Quincy Jones yesterday sued Michael Jackson’s estate, claiming he is owed millions in royalties and production fees on some of the singer’s biggest hits.
Jones’ lawsuit seeks at least $10 million from the Jackson estate and Sony Music Entertainment, claiming the entities improperly re-edited songs to deprive him of royalties and production fees. The music in question has been used in the film This Is It and a pair of Cirque du Soleil shows based on Jackson’s songs, alleges Q. Jones also claims that he should have received a producer’s credit on the music in This Is It. Jones’ claim also states the producer’s contracts called for him to have the first opportunity to re-edit or alter the songs, in part to protect his reputation, and that this commitment has been broken.
Quincy, of course, produced three of Jackson’s biggest sellers: Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad.
In response, a spokesperson for Jackson’s estate stated that it was “saddened” by Jones’ lawsuit:
“To the best of its knowledge, Mr. Jones has been appropriately compensated over approximately 35 years for his work with Michael,” the statement said.
