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. would like to know what you think. Cant believe I didnt think of this sooner. 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. Please sound off in the Comments section below. Meh. But if Anita White wanted to dispute it, she had an opportunity. Anita White never challenged the Lady A name until the band officially shortened their name to it. They were not responding to some fierce backlash about their name when they made the change. Our next outward step will be a donation to the equal justice initiative through Ladyaid. But perfectly harmless and fluffy. Introducing, Lady A. What do you think of the change? sodcutterjones How about Lady AC? Well, if they have owned a specific trademark on the name Lady A for ten years without any dispute from Anita White, they have no obligation to vacate or share it. and the Mysterians! According to their suit, Lady A do have legal claim to the Lady A name that precede the official name change. Dr. Bernard Bubanic (@DrBubanic) June 11, 2020. It was the the type of area where the Karens called the cops if little black kids rode their bikes in their white neighborhood. Egads. The $10 million demand from Anita White is exorbitant and ludicrous. 1:49. I dont think thats extortion, but it is the kind of bad faith platform that might compel the Lady Antebellum team to make the exceptional move of suing first, so they can set the narrative, choose the venue, etc. Making decisions based upon warm and fuzzy is rarely rational. Regardless, the band issued a letter to fans making known their regret for not fixing things sooner. Often such negotiations and legal briefings take months to hammer out, if not longer. Wait, so the band who copied a song (without credit) from The Alan Parsons Project now wants to protect something of theirs? British indie label One Little Indian changed its name to One Little Indie, and electronic label Whities is now AD 93. Lady Antebellum is making a big change. July 12, 2020 @ Whether you think changing it was the right thing or not, its what they thought was the right thing. And the burden of proof is NOT on the R&B Lady A to do a legal search to find that someone else has trademarked a name that the R&B Lady A has been ACTIVELY using. In turn, no corner of American society is left untouched by the moment, as political leaders, celebrities, and sports figures must reckon with the ways their conduct has reinforced institutional racism. Sorry, but not being discriminated based on the color of your skin is not a privilege, its a fundamental human right, and no amount of gaslighting by the Robin DiAngelos lunatics will change that. The movement to take down statutes of Confederate war heroes, which has long been debated in the U.S., is accelerating exponentially. The mob came for them after the change was made. You have to properly gauge the intent of individuals and zoom out to see the bigger picture. Ive looked into it, and it would be nothing short of catastrophic. This has nothing to do with PC BS, selfish, entitled and sanctimonious millennials or woke whatever. They just dont want to have to continue to be ridiculed and challenged by her for using the name. Not pictured: the real Lady A. As I said elsewhere, $10 million is a joke. I agree that a deeper discussion of whether that is the case or not is warranted. Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. July 9, 2020 @ Im sure theres some second guessing going on now, but since theyve said they believe the name is problematic, you cant go back now. I live in PC HELL and deal with this shortsightedness all the time. Where the name 'Lade Antebellum' came from. July 9, 2020 @ Luckyoldsun Country group the Dixie Chicks announced that they would henceforth be known as the Chicks. When youre Goliath, suing David just looks awful, and I dont think they are coming back from this. thanks. We hope Anita and the advisers she is now listening to will change their minds about their approach. But if "country" music avoids being banned over the term's link to ideas of untoward nationalism, radio stations will no longer be playing music by hit group Lady Antebellum. So today, we speak up and make a change. February 15, 2021 @ June 11, 2020. They want to share a name they have had copywrited for over a decade with another artist. I feel sad but my principles come first. You can never appease a progressive enough. Then she could be The Person of an Unidentified Gender A? , All Im saying is: in trying to get people to read past the headline, Shane gave out some very bad information (extortion) & you could say thats pretty similar to a bad headline. I dont think its appropriate (or fair) to expect all fans to distill the meaning of Antebellum since it appears anything from that era is tainted by historical contexts surrounding it. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Even the notion that theyre suing her is misleading without sufficient qualification, as it suggests that theyre looking to stop her from using the name or seek monetary damage (as many inflammatory Tweets have been suggesting). Its also not inclusive of transgender people. They already had the name Lady A trademarked and it was in common parlance. The hurt is turning into hope. These controversies ensue on false pretenses and shocking headlines. It doesnt hurt the new Lady A at all and the original Lady A gets a little cash and free publicity. Its not just enough to be on the right side of an issue. People who are partisans for a particular cause are going to run with it. On the other hand, the media is stirring up the outrage with the way its covering the story. This right here. 