Sheeran stepped down from the stand after testifying for about an hour. Wadge, who’s not named in the suit, is also expected to testify in the trial. Sheeran claims “Thinking Out Loud” sprung from a discussion between him and his writing partner, Amy Wadge, about elderly relatives who had lost spouses after decades together. If they are found liable in this trial, a second proceeding will be held to determine damages. Heirs of Townsend, who died in 2003, are seeking unspecified damages from Sheeran, Atlantic Records and Sony/ATV Music Publishing. “Am I allowed to answer the question that you’re asking me?” he asked in frustration at one point. He was frequently combative with lawyer Keisha Rice, particularly when she interrupted his answers, claiming they weren’t responsive. Sheeran was called to the stand by lawyers representing Kathryn Griffin Townsend, the biological daughter and heir of singer, songwriter and producer Ed Townsend, who died in 2003, and the estates of two other family members. The trial, which began Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, is being closely watched by the music industry, which has seen judges and juries wrestle in recent years with how to draw the line between musical building blocks available to all and the complex combination of elements that go into a copyright-able song. “If I had done what you accuse me of doing, I would be quite an idiot to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people and do that,” Sheeran said. Sheeran took the stand in a lawsuit by the heirs of Gaye’s co-author, Ed Townsend, who claim he lifted melody, chord progression, harmonies and rhythm from the older song for his 2014 Grammy-winning “Thinking Out Loud.” Earlier in the day, a lawyer for the Townsends claimed Sheeran’s live performance of a “mashup” of the two songs shows how similar they are and is the “smoking gun” proving Sheeran ripped off “Let’s Get It On.”
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