Pharrell, Robin Thicke to pay $7.4 million to Marvin Gayes family
It was the hottest song of 2013, blasting on radios all over the world after becoming an international hit. But fast forward to two years…
Recording artists Pharrell Williams (L) and Robin Thicke perform onstage during the 56th annual GRAMMY Awards Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute to Industry Icons honoring Lucian Grainge at The Beverly Hilton on January 25, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
It was the hottest song of 2013, blasting on radios all over the world after becoming an international hit. But fast forward to two years later and the creators of “Blurred Lines” are facing the consequences.
The jury has reached a verdict on Tuesday after determining that singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams copied the music of the late singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye.
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Pharrell Williams is seen outside the Roybal Federal Building on March 4, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David Buchan/Getty Images)
As a result, the famous duo must pay nearly $7.4 million to Gaye’s children for copyright infringement of the ’70s hit “Got to Give It Up.” After his passing in 1984, Gaye left his children the copyrights to his music.
“Right now, I feel free,” Nona Gaye, daughter of the singer, said to AP after the verdict. “Free from … Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told.”
The Gaye’s attorney, Richard Busch, expressed that the family “fought this fight despite every odd being against them,” and called both artists “liars who went beyond trying to emulate the sound of Gaye’s late-1970s music and copied the R&B legend’s hit outright,” reports AP.
On their defense, Thicke –who sings the global record– told jurors on Tuesday that he didn’t write “Blurred Lines.”
Williams, on the other hand, testified that it took him one hour to craft the song back in 2012 and admitted that though Gaye’s music was part of his youth, he didn’t use any of it to create the song.
Much of the trial featured comparisons to both “Blurred Lines” and “Got to Give It Up,” where Williams notably agreed, saying it sounds like youre playing the same thing.
Gaye’s children sued the singers in 2013. Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III were all present when the verdict was read. According to AP, the verdict may face years of appeals.
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As for Williams and Thicke, this mishap can tarnish the legacy of both musicians.
