Hold on, lawyers are coming.
Overnight the estate of the late great Isaac Hayes posted to social media a demand to Donald Trump: stop using Hayes’s famous song (with David Porter), “Hold On I’m Coming.”
Hayes — famous for writing and singing “Shaft,” and writing dozens of hits for the Stax record label — died in 2008.
His son, Isaac Hayes III, wrote: “Once again, The estate and family of Isaac Hayes DID NOT approve the use of “Hold on I’m coming’” … by Donald Trump at his 2024 Presidential announcement tonight. We are exploring multiple legal options to stop this unauthorized use.’
He added: “Stopping a politician from using your music is not always an easy task, but we are dedicated to making sure that Donald Trump does not continue to use “Hold on I’m Coming” written by Isaac Hayes an David Porter in further rallies and public appearances.”
“Hold On I’m Coming” is most closely associated with Sam & Dave, who had the original hit. Years later Aretha Franklin won a Grammy for her version, too. The song is used in commercials all the time.
Other artists have fought with Trump over the last few years over use of their songs. The Rolling Stones have been battling him for years over “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” That’s ironic, since Trump’s theme song should be “Sympathy for the Devil.” Or Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back.”
