The children of Steve Marriott (Humble Pie, Small Faces), along with his bandmates and other rock legends, are fighting the possible release of recordings featuring new AI-generated versions of the late singer's voice.
According VarietyThe recordings were authorized by Marriott's third wife, Toni Marriott, to whom the rock icon was married for just two years before tragically dying in a fire at age 44 in 1991.
Steve's daughter Mollie, on behalf of her siblings, issued a statement denouncing the possible release of these AI-generated recordings. His stance has been endorsed by Small Faces' Kenney Jones and Humble Pie's Peter Frampton and Jerry Shirley, along with legends such as Robert Plant, David Gilmour, Bryan Adams, Paul Weller, Paul Rodgers and others.
The statement says the following:
“Marriott Estate will release an AI solo album featuring new and old songs by my father, Steve. Sadly, the surviving family, consisting of just my siblings Lesley, Toby, Tonya and myself, have nothing to do with the estate as there was no will. It is run by my stepmother, who was only with my father for two years before his death and has since remarried. We, along with his Humble Pie and Small Faces bandmates, are looking to prevent this album from happening, as it would be a stain on my father's name. Someone who was known as one of the best vocalists of our generation, with a voice so lively and raw, it would break your heart if he were alive to know it. This is just for money, not for art or recognition. It is the beginning of a campaign that I want to lead against this kind of thing, where deceased artists have no rights and where everything natural in this world is really dying, including creativity and the arts, as AI comes into play. .
Led Zeppelin legend Plant added: “This is far from what any of us dreamed of when we entered this wonderful world of music. “We simply cannot stand by and watch this unfold.”
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