Id offer maybe 1% of that. Do they honestly believe theyve created a valid remedy by simply shortening it? My suggestion is Lady Abolition (or is that a white savior connotation?). Our next outward step will be a donation to the equal justice initiative through Ladyaid. Causing pain was never our hearts' intention, but it doesn't change the fact that indeed, it did just that. Its part of the living in the Nash bubble that has plagued Music Row for years, Eduardo Vargas First published on Thu 9 Jul 2020 05.47 EDT. The members of Lady A aren't the first musicians to change their band's name, but in this case, the decision drew a mix of praise and some serious criticism. (BTW the Chicks, another derogatory and degrading name for other reasons; there is no reclaiming of any offensive epithets). July 9, 2020 @ jacob hatcher The band dropped 'Antebellum' over racist connotations, but a black singer said she'd already used 'Lady A' for decades. Funny, when I searched Lady A on Spotify . Exactly. On Tuesday, Seattle recording artist . As I started off yesterdays article about the PPP loans with, We live in the age of shame. That was their official explanation. The country band Lady Antebellum has changed its name to Lady A, saying that its members are "regretful and embarrassed" that they had not previously considered the loaded . But as I see it neither this nor the Highwomen issue you are concerned about are really indicative of any larger issue. And no, trademarks are not an element of privilege. They are there in part to protect individuals like Anita White from getting taken advantage of from larger entities. Lady A was suing for $0. Lady As name change is the most recent example. I cant express to you how difficult it would be for any band to just rebrand to a completely different name. A Seattle based R&B singer also named Lady A (real name Anita White) came out the next day angry that her name had been co-opted without any regard or communication from the pop country trio. You think they will stop with your name? July 10, 202012:31 PM. At least I respect the F out of Isbell because hes not white woke. I agree that a deeper discussion of whether that is the case or not is warranted. Alternately, they could have recognized the $10 mil as an opening salvo, countered with $2 and let the lawyers fight it out. Blues singer Lady A is fighting back months after country band Lady A sued her in an ongoing dispute over their shared moniker. All rights reserved. July 11, 2020 @ The band has also apparently been making good faith efforts to resolve this issue with Anita White in a way that could elevate her music and career moving forward as opposed to overshadowing her. We start rooting for whose music we like the best, or even who we align with more culturally or politically as opposed to letting the facts and circumstances dictate our opinions, were doing a disservice to both parties. Anita White asked for $10m to support herself and other black independent artists after the group adopted the name she has used for 20 years. July 9, 2020 @ 1 country ballad What If I Never Get Over You, shared a lengthy apology with fans. Actually, I am really tired of everything from front yards to peanut butter and jelly and everything in between being called racist. (If anybody thinks Im making shoot up, Google this stuff.). John Baker As such, members Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood have changed their name to Lady A. Im not saying that the word antebellum has racist connotations or not, I agree thats debatable. Bless his heart. The $10 million demand from Anita White is exorbitant and ludicrous. Like the career dead Dixie Chick Commie pigs you are done with most People including myself. Perception is reality, trigger. * jacob hatcher 10:37 am, Lady America has a nice, patriotic vibe. Not that this means a whole lot legally, but Wikipedia page was created the and day this controversy broke, and at this point its impossible to determine what her online Etc presence was prior to all of this, but I would imagine it was nominal. And seeing the sheer outrage by peoplemost of whom as Shane McAnally said are simply reacting to a title instead of the nuance of the storyis definitely telling when you balance it with the utter silence on the Highwomen issue. Lady Antebellum's name has been criticized more than once since it comes from the Antebellum period that came right before the Civil War, when slavery was still legal and the country had not yet been divided along the lines that would seek to tear it apart. The trio, more likely their management and publicity team, really screwed up, and this whole thing is going to get uglier. The desire to change the names appeared to me more about self perception than what anybody else thought. June 11, 2020 9:54am. But maybe Lady AA could be sponsored by Duracell..???? They should have remained silent, and if anyone came after them over the name (which likely would have never happened), simply explained how they came up with it and left it at that. Grammy-winning band Lady Antebellum has now changed their name to 'Lady A' to eliminate any reference to pre-Civil War slavery and racial injustice. The country band formerly known as Lady Antebellum which changed its name to Lady A over concerns that the old name was racist has reached a settlement to end a legal dispute with a black Seattle blues singer who said she had long used the shortened name. From Triggers blog post Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley, and Dave Haywood of Lady A are not racists. make something special and beautiful out of this moment 1:03 pm, Dont tell me what I would profess, Sparky. This whole scenario is a spectacular example how of empty virtue signalling and phony wokeness does far more harm than good. 9:08 am. So today, we speak up and make a change., NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 16: (L-R) Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood of Lady [+] Antebellum perform onstage during the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 16, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. culture is real, and a lot of Americans do not want to put up with it. And if they did, she could have claimed and proven use of the name well before the trademark application. It seems like they literally put two seconds of thought into their decision and made a decision that doesnt truly help any cause that they are for. Thats because to much of the media, including country music media, country music is nothing more than a stereotype. I am in no way defending Lady Antebellum. After there was no opposition filed by any person or entity, the application was officially registered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on July 26, 2011. Choosing the term themselves gets seen as reclaiming language and self-empowering if anybody bothers to think about it at all. July 10, 2020 @ But if Anita White wanted to dispute it, she had an opportunity. Shane can bitch all he want but they look so awful because they didnt do their due diligence and got themselves backed into a corner. Or, when you give into the mob and still lose money, you might be a bleeding heart irrational pop country band. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. 12:22 pm, Ok.how about this one??? Bryan said that Lady A was a "great option" for the band to change their name to, but "now it's tricky. Begging and simultaneously squealing racism. 11:37 pm. That being said, to start off at $10M is nuts. King Honky Of Crackershire The group formerly known as Lady Antebellum, from left, Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott, changed their moniker to Lady A. Clueless, innocent, and sheltered maybe They grew up in very white neighborhood. With the Fugitive Slave Act in full swing, it was the zenith . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. July 13, 2020 @ Back in June, as the Black Lives Matter movement spread across the United States, Lady Antebellum announced that the've officially shortened their name to Lady A . Theyre will to share the trademark with Lady A the artist, who is asking an exorbitant amount of money from them. But extortion is an actual criminal act. They still havent figured out the JEWS were So much for good faith. The cancel culture must not be fed. This could be a whole new market for the band to explore.! And that might require you to give up something because I am not going to be erased., She said the first contract the band sent regarding the shared use of the name had no substance. 4:55 pm. 2. Meanwhile, focusing on names when actual actions that demean and downgrade black performers in country like when The Highwomen disinvited Mickey Guyton from a video shoot last minute go unreported. Lady Antebellum, the trio who have topped the US country album charts five times, are to change their name to Lady A due to the slavery connotations held by the word "antebellum". This is the reason B.J. It was a stirring in our hearts and reflection on our own blindspots that led us to announce a few weeks ago that we were dropping the word Antebellum from our name and moving forward using only the name so many of our fans already knew us by. July 9, 2020 @ July 10, 2020 @ 9:34 am, Maybe they shouldve gone with Lady _. I see your point. As for the members of Lady Antebellum, they have the right to call themselves whatever they wish. The Grammy Award-winning country trio posted a heartfelt message to social media on Thursday (June 11), explaining its realization that Antebellum is a reference to slavery in America. July 11, 2020 @ 9:30 am, In this [country] industry, the air is so thick and putrid with racism, both current and residual, that everyone is awash in it, their eyes so caked with hate that theyve been glued shut. I dont think Lady Antebellum tried to do the right thing. Nothing about the word antebellum is racist. I have a registered trademark for the Saving Country Music name. There was also a band named The Highwaymen before the famous The Highwaymen were formed. Sports leagues like NASCAR are banning the Confederate flag at its events. Dee Manning You may opt-out by. Did You Ever Wonder How and Why the Left Is Able to Push Their Narratives Almost Unhindered? Relevancy in 2020 for The Group Fornerly Known as Lady Antebellum and Now Wanting To Be Known as Lady A is taking the name of an African-American singer because they want to remove the racial injustice connotations of their past name. The Lady A trio going on the offense might be the best legal move, but its an absolutely terrible move from a publicity standpoint. But, I have mad respect for him because he has lived out the music he wrote and is certainly not one of these white wokes running around Nash and East Nash. (Im watching Margo Price do that on Twitter.) 7:31 am. Its not a left or right problem, its a stupid problem. It appears they do want to share it, but they have no obligation. Despite an effort at reconstruction following the war, America has never truly made amends for the devastating effect of slavery on the nation and those who descended from slaves. They werent wood, like many of us learned in school. 10:42 am, thanks it does and i learned something i did not know. But the lesson many may and arguably should take from this is to not give into the demand mob in the first place. As such, he crossed the Columbia River and helped establish the Washington Territory, which eventually became a state. July 9, 2020 @ Come on. Dee, what Im trying to say is that if the majority of the people who are upset werent even invested in them to begin with, what impact would this have on them from a career aspect besides maybe radio AirPlay? It wasnt even associated with the Civil War or ANYTHING to do with slavery until much later on and had been used for centuries. All Rights Reserved. Because I saw the band Lady A at the Bluebird Cafe very early into their forming and have known them interchangeably as Lady Antebellum and Lady A pretty much ever since. Army WO Pilot (@Army_WO_Pilot) June 11, 2020, Comfortably _()_/ (@Eyeroll_Shrugs) June 11, 2020, No, THIS is Ludacris. Dee Manning The hurt is turning into hope. Chase Rice really did take a selfie with a large crowd of unmasked fans, and did post the we back vid to make it look packed as possible. 