A Los Angeles jury decided in 1994 that this big-voiced balladeer had lifted a 1960s soul record for one of his own hits — and handed down what was then the largest plagiarism award in the history of popular music.
The full story
A jury in the US District Court for the Central District of California found on 25 April 1994 that Michael Bolton and Andrew Goldmark's 1991 song 'Love Is a Wonderful Thing' infringed the Isley Brothers' 1964 song of the same name, awarding roughly $5.4 million — including $932,924 against Bolton and $4,218,838 against Sony Music. The Ninth Circuit affirmed in 2000 and the Supreme Court denied certiorari on 22 January 2001.
The clues we handed out
— The total came to about $5.4 million, most of it against his record label rather than against him personally.
— He took it to a federal appeals court and lost, then asked the Supreme Court, which declined to hear it at all.
— The jury was persuaded he had access to the original — that he could plausibly have heard it as a boy.
— His signature move was covering soul standards with a rasp and a great deal of hair.
— Initials: M.B.
How this case played
ALLEGEDLY* edition No. 42. Three strikes to name Michael Bolton, with a free clue
unlocked after every miss.
*A blind item you can check. Every puzzle is drawn from the public record —
court records, official rulings, and moments that unfolded on live television — and the
records are linked above. Allegedly.
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