Sam Smith to pay Tom Petty royalties on Stay With Me over similarities to 1989 hit I Won’t Back Down

BRITISH singer Sam Smith has been forced to pay musician Tom Petty royalties on his hit single Stay With Me after it was ruled the song closely resembled the rock legend’s song I Won’t Back Down.

Tom Petty, 64, has earned a writing credit on Smith’s megahit after the publishers of Petty’s 1989 song contacted the publishers of Smith’s Stay With Me.

Writers James Napier and William Phillips say they agree their song is similar to Petty’s song, written with Jeff Lynne.

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Smash hit ... Sam Smith’s Stay With Me has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, including song of the year. Source: Getty Images

“Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement in which Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne are now credited as co-writers of Stay With Me along with Sam Smith, James Napier and William Phillips,” they said in a statement.

It is understood the settlment involves Smith paying a fair share of royalties on the song to Petty and Lynne.

Petty’s I Won’t Back Down peaked at No. 12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. A representative for Petty declined to comment.

Smith to pay Petty royalties

Stay With Me, Smith’s debut song, has sold more than 3.5 million tracks and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The breakthrough British singer is nominated for six Grammy Awards at next month’s show, including song of the year, an honour solely for the writers of a track.

The Recording Academy’s senior vice-president of awards, Bill Freimuth, said that Petty and Lynne would not be added to the nominations list for the song.

Similar ... the writers of Smith’s song agreed the megahit too closely resembled Tom Petty’s song I Won’t Back Down. Picture: AP Source: AP

“Since Lynne and Petty did not do any new writing for this work, we are considering their original work to have been interpolated by Napier, Phillips and Smith for Stay With Me, Freimuth said in a statement.

Lynne and Petty won’t be considered Grammy nominees or Grammy recipients should the song win, he said. Rather, they would be given certificates to honor their participation in the work, just like other writers of sampled or interpolated work, he said.

Petty is still a contender at the Grammys: His latest album with the Heartbreakers, Hypnotic Eye, is nominated for best rock album. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart last year.

Smith’s other nominations include best new artist, album of the year and best pop vocal album for In the Lonely Hour.

Stay With Me is also up for record of the year and best pop solo performance.

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