4:16 pm. True hypocrites, who do they think theyre fooling? June 16, 2020 / 7:20 PM / CBS News. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail. To be fair, George Washington ripped out his living slaves teeth to make his dentures. We hope you will dig in and join us., The change comes after, they wrote, a period of personal reflection, band discussion, prayer and many honest conversations with some of our closest black friends and colleagues., Weve watched and listened more than ever these last few weeks, and our hears have been stirred with conviction, our eyes opened wide to the injustices, inequality and biases black women and men have always faced and continue to face every day, they wrote. We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued. Now I guess Dixie Chicks, Alabama, Florida Georgia line, Baton Rouge should all change their southern band names too? July 9, 2020 @ Why dont they just change their name simply to the Hillary Scot Band or Scott, Kelley & Haywood? id rather have money than the opportunity to collaborate on some shitty song about the experience too. 11:10 am, Fuzzy Twoshirts July 9, 2020 @ @collin A millennial White privilege sh^%y country group suing the poor black woman . It became widely associated with the U.S. Civil War after it was over, and now . First off, let me not mince any words. Or non-binary people. That would be much more fitting. Bless there hearts. 1:15 pm. Also on this extortion question: Again, I think its a strong word and one I would not use. And if they like Lady A better, more power to them. stookyvookyosis According to country Lady A, R&B Lady A wanted $10 million to relinquish her claims to the name. Just ask Louis XVI and Nicholas II.They appeased the Jacobins and Bolsheviks and they were entered into the grave. But the optics are terrible here, especially for the former Lady Antebellum, but really for both Lady As. They got caught up in the whole woke/white guilt bullshit, and it backfired on them big time. Classic example of virtue signaling and white woke blowing up in your face. Were still committed to educating ourselves, our children and doing our part to fight for the racial justice so desperately needed in our country and around the world. 11:59 AM EDT, Thu June 11, 2020. We can do so much more together than in this dispute. Using A for Antebellum is akin to saying N-word, in that, we know what you mean and what its replacing. 10:32 am. Wait, so the band who copied a song (without credit) from The Alan Parsons Project now wants to protect something of theirs? 8:33 am. 10:34 am. writing a song about this experience together Listen to Eye in the Sky by APP and Need You Now by LA. They got what they got, and if they didnt expect it, then the members truly are clueless. (REUTERS/Mike Blake), "Who knows what they'll have to figure out, but, God, what a mess in the aftermath of removing 'antebellum.'". Lady Antebellum was trying to do the right thing with the name change. Whiskey_Pete We will continue to educate ourselves, have hard conversations, and search the parts of our hearts that need pruning, The band also said theyll be making a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative, which according to the organizationswebsite is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society., Moreover, Lady A wants to be better allies to those suffering from spoken and unspoken injustices. Change their name to Lady Reconstruction. 9:19 pm. My sides hurt its so funny. I havent gone on Spotify or iTunes, but do their old albums still have Antebellum on them or have they been redone with the shortened name? (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images), Inside The Mind Of The Chief Revenue Officer, What Is Unconscious Bias (And How You Can Defeat It), Former Israeli Intelligence Officers Found Sentra To Provide Cloud Security, USCIS Starts H-1B Registration Process For FY 2024. The "American Idol" judge offered an example, explaining that he'd ask for "the Lady A guys" when he was on the phone. You may opt-out by. Noah Berlatsky (@nberlat) June 11 . July 9, 2020 @ Lady Antebellum may no longer exist, but the band will play on with a new name, and perhaps even a new mindset that will make it more welcoming and inclusive than it was before. Country singer Luke Bryan has called the drama surrounding Lady Antebellum's name change 'a mess.' Market data provided by Factset. $5m is nothing, and Im actually worth more than that, regardless of what they think. February 15, 2021 @ The way many of the headlines read, Lady A the band is trying to take Lady A the artist for everything shes worth, and that is what is resulting in the rage. I dont think country Lady A meant any harm by the name change, but this whole thing just CLEARLY shows they didnt put time and effort into a decision like they say they did. The idea they have $10 million dollars just laying around because theyre a mainstream band is ludicrous. thegentile But the fact that they have owned the trademark on Lady A specifically for 10 years, and Anita Carter is asking $10 million to resolve the dispute, and that theyre suing her for NOTHING aside for asking for fair, dual use of a trademark they already own, are definitely important points to underscore. Lady Antebellum announced on Thursday (June 11) that they've made a name change in response to the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. I am thinking of those stupid #isover parties on twitter where people get the hashtag trending. Your email address will not be published. 