Gloria Gaynor sues ex-producer Joel Diamond for $2M over 'I Will Survive' copyright claims

The "I Will Survive" singer alleges that Diamond falsely claimed ownership of her songs and withheld royalties.

Music legend Gloria Gaynor, best known for her 1970s hit "I Will Survive," has filed a lawsuit against her former producer, Joel Diamond, accusing him of exploiting her copyrights without proper compensation. 

Gaynor is seeking $2 million in damages in the lawsuit, which was filed in Manhattan Federal Court. 

The 80-year-old disco star claims that Diamond falsely asserted ownership of eight of her songs under a 1983 recording deal, despite having never co-written any music with him.

In her legal filings, Gaynor states that Diamond registered himself as a co-author of at least one of her songs and failed to pay any royalties or provide transparency regarding how her music was licensed. 

Gaynor, alongside co-plaintiff Robin Randall, is also seeking to terminate their contracts with Diamond. 

Their attorney, Vivian R. Drohan, emphasized the broader issue of exploitation faced by legacy music artists, stating, "Gloria Gaynor and Robin Randall are prominent examples of the exploitation and abuse suffered by legacy music artists at the hands of industry insiders and record companies."

Diamond, however, has denied the allegations, calling them "demonstrably false" and asserting his ownership of the rights, citing a 40-year-old written contract. 

The dispute has drawn attention to the ongoing challenges faced by artists in securing fair compensation for their work.