Representatives of the Republican National Committee contacted the company on the “eve of the convention finale” to request permission to use the iconic song, according to Brian J. Monaco, president and chief marketing officer at SONY / ATV Music Publishing. “We refused their request,” he said.
According to Rice, the field is now exploring “legal options.”Two covers of “Hallelujah” played during a fireworks display at the end of Mr. Trump’s speech as he officially accepted the Republican nomination. Cover singer Tori Kelly wrote in a since-deleted tweet: “Seeing messages about my version of ‘Hallelujah” all I know is that neither I nor my team received a request, ”Billboard reports.
Rice added in her statement that “if the RNC had requested another song, ‘You Want it Darker,’ for which Leonard won a posthumous Grammy in 2017, we might have considered approving that song.
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Cohen died in November 2016, months before Mr. Trump took office. The baritone-voiced Canadian singer-songwriter was known for his harmonious blend of spirituality and sexuality, including in the often-covered “Hallelujah”.
The song became a cult hit when it was covered by musician Jeff Buckley in 1994, singing an arrangement by John Cale, and has since become a modern standard, a staple in everything from reality shows to choir concerts to the high school.
“Hallelujah” has been covered by countless musicians and featured in many movies and TV shows. Outside of the entertainment world, “Hallelujah” was also used in Jewish and Christian religious services.
Born into a Jewish family, Cohen saw himself as both a Jew and a Buddhist. “Hallelujah” refers to the biblical stories of Samson and King David and Bathsheba.
