Singer Goes Off on RNC for Using Band’s Song, Slams Donald Trump’s Wife Too

Ain’t no party like a Grand Old Party, but even a happening like the Republican National Convention needs some tunes to keep things swingin’, am I right? For the big RNC shindig happening in Cleveland right now, the tuneage is being supplied by former Saturday Night Live bandleader G.E. Smith‘s eponymous band, and the set list leans heavily toward what folks in the music business euphemistically call “blue-eyed soul,” featuring the likes of Rod Stewart, Stevie Ray Vaughn, The Blues Brothers, and at least one band whose frontman is threatening legal action. See if you can guess which one from this sampling:

If you guessed “The Turtles” for their 60s hit “Happy Together,” you win, well, nothing. Turtles lead singer Howard Kaylan took to Twitter to express his displeasure:

We never approved this use.
Now we call the lawyers
https://t.co/JZQjx8KZua

— Howard Kaylan (@howardkaylan) July 18, 2016

Unfortunately, that call to the lawyers didn’t go all that well, but it did provide Kaylan with an opportunity to take a shot at Donald Trump’s wife, Melania:

I was annoyed. And I did call lawyers
There is no legal recourse for covers
Not like Mrs. Trump outright theft. https://t.co/Yln1iKRdlQ

— Howard Kaylan (@howardkaylan) July 19, 2016

So, the RNC dodged at least the one bullet, although there’s still a lot of convention left, and a lot of artists on the playlist who aren’t Ted Nugent.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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