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Responding to the ‘Need You Now’ hitmakers’ lawsuit against her, blues singer Anita White also claims that the trio have erased her from every platform in their massive rebranding efforts. More
Anita White calls out the country music trio following lawsuit over moniker dispute, saying ‘You don’t get to just come and take because you have that privilege.’
Jul 12, 2020
AceShowbiz – Blues singer Anita White has vowed she is “not going to be erased” amid Lady A’s lawsuit against her.
The “Need You Now” hitmakers, formerly known as Lady Antebellum, decided to adjust their stage name last month (Jun20) after acknowledging that the word ‘Antebellum’ has close ties with slavery in America’s southern states.
Washington state-based artist White, who had been using Lady A professionally for years, objected to the name change at the time, but the two sides appeared to settle the dispute privately within days.
However, things turned nasty on Wednesday (08Jul20) when bandmates Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, and Hillary Scott accused White of trying to cash in on the situation by demanding $10 million (£8 million) to stop performing as Lady A.
Now White has responded to the lawsuit in an interview with Vulture, telling the outlet, “I think they always knew what they were gonna do. I was quiet for two weeks because I was trying to believe that it was going to be okay and that they would realise that it would be easier to just change their name, or pay me for my name.”
She added that the money she had requested was actually $5 million (£3.9 million) to rebrand and start over while the other half was to be donated to charities of her choice.
“Five million dollars is nothing, and I’m actually worth more than that, regardless of what they think,” she sighed. “But here we go again with another white person trying to take something from a Black person, even though they say they’re trying to help. If you want to be an advocate or an ally, you help those who you’re oppressing. And that might require you to give up something because I am not going to be erased.”
White added that she had initially suggested that the former Lady Antebellum could call themselves “Band Lady A, or Lady A the Band, and I could be Lady A the Artist,” they “didn’t want to do that.”
“You don’t get to just come and take because you have that privilege,” she said. “We don’t have that luxury or that privilege, so we need somebody to help us and lift us up.”
Lady A have yet to respond to White’s comments.
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Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, and Hillary Scott are facing harsh criticism from another country music singer amid their dispute with blues singer Anita White. More
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Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, and Hillary Scott have launched a legal action against the blues singer, real name Anita White, following dispute over the clash of their stage names.
Jul 9, 2020
AceShowbiz – Country trio Lady A’s name battle with a Seattle-based blues singer has turned nasty with the band suing her for refusing to vacate the moniker.
Anita White, who performs as Lady A, attacked the “Need You Now” hitmakers, formerly known as Lady Antebellum, for grabbing her name after the trio decided the word ‘Antebellum’ was too closely associated with slavery in America’s southern states, but it appeared the two sides had settled the dispute last month (Jun20).
However, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood, and Hillary Scott have now filed suit at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, accusing White of attempting to “enforce purported trademarks rights in a mark that Plaintiffs have held for more than a decade.”
Negotiations between the band and the singer and their respective attorneys broke down after White’s attorney “delivered a draft settlement agreement that included an exorbitant monetary demand,” according to the suit obtained by Billboard.
“Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended,” the group says in a statement. “She and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years.”
After learning of the trio’s name change a month ago, White told Rolling Stone, “This is my life. Lady A is my brand, I’ve used it for over 20 years, and I’m proud of what I’ve done… They’re using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time… It shouldn’t have taken (police brutality victim) George Floyd to die for them to realise that their name had a slave reference to it.”
Lady A made the name change following renewed discussions about racial injustice and inequality in the U.S. Antebellum refers to southern culture before the American Civil War, during which many households kept slaves.
“Our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day,” the band wrote. “Now, blind spots we didn’t even known existed have been revealed. After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word ‘antebellum’ from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start.”
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Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood are working to solve the issues with the original Lady A whose real name is Anita White following criticisms.
Jun 17, 2020
AceShowbiz – The stars of Lady Antebellum are pushing ahead under their new moniker Lady A after holding a virtual meeting with blues singer Anita White, who has been performing under the title for 20 years.
White was stunned to learn the country trio had dropped ‘Antebellum’ from their name due to racial sensitivities this week and intended to perform and record as Lady A.
Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood explained the ‘Antebellum’ name had too many links to the American Civil War, insisting, “We are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery.”
While White had previously insisted, “It shouldn’t have taken George Floyd to die for them to realise that their name had a slave reference to it,” in snaps shared online by the “Need You Now” group, they’re seen connecting with the singer as they collectively worked to find a way forward.
“Today, we connected privately with the artist Lady A,” the country group began. “Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had. We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground.”
“The hurt is turning into hope. More to come,” they concluded, along with the hashtags, “#LadyABluesSoulFunkGospelArtist #TheTruthIsLoud.”
The original Lady A shared the same photo and message and, in her Instagram story, she also shared a post from black country artist Michael Ricks, who uploaded a photo of the Rolling Stone article where White spoke about Lady Antebellum taking the name.
