It looks like Chicago will be missing out on a Destiny's Child reunion, but it may be for the best.
Rickey Allen, a local singer and performer, settled a lawsuit that accused the former trio—Beyoncé, Michelle Williams, and Kelly Rowland—of copying his song "Cater 2 U" in their 2004 album, Destiny Fulfilled for an undisclosed amount.
His lawsuit, filed in 2006, would have required an eight-day copyright infringement trial in a Chicago federal courthouse.
Not exactly the reunion fans would have hoped for. Nor was it a reunion the pop stars were looking forward to either.
According to the Sun-Times, Allen wrote and copyrighted his song in the mid-1990s. He took the time to update the copyright multiple times, the last renewal in 2000.
Allen allegedly passed the song onto Chicago remixer and producer Maurice Joshua, intending to collaborate with him. While Joshua never worked with Allen, he did eventually partner up with pop group Destiny's Child, who released a song with the same title and similar lyrics as Allen's "Cater 2 U."
Lawyers for Beyoncé denied any wrongdoing on her behalf, but Kelly Rowland reportedly wasn't surprised by the accusations.
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"Matthew [Knowles, the group's manager,] has a long history of trying to get songwriters to add Beyoncé's name to songs she didn't compose, just so she gets publishing royalties," an unnamed source told The New York Daily News' Gatecrasher. "That information eventually became widely known, and now anyone who wants to accuse Kelly or Destiny's Child of stealing material has ammunition to file a lawsuit. Kelly is livid."
Fortunately for Rowland, she won't have face Beyoncé. Matthew Wildermuth, an attorney for Rickey Allen, confirmed that the lawsuit was settled out of court, but all terms will remain confidential.
"All of the issues have been amicably resolved and the case is going to be dismissed," Wildermuth said, reports the Sun-Times. "[Allen is] excited about being able to devote time to posturing his musical career."
Darn. And it's been so long since we've had a good Chicago catfight.
Matt Bartosik is a Chicago native and a social media sovereign.
