Luther’s request was not standard practice, especially for an African American R&B artist. Therefore, Luther wasn’t trying to hear what those record label execs had to say either.

Eventually Luther got what he felt was rightfully his and we’re glad he did. As a result, he was able to express himself creatively, exactly the way he wanted to and gracing us with beautiful, timeless music in the process; and he was very financially set also. It’s been said that back then, he made so much money from his publishing and songwriting that he was able to buy his home for $6 million in cash, which was a lot for many artists back then, because they just didn’t have it sitting right there in their bank accounts like that…at least not to the capacity that they wouldn’t flinch over it after spending it in one lump sum.

Luther’s family allegedly still owns all of his publishing rights. After Luther passed, his Mother inherited the rights to his song catalogue, and after she passed, a male relative inherited it.

Here is a gallery of a few other Old School artists who fought tooth and nail to own the rights to their song publishing…