Sam Smith has been forced to pay royalties to legendary singer-songwriter Tom Petty, following a legal row over the chorus of hit song Stay With Me.
It’s believed that Petty’s lawyers noticed similarities between the track and Petty’s Won’t Back Down and subsequently launched a legal case to claim financial compensation for the ‘stolen’ melody.
The case was settled between the pair late last year, with Smith adding Tom Petty and composer Jeff Lynne to the songwriting credits and agreeing to pay royalties.
“When Sam’s track was originally released, it was clear to a lot of musicians that there were notable similarities between the tracks. After it was pointed out to Sam’s camp, they didn’t try to fight it and amicably dished out royalties. It wasn’t a deliberate thing, musicians are just inspired by other artists and Sam and his team were quick to hold up their hand when it was officially flagged,” said a source.
