Pearl Jam frontman sued for changing lyrics
The Pulse of Radio reports that Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has been sued by a Canadian singer/songwriter for changing the lyrics to a song that he wrote. According to the New York Post, Vedder cut a version of Gordon Peterson's tune "Hard Sun" for inclusion on the soundtrack of the 2007 Sean Penn-directed movie "Into The Wild", but Peterson was not happy to hear that Vedder had altered the words in his recording. Peterson's lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, states, "Vedder altered certain key lyrics of 'Hard Sun' . . . eroding the integrity of the composition."Peterson also named Universal Music in his suit, claiming that the song was licensed without his permission. He is seeking all profits from the recording for the alleged "acts of infringement."
Vedder himself has not commented on the matter, but his lawyer, Gregory Clarick, said, "We don't see any basis for a copyright-infringement claim."
Peterson's original version of "Hard Sun" appears on his 1989 album "Big Harvest", which he recorded under the name Indio.
Pearl Jam released its latest album, "Backspacer", in September.