Lady Antebellum, Who Changed Their Name To Lady A In Support Of BLM, Is Now Suing Black Blues Singer Who Has Used The Name For 20 Years

Last month, the band Lady Antebellum announced they were changing their name to Lady A, due to the fact that “Antebellum South” describes a time period in southern American history from around 1790 to 1861 when the south’s economy largely depended on the use of slavery.

A few days after the name change, Seattle-based Black blues singer named Anita White, who has used the name Lady A for over twenty years, spoke out against the band.

Via Rolling Stone

“This is my life. Lady A is my brand, I’ve used it for over 20 years, and I’m proud of what I’ve done,” the original Lady A told Rolling Stone. “This is too much right now. They’re using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time. If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before. It shouldn’t have taken George Floyd to die for them to realize that their name had a slave reference to it.

The band is now suing White for the right to use the name.

Via PitchFork

“Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended,” the group said in a statement. “She and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years.”

Of course, the band was blasted by social media for the way they’ve handled the entire situation.

https://twitter.com/kashanacauley/status/1280985518096781312

https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/1280995529405710343