Canadian-American artist Rufus Wainwright has joined the ranks of musicians who have criticized Donald Trump’s campaign for utilizing their music without permission. On Tuesday, October 15, he took to social media to express his discontent over Trump’s employment of his rendition of Leonard Cohen’s iconic track “Hallelujah.”In a post on X, he stated:
“Leonard Cohen’s song ‘Hallelujah’ has evolved into an anthem representing peace, love, and acceptance of truth. I have felt profoundly honored to be associated with this tribute to tolerance over the years. To witness Trump and his followers embracing this music last night felt like the ultimate blasphemy.”
Wainwright’s comments came in light of a town hall event led by Donald Trump on October 14 in Oaks, Pennsylvania, where a Q-and-A session turned musical took place. His cover of Cohen’s 1984 song was reportedly featured during the musical portion of the gathering, during which Trump engaged with the audience as the music played in the background.
In his remarks, Rufus Wainwright made it clear that while he does not approve of Trump’s appropriation of his music, he harbors a glimmer of hope that Cohen’s powerful lyrics might inspire some level of remorse within Trump. He articulated:
“I am utterly dismayed by this and was horrified, yet a part of me hopes that perhaps by engaging with and truly listening to Cohen’s profound work, Donald Trump might experience a fleeting moment of regret for the consequences of his actions. I’m not holding my breath.”
Wainwright also announced his intention to support Kamala Harris, Trump’s challenger, in the forthcoming presidential election.
Rufus Wainwright reveals Leonard Cohen’s estate issued cease and desist notice to Trump
Following his denunciation of Donald Trump’s unauthorized utilization of “Hallelujah,”Wainwright indicated that Leonard Cohen’s estate has formally issued a cease and desist notice to Trump’s campaign.
The representatives for Leonard Cohen’s estate have not yet commented on the cease and desist notice. This isn’t the first instance of “Hallelujah”becoming the center of a similar dispute; during the 2020 Republican National Convention, the song was played just before a fireworks show, an act that displeased the Cohen estate. They subsequently condemned the usage at that event.
At that time, the estate indicated they were exploring legal measures against the unauthorized performance of “Hallelujah.”This followed a request from the RNC to use the song, which the Cohen estate declined. Their attorney humorously noted at the time, as reported by Rolling Stone:
“Had the RNC considered another selection, ‘You Want it Darker,’ which earned Leonard a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have been inclined to grant permission for that.”
Rufus Wainwright and the estate of Leonard Cohen are merely the latest figures to oppose Donald Trump’s use of their music at campaign events. Beyoncé previously took action to block the usage of her song “Freedom,”which she later granted to the Harris-Walz campaign. Additionally, the estate of Isaac Hayes initiated a lawsuit against Trump’s campaign for utilizing his song “Hold On, I’m Comin’”without authorization.
Numerous other artists, including Rihanna, Abba, Adele, Celine Dion, and Aerosmith, have also urged Trump to refrain from using their music.
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