JOEL SETTLES ROYALTIES SUIT WITH EX-DRUMMER
BILLY JOEL has ended a legal battle with his former drummer after settlin g a royalties dispute out of court.
The Piano Man singer worked with Liberty DeVitto in the studio and on t our for three decades until they parted ways in 2005. DeVitto performed o n some of the rocker’s biggest albums, including The Stranger, 52nd Stree t and Storm Front.
The drummer filed suit against Joel and his label bosses at Sony Music in May, 2009, accusing them of failing to pay him unspecified royalties f rom 11 albums recorded between 1975 and 1990, which have collectively sol d more than 100 million copies worldwide.
The case at New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan came to a close t his week (begs19Apr10) after the two parties reached an agreement behind closed doors.
Joel’s legal representative Paul LiCalsi says, "The case has been amica bly resolved." LiCalsi declined to go into detail about the settlement.
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