No 'Dream On' for Trump

Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has demanded that Donald Trump's campaign stop playing "Dream On," becoming the latest musician angered by the Republican presidential candidate's choice of their song.

Tyler's lawyers said that a Trump rally in Georgia on Saturday again aired the band's 1973 smash hit, even though the musician sent a complaint in August.

The use of the song -- famous for Tyler's vocals that climax into screaming -- "gives the false impression that he is connected with or endorses Mr. Trump's presidential bid," a new letter from the singer's lawyers said.

The letter, dated Saturday, asked the Trump campaign to confirm within 24 hours that it understood it had no right to play "Dream On."

"If Trump for President does not comply with our demands, our client will be forced to pursue any and all legal or equitable remedies which our client may have against you," it said.

There was no immediate response from the Trump campaign.

The real estate mogul, who has soared to the top of the Republican pack in part through his virulent anti-immigration platform, earlier outraged Neil Young and R.E.M. with rallies that played their respective hits "Rockin' in the Free World" and "It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)."

But while Young and R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe are known for passionate left-wing views, Tyler's politics are more ambiguous.

He attended a Republican debate in August as a guest of Trump, with a representative at the time saying that the singer wanted to work with politicians across the spectrum to advance causes such as copyright protection.

Such legal issues appeared to be foremost on Tyler's mind in the letter, with the lawyers saying that the Trump campaign did not have a public performance license for "Dream On."

Left-leaning US politicians, by contrast, have long had an easier time finding sympathetic musicians.

Pop superstar Katy Perry, for instance, is scheduled to appear later this month with Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton at a rally in the critical state of Iowa.
Source: AFP