David Byrne Wins Settlement Over Unauthorized Political Ad
Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist has settled a lawsuit with David Byrne after the politician used one of Bryne’s old Talking Heads songs in a campaign last year without permission. Both parties have declined to reveal the terms of their settlement, but it did include a video apology by Crist that was posted to YouTube yesterday. Byrne had sued Crist for $1 million for using “Road to Nowhere,” a hit from the Talking Heads‘ 1985 album Little Creatures, in an attack ad targeting his Senate race opponent Marco Rubio.
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In a statement released yesterday, Byrne said that he was surprised to learn that the unauthorized use of pop songs in political advertising was very widespread. “It turns out I am one of the few artists who has the bucks and (guts) to challenge such usage. I’m feeling very manly after my trip to Tampa!,” Byrne said. The musician went on to express his hope that by taking a stand on this issue, other politicians may reconsider this practice in the future.