Prince’s estate scolds Donald Trump for playing Purple Rain at rally

Prince (Image credit: BERTRAND GUAY/AFP - Getty)

Prince’s estate have scolded Donald Trump and the Republican Party after Purple Rain was played at a rally for the US president on Thursday.

The estate was informed a year ago that none of the late star’s music would be used during Trump’s campaigns – but after the 1984 classic was played at a rally in Minneapolis, Prince’s Twitter account posted a firm message, along with the letter from the White House from October 2018 confirming that “the Campaign will not use Prince’s music in connection with its activities going forward.”

The estate say: “President Trump played Prince’s Purple Rain tonight at a campaign event in Minneapolis despite confirming a year ago that the campaign would not use Prince’s music.

“The Prince Estate will never give permission to President Trump to use Prince’s songs.”

Prince died in April 2016 at the age of 57.

It’s the latest in a series of rebukes from artists and their estates regarding Trump using music without their permission for political purposes.

In June this year, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne blasted Trump for using Crazy Train in a video, while in November last year, Axl Rose hit out at Trump’s campaign team for using Guns N’ Roses material during the midterm elections.

In August 2018, lawyers representing Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler send a cease and desist letter to the White House to insist that they stop playing Livin’ On The Edge, while the Rolling Stones, the estate of George Harrison and Queen have all objected to their music being associated with Trump.

President Trump played Prince’s “Purple Rain” tonight at a campaign event in Minneapolis despite confirming a year ago that the campaign would not use Prince’s music. The Prince Estate will never give permission to President Trump to use Prince’s songs. pic.twitter.com/FuMUPzSWOeOctober 11, 2019

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