Jeff Healey Band CD Dispute Brewing
As reported by Chart Attack and elsewhere, there is a major league dispute brewing over the upcoming Jeff Healey Band album. Titled Legacy: Part One, the three-disc CD+DVD set is scheduled for release on November 4th, 2008 by Canada's Arbor Records.
Here's the rub, though: Legacy: Part One is completely and totally unauthorized by Healey's wife. In a statement released to the press, Cristie Healey states "we ask that Jeff's fans please refrain from purchasing this compilation out of respect for Jeff and his family. This release is NOT authorized or supported in any way by Jeff's estate." The blues artist and talented guitarist died in March 2008.
Legacy: Part One was compiled by Tom Stephen, former drummer and business manager for the Jeff Healey Band. The set's DVD includes rare performance footage, interviews and music videos while one CD includes the Jeff Healey Band's singles, and the second CD features previously unreleased live material.
At the core of the dispute is the relationship between the late bluesman and Stephen, who claims that he is owed royalties from the band's late-1980s/early-90s era major label album releases, and that he owns a piece of the band's music, including rights to the Jeff Healey Band name. The band was officially disbanded in 2002. Because of the fight between Healey and Stephen, the estate released the authorized, posthumous Mess Of Blues album under the Jeff Healey Blues Band name shortly after the guitarist's death.
The Healey estate has plans to release albums of archival material in the future, including a Jeff Healey Jazz Wizards album. "The estate will ensure that future releases are assembled with the care and attention that they deserve out of respect for Jeff and his fans around the world," says Cristie Healey.
Jeff Healey photo by Chris Top Photography, courtesy Ruf Records
Comments
I wonder what Jeff would think. Sounds kind of like an attempt by Stephen to get some money ya-ya’s out of the deal. Didn’t Jeff have knowledge of what was going on before his death? It wasn’t authorized by Jeff’s wife, how about Jeff? Frankly, how could it have “come down” if it hadn’t been authorized by Jeff?
Mr. Stephen would not have the rights to the material UNLESS they had been signed over to him by the other 2 members… oh wait… they had, and I am almost certain that Mr. Stephen would have had to pay decently for the other 2 to sign those rights over. They likely got their share when they signed over to Tom Stephen. Now he’s using the material as intended.
Business aside, It is an excellent package, the rare DVD footage, live unreleased CD, and the singles.
Well done Mr. Stephen!