Bob Marley's Family Loses Suit Against Universal

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A judge has ruled against Bob Marley’s family, who had sued Universal Music Group for the rights over five of the singer’s most enduring albums. Bob’s widow Rita and nine of his children filed the suit after UMG licensed Marley's music for ringtones without first consulting the family, Reuters reports. In addition to the copyrights, on albums released by Island Records between 1972 and 1978 (Catch a Fire, Burnin', Natty Dread, Rastaman Vibrations and Exodus), the Marleys had been seeking millions of dollars for damages and lost royalties. Marley recorded the LPs as part of a "works made for hire" contract with Island, an offshoot of UMG. The Marley family accused Universal of "exploiting" Bob Marley's music and image.

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Song Stories

“Everyday People”

Sly and the Family Stone | 1968

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.

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