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. Still, the give into the mob thing is totally overwrought. Make a counter offer for $25,000 and everyone goes off happy. Dan in GA July 10, 202012:31 PM. 11:10 am, Fuzzy Twoshirts She said, "This is my life. 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. My suggestion is Lady Abolition (or is that a white savior connotation?). Or what used to be considered adult contemporary before Lizzo was considered adult contemporary. Or, when you give into the mob and still lose money, you might be a bleeding heart irrational pop country band. There was also a band named The Highwaymen before the famous The Highwaymen were formed. The Lady Antebellum story went viral specifically due to the implications of the title, which did not tell the whole story. It means before the war and comes from the latin ante bellum. 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. Not a fan of country A at all, and think they made some dumb moves and Im kind of laughing at them about this. Causing pain was never our heart's intention, but it doesn't change the fact that indeed, it did just that. 9:53 pm, Lyrics: Videos by American Songwriter Videos by American Songwriter Originally named Lady . Everything thing they do from how they dress to their actual music seems like it goes through a marketing review before it gets the ok. From their original name to the name change to the lawsuit I actually doubt that the members of this group have that much of a clue about any of it and just go along with what theyve been told to do because it works to make them money and their managers and lawyers and record company etc. Stay in your Lane Its not a left or right problem, its a stupid problem. Like how does your team not look into if they are other artists named that??? On Thursday, Grammy-winning country band Lady Antebellum formally changed its name to Lady A. Dee Manning I was thinking the same thing during this whole process. 618creekrat (Associated Press photo)NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKBT) Grammy . I agree, there was no mob clamoring for a name change from Lady A. So whats the lesson? You often cannot copyright a name because as a simple expression, and its not fair to take that out of circulation for general use by anyone. UPDATE: July 9, 2020 The band formerly known as Lady Antebellum is now suing Anita White, the 61-year-old Black blues singer who has been using their new name, Lady A, for many years, filing a . First off, let me not mince any words. Market data provided by Factset. Compelling people to read beyond a title and get the facts before judging is sage advice for any scenario, especially today when so many are looking to be outraged to fulfill their own desires for self-importance and moral superiority. Ghost of Country Past Big Machine has no interest in doing so. July 9, 2020 @ Your email address will not be published. Exactly. On Tuesday, Seattle recording artist . To Lady Antebellum, a 4-time Grammy nominee (1 time winner) with multiple platinum and gold record awards, Lady A was just another struggling black woman to be trounced. We never even entertained the idea that she shouldnt also be able to use the name Lady A, and never will todays action doesnt change that. All this name change has done has brought negative attention to Lady Antebellum, and country music. Perception is reality. They can all quickly get high stakes, messy, and in some cases, personal. Unlikely. Changing their name before vetting it and clearing it with anyone else who may be using it was irresponsible, and so is suing Lady A preemptively. And if they did, she could have claimed and proven use of the name well before the trademark application. go look up current copyright laws. 9:34 am, Maybe they shouldve gone with Lady _. In response to the change, NPR journalist Anastasia Tsioulcas wrote, "The country trio Dixie Chicks have changed the group's name to The Chicks in an . Its funny seeing him sequel like a white woke pig. I write about leadership, politics, inclusion, and social change. So today, we speak up and make a change. Jake Cutter 10:34 am. July 9, 2020 @ And how can you go and post a photo with everybodys management, say we are working and making a deal, then sue them weeks later?? July 9, 2020 @ You cant give in to the woke cancel-culture mob. A lot of moving parts and entanglements to this issue. No, its not about getting called out for making racist jokes or mocking someone for being gay. 6:13 pm, You are correct. We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground. The answer: Antebellum means "before a war," and the term has been widely associated with the pre-Civil War period in the United States. Lady Antebellum has changed its name to Lady A. The change came duringprotests and civil unrest around the worldsparked by the killing of George Floyd. The biggest issue I have with this is that country Lady A seemed to rush into this and not think at all about their name change, which is the exact OPPOSITE of why they said they were changing their name in the first place. The term often pertains to architecture, fashion, antiquities, and the likenamely the ornate finery of the era. Im not commenting on my personal opinion, but there are definitely a number of younger progressive country fans who are saying that Anita is getting a little ridiculous with her whole ten million dollar desires and that people need to read more than headlines before jumping the gun. ron_jeff So today, we speak up and make a change. And I can say that because I lived in the suburbs. You guys are sick. July 9, 2020 @ July 9, 2020 @ The negotiating platform is exactly what I thought as I read this. 6. Name change to Lady Magnolia I hate how certain people and/or publications find a way to blame country music for this