Johnny Cash Estate Sues Coca-Cola Over voice Use in Commercial
Nashville, TN โข- Theโ estate of Johnny Cash has filed โคa lawsuit against The Coca-Colaโ Company, alleging the unauthorized use of the late singer’s voice in a recent advertising โขcampaign. The suit, filed Tuesday in Nashville, centers around โคa commercial titled “Fan Work is Thirsty โขWork” that โขbegan airing in August and features a โฃsinger impersonating Cash.
The estate โขarguesโ Coca-Cola exploited Cash’s distinctive voice “to enrich itself – without asking for permission or providing any compensation.” The legal action is being pursued under the Elvis Act of Tennessee, a law โฃenacted last year specifically designed to protect the voices of performers from unauthorized exploitation.
According to the complaint, the commercial utilizes the vocal talents of Shawn Barker, a professional Johnny Cash impersonator. The estate’s lawyer, Tim Warnockโ of Loeb & Loeb, stated, “Stealing โฃthe voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity, and humanity.” โHe added, “The trust brings this lawsuit โขto protect the voice of Johnny Cash – and to send a message โคthat protects the voice of all of the artists whose music enriches our lives.”
The lawsuit draws parallels to the 1988 โcase midler v. Ford Motor Co., where singer Bette Midler successfully sued Ford after the โcompany used a sound-alike in a commercial โwithout her consent.
The Cash estate is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a complete removal of the advertisement from all platforms. As of today, Coca-Cola has not publicly โขresponded to the lawsuit.
Shawn barker’s manager, Joey Waterman, told Billboard magazine that barker’s team was “thrilledโ when we were approached to have Shawn singโ vocals for this commercial.” Waterman also noted Barker has โperformed his tribute show, “The Man in Black: A Tribute to Johnny Cash,” for over two decades, touring globally.