Three music legends — or at least their representatives — wanted nothing to do with the upcoming film “Melania”, according to longtime Trump adviser and producer Marc Beckman.
In an interview with Variety published Monday, Beckman revealed that Guns N’ Roses, Grace Jones, and the estate of Prince all rejected requests to have their music featured in the film.
“So Guns N’ Roses was definitely a disappointment for us; we all have a lot of respect for Guns N’ Roses,” Beckman said.
Grace Jones, he claimed, balked for political reasons.
“She apparently couldn’t get over the political hurdle, notwithstanding the fact that the film is not a political film,” Beckman said. “So that was disappointing, too. It’s disappointing when people put politics so far ahead, and that happened a little bit with the film, for sure.”
The Prince situation appears to have cut deepest.
According to Beckman, rights holders had initially granted approval before a lawyer representing Prince’s estate stepped in and blocked it.
“Literally we were ready to go, and this lawyer that manages the estate was like, ‘Prince would never want his song associated with Donald Trump,’” Beckman recalled. “And we’re like, ‘But it’s not a Donald Trump film! He comes into the movie once in a while, but this is all about Melania. It’s not political.’ And that guy blocked it. It’s so ridiculous.”
Despite those high-profile rejections, Beckman said representatives from other major artists signed off. Music from Michael Jackson, Tears for Fears, Aretha Franklin, and The Rolling Stones was approved for use in the project.
The interview also arrives as another dispute simmers — this time involving Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead. Greenwood has objected to the use of orchestral music originally composed for Phantom Thread appearing in the documentary.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump recently settled a lawsuit with the estate of Isaac Hayes over the unauthorized use of Hayes’ song “Hold On, I’m Coming” during his campaign.
For a film Beckman insists “is not political,” politics appears to be following it everywhere — including the soundtrack.
