“Ed Sheeran threatens to quit music over copyright infringement lawsuit”

Farewell to music in case of defeat When asked how he would feel if found guilty, Ed Sheeran said, “If that happens, I’m done, I’m done. I find it really insulting to devote my entire life to being an artist and a songwriter and have anyone put that down.” The songwriter was sued by Ed Townsend’s family, who co-wrote the hit “Let’s Get It On” with Marvin Gaye, due to the “striking similarities” between the track and Sheeran’s hit “Thinking Out Loud”. The prosecution is seeking $100 million in damages.

“Thinking Out Loud” Stone of Scandal, Ed Sheeran’s song topped the charts in both the UK and the US. In 2016, he won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, and in 2017, Townsend’s family sued him for copyright infringement. The lawyer who defends the interests of the heirs of the co-writer of Gaye’s song said he has “overwhelming” evidence. Footage of a concert in Zurich in which Sheeran mash-ups the two songs was also presented. According to the prosecution the video of the concert is equivalent to a confession and incontrovertible proof of guilt.

In court with the guitar Ed Sheeran denied any wrongdoing in New York court and claimed that the influence on the composition of his song was not Marvin Gaye, but in fact the Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. To prove the point of view of him, the singer he brought the guitar into the classroom singing briefly the piece for which he is accused of plagiarism. The singer-songwriter then explained what his personal method of composition is, underlining how writing songs is second nature to him, how he draws on his personal life and the people around him and how he manages to create songs very quickly: ” I wrote nearly ten last weekend.” On the genesis of the song Sheeran explained that during a brainstorming session for the creation of the song he said: “I’m singing out now”, which later became the title of the song with a change of words: “Thinking out loud”. The musician also said that the song was inspired by the love between his grandparents for each other and the recent death of his grandfather.

Theatrical tour Meanwhile, Sheeran is preparing to return to the stage with a limited tour of North America for the summer of 2023, with stops between the Ua and Canada in some theaters. In total there will be 14 dates: starting on May 19 from Clearwater in Florida, to close on the opposite side of the States, in Los Angeles on September 22.