Report: Prince Estate Forbids Morris Day To Perform As 'The Time'

Day

VARIETY is reporting that MORRIS DAY, frontman for the PRINCE-spawned group THE TIME, is in a dispute with the PRINCE Estate, claiming that after 40 years, he is no longer allowed to perform under the name MORRIS DAY & THE TIME thanks to them.

DAY wrote in a social media post, “I’ve given 40 years of my life building up a name and legacy that PRINCE and I came up with. A name that, while he was alive, he had no problem with me using. I literally put my blood, sweat, and tears into bringing value to that name. In fact, he booked me on several tours, and many jam-packed nights at PAISLEY PARK, under the name MORRIS DAY & THE TIME. Not once ever saying to me that I couldn’t use that name configuration."

He added, “However, now that PRINCE is no longer with us, suddenly, the people who control his multi million dollar estate want to rewrite history by taking my name away from me, thus impacting how i feed my family. So, as of now, per the PRINCE ESTATE, [I] can no longer use MORRIS DAY & THE TIME in any capacity.”

A rep for PRINCE’s estate told VARIETY, “Given PRINCE’s longstanding history with MORRIS DAY and what the Estate thought were amicable discussions, The PRINCE Estate was surprised and disappointed to see his recent post. The Estate is open to working proactively with MORRIS to resolve this matter. However, the information that he shared is not entirely accurate.”

Variety obtained a copy of a letter from an attorney representing the Estate does state that DAY “has no right to use or register [the name] THE TIME in any form," which presumably includes concerts and recordings — and references a 1982 contract in which DAY “acknowledged that PRN MUSIC CORPORATION, an entity which, at the time, was wholly owned by PRINCE, is the ‘sole and exclusive owner of all rights in and to’ THE TIME.”

It's reported the current dispute came up from an attempt by DAY to register the name MORRIS DAY & THE TIME. The letter does propose that the matter be settled amicably and the estate license the name to DAY. Read the full story here.

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