Sam Smith Regrets Not Responding To Tom Petty’s Letter Over “Stay With Me” Credit, But Maintains They’d Never Heard “I Won’t Back Down”
Last year, Sam Smith did a 24-show residency at Brooklyn's small Warsaw. The singer used the opportunity to cover Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' 1987 song "It Will All Work Out" and discuss their copyright dispute with the classic rock icon, revealing that Petty had written them a letter at the time. Smith elaborated on the story in a recent episode of Alchemy With Anthony Mason . The post Sam…
In a recent episode of Alchemy With Anthony Mason, Sam Smith opened up about the 2014 copyright dispute with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne over the credit for his hit song "Stay With Me." The radio host recalled a letter Tom Petty sent to Smith shortly before the 2014 Grammys, where Petty acknowledged Smith as one of the co-writers of "Stay With Me," awarding him a 12.5% writing credit.
Smith admitted that he never heard "I Won't Back Down" and was ignorant of Petty's letter, as he primarily listened to divas like Stevie Wonder and George Michael during his teenage years.
Smith expressed regret for not responding to Petty's letter, stating that he was a young, sassy 22-year-old at the time. The singer also acknowledged Petty's intention behind the letter, as he wanted to convey empathy and understanding. Despite the ongoing legal battles surrounding their works, including the 2019 duet with Normani, "Dancing With A Stranger," Smith emphasized the importance of music as a source of inspiration and the thin line between ideas in the creative process.
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