Jay Bennett (left), screenshot from I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Jay Bennett, a former member of Wilco, sued frontman Jeff Tweedy yesterday, saying that he is owed royalties for his appearance in the bands 2002 documentary, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, and music that was written while he was part of the band.
According to papers that Bennett filed with the Cook County Circuit Court, he was only paid in "infrequent partial payments" equivalent to 15 percent of the band's income from sales and performances.
Bennett was part of Wilco from 1994 to 2001, and was involved with Wilco albums, Being There (1996), Summerteeth (1999), Mermaid Avenue (1998), Mermaid Avenue Vol. II (2000) and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)" He had a particulary significant influence on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which many fans argue is Wilco's best album to date.
According to the lawsuit, Tweedy "never obtained the necessary releases" for Bennett's performance in I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. That's plausible, given it's unlikely that Bennett would have signed off on a documentary that makes him look like an asshole, but at the same time, he does personal interviews, so it's not like he was taped without his approval.
The lawsuit asks for damages of at least $50,000. It's likely there will be some sort of settlement. Perhaps Bennett will even sell a few more albums by riding Wilco's success (unless, of course, it's just a coincidence that this lawsuit comes right around the time Wilco plans on releasing a new album).
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