ABC/Rick RowellLady Gaga is reportedly being accused of stealing the melody for her Oscar-winning A Star Is Born song “Shallow.”
According to Page Six, the singer is being threatened with a multi-million-dollar lawsuit from a songwriter named Steve Ronsen — no relation to “Shallow” co-writer Mark Ronson — who claims a three-note progression in the hook for “Shallow” is copied from his song, “Almost.”
Ronsen and his lawyer Mark D. Shirian apparently want “millions and millions” of dollars in a settlement. Page Six reports Gaga and her legal team believe the threat is a “brazen shakedown” with no merit.
Gaga’s legal team notes that Ronsen’s song sounds nothing like “Shallow” and that three-note progression is common and can be heard in musical pieces dating back centuries. Meanwhile, Ronsen’s “Almost” has fewer than 300 streams on SoundCloud.
“Mr. Ronsen and his lawyer are trying to make easy money off the back of a successful artist,” Gaga’s attorney Orin Snyder says.
“It is shameful and wrong. I applaud Lady Gaga for having the courage and integrity to stand up on behalf of successful artists who find themselves on the receiving end of such [claims]. Should Mr. Shirian proceed with this case, Lady Gaga will fight it vigorously and will prevail.”
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