We'd have to ask our mom, or maybe an older aunt, but Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm Sexy" is apparently a real thing. We imagine ladies are/were probably attracted to his sultry smoker's vocals or maybe even his smiling face but we highly doubt anyone had a poster of the back of the performer's head. Regardless, that body part and a photo of it is currently at the core of a $2.5 million lawsuit against the star, according to Billboard.
The plaintiff in the case is photographer Bonnie Schiffman, who has worked for Stewart before. Namely, she shot the images for his 1989 greatest hits collection Storyteller-The Complete Anthology: 1964-1990. The cover features a black-and-white image of the back Stewart's head and his trademark coif. The vocalist has been using that image as the centerpiece during his current tour. It's an image the photographer took during 1981.
Problem is Schiffman claims that use of the image requires her authorization and of course Stewart didn't get it. According to the photographer, Stewart first contacted her during 2010 with the intents of acquiring the image for a billboard campaign titled "Rod's back" (ba-bum-bum) and offered $1,500 for the photo. She rejected that offer and of course was miffed when the image turned up on his tour during 2014.
She's seeking $2.5 million and an injunction against further use of the image.
"One of Rod Stewart's greatest hits is called 'Every Picture Tells a Story,' and certainly this one does," said William Hochberg, her attorney. "Bonnie Schiffman's picture of Rod's back announces his comeback better than any other. That's why they're using it."
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
