Rod Stewart Sued for Allegedly Copying Old Blues Song

Credit: Penny LancasterRod Stewart has become the latest musician to be sued for copyright infringement.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, the singer is accused of copying an old blues song, “Corrine, Corrina,” without permission.

The song was written by Armenter “Bo Carter” Chatmon in 1928, and now the heirs of the Chatmon estate are suing Stewart over his similarly titled “Corrina, Corrina,” which was included as a bonus track on his 2013 album Time.  Universal Music and Capitol Records are also named in the suit.

The complaint claims that the two songs are “nearly identical” and “contain substantially similar defining compositional elements, including, but not limited to lyrics, melody, rhythm, tempo, meter, key, and title.”

Many artists, including Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton, have covered the blues song over the years, but it’s unclear whether they made licensing payments. 

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