decision. pic.twitter.com/zQ7TrrL7VJ, Medium Historian At Large (@one0nine) June 11, 2020. True. the real lady a Any time a single artist or entity in country music does something stupid, the ENTIRE GENRE gets blamed. July 12, 2020 @ Delores Streisand 2023 Cable News Network. As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the south that influenced usSouthern Rock, Blues, R&B, Gospel and of course Country., But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the Civil War, which includes slavery. And please follow Alex Parker onTwitter and Facebook. But it just seems like they jumped the gun on this. Is it the band doing this or their management? I also dont quite agree that they were trying to do the right thing. I am not able to name a single song of theirs, and Ive seen them twice in concert! Lady A, Hey Arnold 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. 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. How was Lady A ever a solution of any kind? But that is not how theyve been portrayed in the matter. How are they selfish? Causing pain was never our hearts intention, but it doesnt change the fact that indeed, it did just that. Change Your Name . (Im watching Margo Price do that on Twitter.) What about Darius? Getty Images. It is difficult to keep up on everything that gets cancelled in culture. Feeling like Anita White would likely sue them, the band chose to take the preemptive step to sue her first. How about changing it to Person A that way people dont assume her gender? the pistolero I attempted to upload my single [on independent distribution service DistroKid] and couldnt verify my name, Lady A, for several days. I would say that the word antebellum (before the war) at least has a racial connotation in the American context as it is typically associated with The South before the Civil War. If anyone attempts to appropriate it, you must dispute it. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and this will get resolved quickly. In a motion filed Monday in Nashville federal court, both the country trio and Anita White asked a federal judge to dismiss their dueling lawsuits permanently. His mic isnt on and they have a guitar player behind him. Musiccityman Im sure hes an intellectual property specialist who knows a lot more about trademark law than anybody here. Dude you miss the key fact. 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. As most any civil lawyer will tell you, when trying to settle with a party, the first offer you float is always twice as much as you think the top end of what you might get is. Maybe Hillary and the Muppets should just be known as Summers Eve because of the giant douches they have become. 2:31 pm. Lady Antebellum's name-change blunder was easily avoidable, but they made this embarrassing misstep for the same reason they performed under an oppressive stage name for 14 years: a white . It finally went through and now Im just waiting until my July release to see if my single will be buried.. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. It wasnt even associated with the Civil War or ANYTHING to do with slavery until much later on and had been used for centuries. Furthermore, everyone knows what the A stands for. There is nothing wrong with the word antebellum. That may be where we disagree. 8:31 am. They should try Lady Audacity. July 9, 2020 @ $5m is nothing, and Im actually worth more than that, regardless of what they think. July 10, 2020 @ 6:53 am. Bill Scott from CGHR As I have said, $10 million is a ludicrous number, but very well could have been floated out there simply as a negotiation platform, knowing they would never get it, hoping for half at best. The Nashville trio have won five Grammys and had seven US top . However, I think we all should zoom out and look at the bigger picture, especially on a matter as complicated as this one. 10:32 am. After the band participated in a Zoom call with the other Lady A, Anita White, they said, Today, we connected privately with the artist Lady A. Transparent, honest, and authentic conversations were had. Peekardee & Lappith (featuring Tumpkin) Their camp is trying to erase me, White claimed to Newsday on June 16th. Maybe they should have just left well enough alone. I have a registered trademark for the Saving Country Music name. This whole scenario is a spectacular example how of empty virtue signalling and phony wokeness does far more harm than good. Dont piss on my leg and tell me its raining. Charles Kelley, who shares the vocal spotlight with Hillary Scott, says, "The first week was kind of . Names cant be copyrighted but they can be trademarked. Too much like Southern Belle which offers up images from the same time period when slavery was prevalent. The group announced on Thursday that it will drop the word Antebellum from the name it has used since its formation in 2006 and go by Lady A, a nickname it says fans have long used. Id offer maybe 1% of that. If I were Big Machine I would quickly pay out the $10 Million to prevent Don Lemon making his waves through Music row shaking down the big labels because they arent black enough. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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. As for the members of Lady Antebellum, they have the right to call themselves whatever they wish. Fast forward to today, you have this fake white wokeness to mask their racist origins. July 9, 2020 @ Of course, they couldnt play clubs cause the liquor sales would be dismal When you give into the mob and have nothing to show for it. Dove Shore*. Dee Manning Perception is reality, trigger. Lady A officially changed their name on June 11th. The band said the name . Country trio Lady Antebellum . 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