Alongside the screenshot, he added, “Do a song together? In the spirit of racial reconciliation?” and “Be the next Lil Nas X and Billy Ray,” referring to their massive hit “Old Town Road”.
While White didn’t add anything to the post, she appeared to hint a collaboration between herself and the new Lady A could be on the cards.
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Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood say they are ‘regretful and embarrassed’ at ignoring previous criticisms about their use of their moniker and vow to do better.
Jun 12, 2020
AceShowbiz – Country stars Lady Antebellum are shortening their moniker after recognising the negative connotations associated with the latter half of the group name.
Bandmates Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood took to social media on Thursday, June 11, 2020 to announce they will now be known as Lady A, the shortened version long used by fans.
In the detailed message, the musicians explain the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests and renewed discussions about racial injustice and inequality have prompted them to reflect on the links the word “antebellum” has to aspects of the pre-Civil War South, including slavery.
“We’ve watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks, and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day,” they wrote. “Now, blind spots we didn’t even known existed have been revealed.”
“After much personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest black friends and colleagues, we have decided to drop the word ‘antebellum’ from our name and move forward as Lady A, the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start.”
The “Need You Now” hitmakers admit they are “regretful and embarrassed” at having ignored previous criticisms about their use of the word, which they adopted after taking their first promotional photos in front of an antebellum-style home, used to represent the influence Southern music had had on the trio.
“We can make no excuse for our lateness to this realization,” the stars confessed. “What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it, and take action.”
Lady A insist they “want to do better” and to underscore their commitment to the cause, they will be donating to the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative, via their own LadyAID charity.
They concluded, “Our prayer is that if we lead by example…with humility, love, empathy and action…we can be better allies to those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices, while influencing our children & generations to come.”
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Carrie Underwood is ‘Drinking Alone’, Miranda Lambert sings from her wedding site, while Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker team up for a rendition of ‘Wagon Wheel’ and pay tribute to the late Kenny Rogers.
Apr 6, 2020
AceShowbiz – Country music stars have joined forces to entertain their fans as they continue to stay at home amid the coronavirus crisis. On Sunday, April 5, the likes of Shania Twain, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani took part in “ACM Presents: Our Country”, which aired in place of the now-postponed 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards.
Luke kicked off the show with an uplifting performance of “Most People Are Good” from his comfy couch. Dressed in a white button-down shirt, he played acoustic guitar as he crooned the optimistic lyrics, “I believe this world ain’t half as bad as it looks/ I believe most people are good.”
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Shania, meanwhile, serenaded her horses as she took the camera into her stable for her performances of “Honey I’m Home” and one of her hits “Man! I Feel Like a Woman”. At one point, her horse got a little too attentive, rubbing against her face and licking her strings as she was singing. Being a professional as she is, the 54-year-old kept singing while smiling.
Miranda, on the other hand, was surrounded by serenity as she sang from her farm in Tennessee. I actually got married right here, she said of the place. Miranda sat on her porch while delivering a rendition of “Bluebird” and playing her guitar.
Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker connected via FaceTime for a duet of “Wagon Wheel”. Brad was seated on his truck bed with an acoustic guitar while Darius sang from his front porch in Charleston, S.C. They also paid tribute to the late Kenny Rogers, who passed away in March, with a cover of “Lucille” and “The Gambler”. Earlier, Brad belted out his feel-good song “Mud On the Tires”.
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Carrie aptly sang her song “Drinking Alone” as she talked about surviving while in home quarantine. “Now we have to find things to do when we’re alone together,” she said from her living room. “We’re not really alone. We are alone together, and this is exactly how we’re going to get through this mess.”
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Lady Antebellum was not alone as the members enlisted their children while socially distancing at their respective homes. Dedicating their single “What I’m Leaving For” to the doctors, nurses, first responders and everyone in the medical field on the frontlines of the coronavirus, they were joined by their kids to deliver the poignant ballad. Charles Kelley sang with his son Ward on his lap, Dave Haywood’s son Cash sat behind his guitar before the boy stole the show by making some funny faces in front of the cameras.
Blake and Gwen, who are quarantining together, delivered their duet “Nobody But You” from their home in Oklahoma. “We’re happy to be in Oklahoma hiding away … drinking all day,” Blake jokingly said as he gave an update of their live while in self-isolation.
Keith Urban sang “Wasted Time”, which he said has taken on a different meaning in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Thomas Rhett sang his new song “Be a Light”, which lyrics deliver a message of togetherness, while Kane Brown and John Legend joined forces for a television debut of their new duet “Last Time I Say Sorry”.
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Other artists taking part in the two-hour television special included Tim McGraw, Sheryl Crow, Dierks Bentley, Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett and Brandi Carlile among others.
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