overstated / july 2002

3 Comments

1. Billy Wolfe
   Posted August 13, 2003 at 1:15 am | Permalink

   There seems to be a major problem, in the entertainment industry. In that artists from the 1950’s/1960’s era, have been having others take credit for pioneer groups having hard times to break open the doors for up and coming artists!

   Case in point is the fact that there are more Drifters, Platters, Del-Vikings, Marvelettes, Coasters and the United States Trademark office does not care. Many consumers are getting ripped off, while attending concerts that feature “knock-off” groups rather than the “original” artists that made the hit songs that many in the baby boom generation grew up with!

   There is some action in the state of Pennsylvania, where that state’s senate is looking into the situation. And talk is that “knock-off” artists, will no longer be welcomed in the keystone state. Problem is, it takes more than one state to get anything done to control these “knock-off” artists from ripping the consumer off as tey have been doing for years!

   Many artists from the 50’s/60’s, including many original members of the groups being “knock-off” are mad as hell and are doing alot about it! They have been to Washington twice, to get Congress to do something on the federal level. But have yet, to finally get a hold onto the situation without alot of hard talks with members of both houses of the senate!

   Watch for alot of action to follow, when more artists from today’s top groups join this fight and unite with many of the pioneers of the past..that they grew up with their music!!

   I can’t wait for the dust to settle, and really get to see who is still standing. Some of these pioneers of the music scene, might be alot older but they sure carry a mean punch when it comes to protecting what they worked hard and sweat for!

2. Kathy Byers
   Posted August 13, 2003 at 1:33 am | Permalink

   I know what you’re saying about knock off groups, I went to a recent concert that had The Coasters, The Drifters and The Platters all on the same concert stage!

   When they came onto the stage to perform, none of them were any older than 30 years of age! God some of these original members of these groups, have to be in their 60’s and maybe even 70’s today!

   Why does the U.S. Trademark Office, allow these knock-off groups. And better yet why does the consumer, always get ripped off before someone has the guts to fight back?

   Wake up you fans that have grown up with these artists, as well their music. Sit down and write your government representatives down in Washington, let them know that you’re mad and you them to finally do something! If they don’t, we’ll continued to get ripped off and the con-artists doing this will get richer off of the consumer!

   Also let your state representatives, know that you want these con-artist hit where they hurt the most in their pocketbooks and jail time as well!

   I know I’m fedup with paying top dollar for a concert ticket, and then only finding out after I buy a ticket that it’s not the original group. So far the concert promoter has been getting my money, while the fans have been getting ripped off! Something has to be done, to protect the concert goer to these type concerts.

3. Ira Anderson
   Posted August 13, 2003 at 1:54 am | Permalink

   As the Director of Consumer Affairs for a major city in New Jersey, I attended a recent concert by The Drifters in my city. When they came on stage, none of them were any older than their early 30’s.

   I grew up with music by The Drifters, The Shirelles and others. What I had expected to see was alot older performers on the stage, not singers that were not even born when the songs that they are performing were first being performed! How can they get away, with performing the hits by others which they claim they made famous?

   And I learned that it’s being done everyday, they are ripping off the consumer each time that they appear on a stage!