Donald Trump might be in the lead for the Republican nomination for President, but he’s now 0-3 when it comes to picking songs to be played at his campaign events, with Aerosmith being the latest band to tell The Donald to stop using one of their songs. Trump has used the band’s ’70s hit “Dream On” at rallies in Alabama and Georgia, and the band has responded with a cease-and-desist order.
“Trump for President does not have our client’s permission to use ‘Dream On’ or any of our client’s other music in connection with the Campaign because it gives the false impression that he is connected with or endorses Mr. Trump’s presidential bid. We are unaware of any public performance license granting Trump for President the right to perform ‘Dream On’ in connection with the Campaign. If Trump for President has any such license, please forward it to our attention immediately.”
So far, as he continues his march toward the White House, Trump has been shut down by Neil Young for using “Rockin’ in the Free World” at his campaign announcement and by REM, who told Trump to pound sand after he improbably used the band’s song “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” at a rally where he protested the Iran nuclear deal. The Aerosmith rebuke has to hurt, though. Trump and Aerosmith’s frontman, Steven Tyler, are homies, dating back to 2013 when Tyler was a judge at the Miss USA pageant. Tyler was also a guest of Trump’s at the August Republican Debate and, in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Trump talked about his love of the legendary Boston band.
“Aerosmith is terrific. Steven Tyler, that whole group is just a terrific group. They actually came and watched the debate recently, and I know they were rooting for me, they’re fans of mine, but I’m even bigger fans of theirs. So I think Aerosmith is great.”
Well, I don’t know what might have been said behind closed doors, Donald, but I do know “Hey, man, of course you can use our music” wasn’t.
Seeing as how this keeps happening to Trump, this handy guide that lines out what to do if a politician ends up using one of your songs without your permission should prove useful. Who knows what song he’s going to use next, but if history is an indication, the band isn’t going to be cool with it.
Even if they are friends.
That’s politics, man.
(Via NME)
