryn Townsend Griffin Is Demanding US$100 million
Sheeran is being sued by Townsend's heirs or more precisely Kathryn Townsend Griffin, who claims there are striking similarities between the compositions. They demand a staggering $100 million in restitution. Last week, attorneys for Townsend's beneficiaries displayed a video of Sheeran seamlessly transitioning between 'Thinking Out Loud' and 'Let's Get it On' during a live performance in Manhattan federal court.
Kathryn Townsend Griffin (centre) Sues Ed Sheeran
They claimed that his actions were tantamount to an admission that he had stolen the song. But in court on Monday, Sheeran stated that he and other artists frequently perform 'mash-ups,' and that he had previously combined 'Thinking Out Loud' with Van Morrison's 'Crazy in Love' and Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You.' Sheeran claimed that he frequently mashed-up melodies at live performances. Many compositions share chord structures. He said that it is possible to transition from "Let It Be" to "No Woman, No Cry" and back.
Sheeran even claimed that if he had done what he was accused of, he would be an idiot to do that on stage in front of 20,000 people. He also noted that the Irish musician Van Morrison was the inspiration for his popular song. To illustrate his point, the singer strung the four-chord sequence he is accused of stealing from 'Let's Get It On' during his performance of Morrison songs, including 'Tupelo Honey' and 'Crazy Love.'
The singer also attacked the expert witness for the plaintiff, musicologist Alexander Stewart, who argued last week that the first 24 seconds of 'Thinking Out Loud' resembled the beginning of 'Let's Get It On.' Stewart stated in court that the songs 'have the same harmonic cadence' and pointed out melodic similarities in the verse, chorus, and bridge.
Interestingly, an AI-generated rendition of Let's Get It On was played in court during the testimony of Stewart. The courtroom erupted in laughter when the computer-generated version of Let's Get It On was played to demonstrate the similarities between the recordings.
However, in reproducing the song, Stewart altered the chords and melody to sound more like Gaye's song, according to Sheeran. Sheeran stated that If had been honest, what Stewart had been doing was criminal. Sheeran does not understand why the former was permitted to be an expert.
Patrick Frank who was the attorney for the beneficiaries cross-examed Sheeran by hurling baseless accusations. Sheeran became visibly defensive as he dismissed the obvious discrepancies between his song which was written in February 2014 and that of Marvin Gaye. He mocked Frank's inquiries regarding the frequency of Sheeran's songwriting collaborations, which he described as a common practice. He even went as far as saying that Ed Sheeran did not break any new ground at all.
The singer had previously described how he composed the song about eternal love shortly after beginning a new intimate relationship and his grandfather's passing. Sheeran mentioned that he drew a lot of inspiration from his life and family. During a visit to Sheeran's residence in England, Wadge reportedly began strumming the chords for the song, and the two collaborated on the lyrics.
I know Ed Sheeran is innocent!
On the stand, he sang the phrase 'I'm singing out now', which he claimed to have sung during his composition session with Wadge. His song dominated both the British and American charts. It won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2016, but Townsend's family sued for copyright infringement in 2017. If Sheeran is found liable, a second trial will be held to ascertain the amount of damages.
I honestly believe that Ed Sheeran is innocent and he has not in any way copied anybody's music. Brimming with talents, he does not even have to do so in the beginning. The success of his other songs and albums speaks volumes of his talents, passion and ingenuity. If Ed Sheeran were to quit music, it would be a dark day for music lovers and Kathryn Townsend Griffin and her greedy estate will be the culprit! What say you?
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