Buddy Holly's Survivors Sue MCA
By CHRIS NEWTON Associated Press Writer
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Relatives of Buddy Holly sued MCA Records Monday,
alleging that the company hoarded royalty payments, forged contracts and
illegally produced albums without family consent.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages but Attorney Kevin Glasheen
described it as a multi-million-dollar case.
``It's bad form to steal from a dead man, but unfortunately in the music
industry it happens,'' Glasheen said. ``The problem is that MCA, just
like a lot of people who owe money, won't pay it until they have to.''
Los Angeles-based MCA Records, one of the nation's largest recording
companies, did not return calls from The Associated Press.
The lawsuit, filed in state court, charges that the contracts providing
for royalties to Holly's heirs are legally questionable and should be
redone.
Plaintiffs are Buddy Holly's widow, Maria Holly; his brothers, Larry and
Travis Holley; and his sister Pat Holley. Buddy Holly dropped the 'e'
from his last name, and his wife took the new spelling. Maria Holly lives
in Dallas and Larry, Travis and Pat Holley live in Lubbock.
``The so-called recording agreements relied on by MCA are void and
unenforceable and in certain circumstances, outright forgeries,'' the
lawsuit says in reference to a contract that appears to be signed by
Maria Holly and another contract signed by a manager the family claims
had been fired by Holly.
The lawsuit alleges MCA conned Holly's parents into signing an agreement
for rights to Holly's music, even though recording officials knew ``the
parents had no authority to contract for those recordings.
MCA also has ``grossly underpaid the fair market value of the
royalties,'' the family alleges in the lawsuit.
``Basically, after Buddy Holly died, the record company went through a
lot of manipulations with his former manager to issue a lot of
recordings,'' Glasheen said. ``MCA had agreed to pay the family
additional royalties, but then wanted to add additional terms to the
agreement.''
Holly had several hit songs before he died in a plane crash at age 21 in
1959, including ``That'll Be the Day,'' ``Peggy Sue'' and ``Maybe Baby.''
