Bargoers can just stay there and drink, but they won’t be hearing songs by Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Ronnie Dunn unless Cregeen’s Irish Pub in Jonesboro starts paying copyright owners for public performance rights.
Broadcast Music Inc., the music business giant known as BMI, is one of several copyright holders suing the South Main Street pub over unlicensed performances of country classics like “Folsom Prison Blues,” “The Bottle Let Me Down” and “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink.”
The suit, filed by Richard T. Donovan and Karen Baker of Little Rock’s Rose Law Firm, names the defendants as Cregeen’s of Jonesboro LLC and James B. Williams, who is identified as a member of the LLC with responsibility for managing and operating the pub.
The plaintiffs other than BMI are SonyATV Songs LLC, House of Cash Inc., Showbilly Music, Forrest Richard Betts Music and Unichappell Music. House of Cash is the publisher of “Folsom Prison Blues,” and SonyATV is the publisher of Haggard’s songs. Dunn, part of the superstar country duo Brooks & Dunn, wrote “Neon Moon,” which the suit says was performed without license at the pub. The Allman Brothers’ “Southbound” was also performed without license, the complaint says. Its publisher is Forrest Richard Betts Music, owned by the guitarist Dickie Betts.
Cash was born and raised in Arkansas, and Dunn once played saxophone in the El Dorado High School band.
The plaintiffs allege five instances of willful copyright infringement, and the suit asks for the pub to be enjoined from “infringing, in any manner, the copyrighted musical compositions” licensed by BMI. The lawsuit also asks for damages, costs and attorney’s fees.
Cregeen’s didn’t return a call seeking comment.
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