Johnny Cash (Photo by Alan Messer, courtesy of Universal Music)
Johnny Cash Estate Suing Coca-Cola Over Ad
The estate of Johnny Cash has filed a federal lawsuit in Nashville against Coca-Cola, accusing the company of illegally using a tribute singer, Shawn Barker, to mimic Cash’s distinctive voice in a college football commercial without permission or licensing.
This case is the first high-profile legal action under Tennessee’s new ELVIS Act, which explicitly protects individuals’ voices from unauthorized commercial exploitation.
The Cash estate alleges that Coca-Cola profited from this voice imitation without consent, seeking an injunction to remove the ad and financial damages for violations of publicity rights, consumer protection laws, and false endorsement statutes.
Tim Warnock, a lawyer for Cash’s estate, wrote:
“Stealing the voice of an artist is theft. It is theft of his integrity, identity and humanity. The trust brings this lawsuit to protect the voice of Johnny Cash — and to send a message that protects the voice of all of the artists whose music enriches our lives.”
