Smith had to dip into the petty cash, am I right?
Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” was one of the biggest songs in 2014 and let’s call a spade a spade, it’s turned him into a global superstar.
At the time of its release, a few people said it sounded a lot like the classic Tom Petty track “I Won’t Back Down” and it turns out that song was a big influence.
According to The Sun, Petty’s lawyers also noticed similarities, so they got onto Smith’s people and Sam has since agreed to pay songwriting royalties.
The settlement apparently also includes a 12.5% writing credit to both Petty and singer-composer Jeff Lynne.
Have a listen to the two songs here, can you hear it?
Sam Smith – Stay With Me
Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down
“Stay With Me” is nominated for both Best Pop Performance and Record of the Year at Grammy Awards.
If it wins, Tom will have to get his angle grinder out and chop off 12.5% of the gong.
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