Usher and Lil Jon share the stage at the 9th Annual Roots Picnic on Saturday, June 4, 2016.
photo by seher (@rehes) | rehescreative.com
photo by seher (@rehes) | rehescreative.com
Source: seher (@rehes) for Okayplayer
Daniel Marino claimed his "Club Girl" became "Bad Girl," and won big.
Philadelphia songwriter Daniel Marino was awarded a total of $44.35 million in a suit that claimed he was snubbed a credit and profit share on Usher's 2004 song, "Bad Girl."
According to the Associated Press, a jury ordered Marino's former co-writer William Guice to pay $20.25 million in punitive damages on top of the $6.75 million in compensatory damages. Destro Music Productions, owned by co-defendant Dante Barton, rounds out the remaining $17.35 million payment.
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The suit stems from Marino's 2011 claim that he authored the "guitar hook, tempo, and chord progression" on a song called "Club Girl," which was changed to "Bad Girl," eventually recorded by Usher (who was not named in the suit,) and placed on his smash 2004 album, Confessions. The album went on to sell over 10 million copies in the US, and over 20 million across the globe, (a "diamond certification,") and is one of less than 20 albums in history to hit that sales milestone.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Marino was also awarded one-third of the song's ownership rights.
