Dennis Wilcock is asking Iron Maiden for £2 million.
Iron Maiden is being sued by former vocalist Dennis Wilcock , who claims that the English band stole lyrics from several songs. Wilcock is seeking approximately £2 million (around R$10 million) for songs released on their debut album and on Killers (1981).
This case is a consequence of the recent lawsuit the band faced regarding the classic "Hallowed Be Thy Name," where former manager Barry McKay alleged that the band plagiarized parts of Beckett . Steve Harris and Dave Murray reached a settlement, paying £100,000 in this case.
McKay has now filed a new lawsuit on behalf of Wilcock, who, according to the Loudwire , claims to have written the lyrics for "Prowler," "Charlotte the Harlot," "Phantom of the Opera," and "Iron Maiden." The lawsuit also states that Wilcock co-wrote "Prodigal Son" with Steve Harris.
Wilcock further states that he was unaware that the lyrics had been used by Iron Maiden, claiming he had never listened to the band's albums after his departure in 1978.
Additionally, McKay will sue Iron Maiden again, claiming that the phrase "Catch my soul cos it's willing to fly away," from "Hallowed Be Thy Name," was based on the phrase "Catch your soul he's willing to fly away," from Beckett's song "Rainbow's Gold," which Iron Maiden covered in 1984.
Iron Maiden, who had removed "Hallowed Be Thy Name" from the setlist of the Book of Souls , returned with the classic that closes The Number Of The Beast on the current Legacy of the Beast . The song "Iron Maiden" continues to be played on the current tour despite the legal action initiated by McKay on May 25th.
The English newspaper The Sun published a comment from an Iron Maiden spokesperson saying that the allegations are “outrageous” and “absolutely ridiculous.”