The family of Isaac Hayes said they have settled their lawsuit against President Donald Trump over the use of Hayes’ classic soul song “Hold On, I’m Coming” at his campaign rallies, Deadline reports.
In a statement shared to Facebook, the Isaac Hayes family and the late musician’s estate said their suit against the president and his presidential campaign organization “has been mutually resolved, and we are satisfied with the outcome.”
“This resolution represents more than the conclusion of a legal matter,” wrote Hayes’ son, Isaac Hayes III. “It reaffirms the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and copyrights, especially as they relate to legacy, ownership, and the responsible use of creative works.”
Isaac Hayes died in 2008 at age 65.
The estate wrote that “as stewards of his legacy, we remain committed to ensuring that his work is respected and properly protected” by helping start a conversation about intellectual property rights and the obligation to honor late creatives.
“Protecting ownership is not only about the past, it is about preserving dignity, value, and accountability for future generations,” the statement added in part.
A federal judge previously issued an injuction in September 2024 that blocked Trump from using the song moving forward — but denied a request from Hayes’ estate that the Trump campaign be forced to take down any existing videos that include the song, the Associated Press and The New York Times reported.
Trump often used the 1966 song — co-written by Hayes — as his exit music at rallies, like at the Republican National Convention in July 2024.
“Donald Trump has been barred from ever playing the music of Isaac Hayes again. I couldn’t ask for a better decision,” Hayes III said at the time of the injuction. “I want this to serve as an opportunity for other artists to come forward that don’t want their music used by Donald Trump or other political entities and continue to fight for music artists’ rights and copyright.”
During the lawsuit proceedings, Hayes’ estate accused Trump of personally selecting the song and playing it more than 130 times without permission, Rolling Stone reported.
Ronald Coleman, Trump’s attorney, said at the time that the injunction was “a wash,” as the campaign had claimed it already agreed to stop using “Hold On, I’m Coming” at events.
“The campaign has no interest in annoying or hurting anyone, and if the Hayes family feels that it hurts or annoys them, that’s fine, we’re not going to force the issue,” Coleman said.
Hayes’ son said it’s been a four-year process regarding Trump and the song, as he told reporters he made it clear that he was “not pleased” when the Republican used “Hold On, I’m Coming” at an NRA Convention shortly after the Uvalde mass shooting in 2022.
“I’ve never wanted this song to be associated with Donald Trump in the manner that he was using it…,” he said at the time.
“My father was a father to seven daughters… Donald Trump has been found liable of sexual abuse. I know my father would not want that man playing his music. Some of the things he says about women, especially Black women and women of color, especially in this election… We have to take a stand that we want to separate ourselves from someone with Donald Trump’s character. This is not a political issue, this is a character issue.”
Several other musicians and their estates have publicly taken issue with Trump playing their music at public events, including R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Rihanna, Neil Young and Céline Dion.