Brendan Greaves, a native of Yorkshire, sues Diane Warren for $20 million over claims that he copied Chicago's song, "Look Away," several years ago.
Greaves claimed that he wrote the track when he was just 14 years old. In 1987, Greaves allegedly submitted "Look Away" to the British School music competition, but he did not win. However, he claimed that Warren got a hold of his song through the same contest.
Brendan Greaves' Lawsuit
Greaves recently filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles and was asked why he waited 30 years to complain. He said that he had been living in a quiet town in Yorkshire and only heard the song in 2015. Warren's track was released in 1988.
In his court documents, Greaves also claimed that the lyrics of his song is similar to Chicago's track.
"If you seem walking by with a tear in my eye, look away, baby look away," his song reads.
"If you see me walking by and the tears are in my eyes, look away, baby, look away," Warren's version, on the other hand, reads.
The complainant spoke about the infringement on his Twitter account last month.
"No matter how small or insignificant you think you are, keeping quiet is not the answer. We all have a voice and there are good people in this world who will help make your voice louder. #neverlookaway #chicagolookaway #plagiarism #schoolkids #lowblow #perfectcrime #caughtintheact," the tweet reads.
Who Is Diane Warren?
Warren has not released a response to Greaves' complaint. The 61-year-old American songwriter, who rose to prominence in 1983, has written and co-written songs for several singers and films.
The songwriter has released nine number 1 songs and 32 top 10 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Two of the top 13 hits on the Hot 100's 57-year history were also written by Warren. She was the first songwriter in the history of Billboard magazine to have seven hits, all by different artists, on the singles chart.
Diane Warren's Awards
Throughout the span of her career, Warren has earned a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three consecutive Billboard Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year. She has also been nominated for nine Academy Awards.
Some of her most popular songs are "Where Will My Heart Take Me," "You Love Me," "If You Asked Me To," "How Do I Live," "Un-break My Heart," "Looking For Home," "Because You Loved Me," and "Star Trek: Enterprise - Where Will My Heart Take Me."
