From the St. Petersburg Times (h/t Wendy McElroy):
Da-da-da-da-da-da … CHARGE, says composer
By Kathleen McGrory, Miami Herald
In Print: Tuesday, April 19, 2011Da-da-da-da-da-da! Charge!
If you attend sporting events, you are probably familiar with that ditty, a standard at ballparks, basketball arenas and hockey rinks across the country. They play it and play it and play it until your eardrums bleed.
What you might not know is that a Pompano Beach man says he composed it — and says he is entitled to compensation every time it airs publicly.
Bobby Kent, 62, holds a copyright for the song, a 26-measure piece he dubbed Stadium Doodads in the late 1970s. The last part of the song is the popular rally cry.
Kent is suing the company that once licensed the song to sporting venues, saying for the past two decades, he has been paid a fraction of what he deserves. Kent is also planning to sue every pro sports team in the United States — except the Los Angeles Lakers. He says he mailed a letter last year to every franchise, demanding money in exchange for using the song. The Lakers were the only ones who capitulated, paying him $3,000.
“I’m looking to get what I’m owed,” Kent said.
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