Jack Ely, the singer whose 1963 version of Louie Louie still makes the rounds on oldies radio, lives with his wife in a mobile home on a horse ranch in Oregon. Ely says they share $30,000 a year from her teacher's pension and his Social Security checks. They are paying down a mortgage.So sometimes it bothers Ely, 65, when he hears his voice singing Louie Louie on the radio or in sports arenas, knowing he's not getting paid.
"It gets played twice a day by every oldies radio station everywhere in the world. And I get nothing," said Ely, who recorded the song with The Kingsmen before getting drafted by the Army and leaving the band. "I got one check for $5,000. That's all I ever saw from the sale of Louie Louie. "
Since the advent of radio in the 1920s, songwriters have made a little money every time their tunes are played on stations in most industrialized countries. The six children of Louie Louie songwriter Richard Berry today share more than $100,000 in royalties every year.
But performers like Ely don't get a dime.
In consideration of modern music
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In consideration of modern music created by youth - youthful exuberance is
a wonderfully creative thing. However. If I were responsible for a young
person'...
11 years ago
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