Not So Fast Sam Smith, Tom Petty Says Pay Me For "Stay With Me"

Tom Petty has been given a songwriting credit for Sam Smith's hit song "Stay With Me."

Petty and collaborator Jeff Lynne were added to the song credits after Petty's team noticed a likeness between Smith's song and Petty's "I Won't Back Down." When the Petty camp reached out to Smith's representatives, they settled the matter amicably and agreed that Petty and Lynne will receive royalties.

"Not previously familiar with the 1989 Petty/Lynne song. The writers of 'Stay With Me' listened to 'I Won't Back Down' and acknowledged the similarity," a representative for Smith told Billboard. "Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement in which Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne are now credited as co-writers of 'Stay With Me' along with Sam Smith, James Napier and William Phillips." 

Source:  The Hollywood Reporter

photo via ticketmaster.com