The disco diva claims her former producer is pimping her out.
Gloria Gaynor, the music legend best known for her late 1970s global anthem “I Will Survive,” claims that former producer Joel Diamond owes her $2 million for misusing her copyrights for decades without properly paying her.
Gaynor’s lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleges that Diamond wrongfully claimed ownership of eight of Gaynor’s songs, including “I’ve Been Watching You,” “You’re All I Need to Get By” and “I Am What I Am,” based on a record deal the two signed in 1983.
The two-time Grammy Award winner and Newark, New Jersey native isn’t going to take the fraud allegations lying down.
Gaynor said in court documents that Diamond was even brave enough to list himself as a co-writer on “at least one song,” adding, “Ms. Gaynor never wrote a song with Mr. Diamond, and to her knowledge, Mr. Diamond was not a lyricist.”
“Since the inception of the alleged recording agreements, despite Gaynor’s repeated requests for an explanation, Defendants have never paid any royalties, provided no transparency about who Gaynor’s music was licensed to, or provided any indication that Gaynor’s music was protected,” she said in the lawsuit.
Gaynor, 80, and co-plaintiff Robin Randall, a lyricist who is also fighting Diamond over copyrights, are seeking payment of unpaid royalties and have asked the court to terminate their respective contracts with Diamond.
Randall alleges that Diamond pressured his ailing mother and co-writer, Judith Randall, into signing over ownership of songs they had written together without her knowledge in 2000. Randall’s sister died in 2002.
Diamond is now a defendant in the singer’s lawsuit, according to court documents. Getty Images
It was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2016. Wolstein via Getty Images
Defendants in the suit, which alleges breach of contract, copyright infringement and fraud, include companies controlled by Diamond: Joel Diamond Entertainment, Silver Blue Productions and Ocean Blue Music.
“Gloria Gaynor and Robyn Randall are glaring examples of the exploitation and abuse of legendary music artists at the hands of industry insiders and record companies,” their lawyer, Vivian R. Drohan, told The Washington Post, adding, “We sincerely hope that justice will be achieved for our clients.”
Diamond said the allegations were “demonstrably false.”
“The written contract is very clear and runs for 40 years. Sony has acknowledged that I own 100 percent of the rights. Any statement to the contrary is defamatory and I will pursue my legal rights to the fullest extent,” he added.
“I Will Survive” was originally released as the B-side of Gaynor’s cover of The Righteous Brothers. “Alternative” — The song became her first and only number one hit.
She revealed the pain behind the song in a documentary released last year.
The legacy of this song is National Recording Registry 2016.
