Disco icon Gloria Gaynor is taking legal action against her ex-music producer, Joel Diamond, alleging copyright infringement and seeking $2 million in owed royalties. The two-time Grammy winner claims that Diamond exploited her copyrights for years without providing proper compensation.
In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Federal Court, Gaynor accuses Diamond of falsely claiming ownership of eight of her songs, including hits like “I’ve Been Watching You,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” and “I Am What I Am,” under a record deal they signed in 1983. Gaynor asserts that Diamond even went as far as to designate himself as a co-author of a song, despite never collaborating with her on songwriting.
Despite repeated requests for an account of royalties and transparency on music licensing, Diamond allegedly failed to pay royalties or disclose how Gaynor’s music was being used. Alongside co-plaintiff Robin Randall, a songwriter with her own copyright dispute against Diamond, Gaynor is seeking the royalties owed to them and the termination of their contracts with Diamond.
Randall claims that Diamond manipulated her ailing mother, Judithe Randall, into signing over ownership of songs they co-wrote without her knowledge before her passing in 2002. The lawsuit names Diamond-controlled companies Joel Diamond Entertainment, Silver Blue Productions, and Ocean Blue Music as defendants, alleging breach of contract, copyright infringement, and fraud.
Attorney Vivian R. Drohan, representing Gaynor and Randall, emphasized the need for justice for legacy music artists like Gaynor and Randall who have faced exploitation in the music industry. In response, Diamond refutes the allegations as “demonstrably false,” citing a longstanding written contract and asserting his ownership of the rights recognized by Sony.
The legal battle between Gaynor and Diamond underscores the challenges faced by artists in protecting their creative work and seeking fair compensation in the music industry.
Written by
Derek Chan