9:13 am. July 10, 2020 @ Or in my case, I wasnt into country except for Johnny Cash, until one of my all time faves, Gwen Stefani, started to date Blake Shelton so I checked him out and moved forth from there. Perception is reality. The term wasnt under fire until the band decided to make an issue of it. What we can do is acknowledge it, turn from it and take action. @ Trigger I think the threat comes from avoiding the discussion and trying to make everything inoffensive and innocuous instead. To me, the name change smacks of virtue signalling, which often comes with its own consequencesfrom both sides. Lady A. did not and now they are screwed. Jack Hardwood The legal fight for "Lady A" began roughly a year-and-a-half ago, after amicable talks between the artists stalled following Lady A dropping "Antebellum" from its long-standing stage name. Does anyone really believe these people are racist? I feel like 95% of the people who are now trying to cancel the band dont give a single crap about the genre and would not be able to name a single song of theirs. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. Bob Loblaw By Alexander Kacala. July 24, 2020 @ By the way, Antebellum is a Latin term that means before the war and primarily refers to architecture. Dr. Bernard Bubanic (@DrBubanic) June 11, 2020. However, in their specific use of A in their new name, it still means Antebellum. If I Change Your Name, they should do a cover of Destinys Child Say My Name and donate the proceeds to the out of work tour crew, Apparently private individuals making decisions that are right for them separate from the state is too much for so called conservatives, a stirring in our hearts and reflection on our own blindspots Country When Country Wasn't Cool So yes mn, lawyer bad. That makes absolutely no sense. Lady Antebellum is now Lady A. Like Ozzy Osbourne said once during the height of the PMRC debacle, whenever I hear of a teenager getting arrested for a horrible crime, I think please dont be wearing an Ozzy tshirt, please dont be wearing an Ozzy tshirt.. ). The lesson will be to avoid the whole mess entirely. Neither side immediately returned requests for comment on the end of the case. This should be an easy court win for the R&B Lady A. Most people would do the EXACT same thing in her shoes.) Listeners will now be served a set of songs by someone known as "Lady A.". And frankly, I think if more details about that event were brought to light, people would be even more outraged. I doubt its even their management. The group originally began their career as 'Lady Antebellum'. Musiccityman Yeah, you can always find a red rose on Twitter with an anime avatar whos Internet Mad because the term wristwatch is ableist or some other 14-year-old Tumblr BS, but come on. 12/21/2020. They have the worst legal and PR team ever. This feels like a classic matter where lawyers on both sides got involved, started seeing dollar signs, and they will be the ones who will make out like bandits as the two parties get dragged through litigation. The Washington in Washington actually has a double meaning in that it also refers to one of the original American settlers in the state, who was black (biracial) himself. Thats all Shane McAnally was saying. Luckyoldsun In this [country] industry, the air is so thick and putrid with racism, both current and residual, that everyone is awash in it, their eyes so caked with hate that theyve been glued shut, is one stanza from when Vulture first address the Lady A name change. Anita White has a prior art claim, but moral people would understand their move was a mistake and start over with the name search. July 12, 2020 @ Or what used to be considered adult contemporary before Lizzo was considered adult contemporary. "As a band, we have strived for our music to be a refugeinclusive of all," the band told its fans. 2:31 pm. July 10, 2020 @ 10:39 am. On the one hand, so much of this outrage is coming from the fact that people arent reading the actual articles. If theres someone out there thats worse than you, then you cant be all that bad. As for the mob not coming after Lady Antebellum: Its probably because the mob is largely uneducated and ignorant. Maybe the white woke millennial trio should change their name back to Lady Antebellum. Thank you for reading! But perfectly harmless and fluffy. ron_jeff The reality is that they NEVER should have switched to a name any other artist was already using, let alone a smaller independent artist, let alone a black artist in context. Ghost of Country Past The law of unintended consequences whiplashed back around on them and has now smacked them in the back of the head ten fold. The world is changing quickly, and the future is unsure. trevistrat Dee Manning The trio now known as Lady A Hillary Scott, Charles . When we set out together almost 14 years ago, we named our band after the southern antebellum style home where we took our first photos, the band said in the statement. A century and a half after the end of the Civil War and the reunification of the United States, America is perhaps just now, finally, grappling with the unfinished work of bridging and healing a nation divided by race. When we learned that Ms. White had also been performing under the name Lady A, we had heartfelt discussions with her about how we can all come together and make something special and beautiful out of this moment. "I can say that for years, everyone in the country music community has really referred to them as Lady A. ", Country band Lady Antebellum is in the throes of a lawsuit over the name Lady A, which they now go by after reconsidering their previous name's reference to the pre-abolition South. Lady A chose the name after taking their original band photos in front of an antebellum-style house. July 9, 2020 @ July 9, 2020 @ What Im saying is they went through the drastic step of changing their name (which no company, band or business does lightly, you are sure to lose sales) to gain positive PR for their enlightened stance as virtue signallers.