Ed Sheeran appeared in court this week to defend his hit single “Thinking out loud” against claims of copyright infringement.
According to PEOPLE, the singer took a stand on Tuesday In New York. He faced Catherine Townsend Griffin daughter of the deceased Ed Townsend, who co-wrote the iconic Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s go.” THE 1973 single was Motown’s best-selling record at the time, selling millions. It’s one of Gaye’s best-known tunes, and Sheeran says that while he paid homage to it during a performance, he didn’t rip it off as Griffin claims.
“If I had done what you’re accusing me of doing, I’d be a fool to get on stage in front of 20,000 people and do this,” the musician said. The show in question was a 2014 concert where he sang a mix of his “Thinking Out Loud” with Gaye’s love anthem.
Sheeran would go on to say that “most pop songs” are inspired by works that came before them. However, that doesn’t make him a thief of the very art that inspired him to create music in the first place. Instead, Sheeran says the motivation behind his Grammy-winning piece was the love he witnessed between his grandparents.
Griffin seeks $100 million from Sheeran for allegedly copying his father’s role. His lawyer, Ben Crump, says Sheeran’s live performance of Gaye’s single was a “confession”, calling him a “smoking gun” in the matter.
This isn’t the first time Sheeran has faced such claims. In April 2022a judge sided with him in a lawsuit alleging he ripped off “Shape of You” Since Sami Switch’s 2015 song, “Oh why”.
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