LONDON, UK (CelebrityAccess) – The London Music Hall of Fame and the London Music Awards have seized using Jack Richardson’s name following a legal spat with the family of the late Canadian music icon.
According to The London Free Press, the family was seeking royalties from the organization for its use of Richardson’s namesake in connection to the promotion of various London Music Week events as well as a band associated with the hall of fame, the Jack Richardson Orchestra, and a specialty craft beer.
Commenting on the ordeal, Richardson’s son Garth told TLFP: “The family has been asking for financials for six months and we were flatly refused. To be making money off our father’s name, something should be coming back to my mother.”
Mario Circelli, chair and founder of the London Music Hall of Fame, said: “They were asking for royalties and wanting to tell us what we can and can’t do and who would sit on the board and that’s not acceptable to us. We’re a grassroots organization, a not-for-profit organization that belongs to no one person and benefits no one person. I’m disappointed, but we’re also excited. People like the rebrand. It gives us better focus and we’re going back to our roots with the name change.”
Translation: We can’t see a problem with piggybacking on Richardson’s success for free to legitimize our own.
Richardson, who was an Order of Canada recipient, was best known for producing The Guess Who. He passed away in 2011.
