Randy Rhoads Family Sues Over Book

From AntiMusic:

The estate and family of late Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot guitarist Randy Rhoads have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against the authors and publisher of a new coffee table book about the legendary musician.

The following announcement about the lawsuit and their reasons for it was sent out:

In late 2012 Randy Rhoads mother, Delores Rhoads, siblings Kathryn Rhoads D’Argenzio and Kelle Rhoads, learned that a coffee table book titled “Randy Rhoads” had been released, co-authored by Andrew Klein and rock writer Steven Rosen with the assistance of Peter Margolis and Denny Anderson.

The family obtained a copy of the book. They were both astonished and horrified to see that Klein and Margolis are holding themselves out as “experts” on the life of Randy Rhoads, implying that they had the approval and cooperation of the Rhoads family, which they did not.

On April 1, 2007, Margolis entered into an agreement with the Rhoads family to produce a single documentary film on the life of Randy Rhoads. Margolis assured the family that the film would be completed within three years. From that point on, however, Margolis himself did not own any of the ideas and materials obtained or created in the production of the documentary, or any of the photos, videos or sound recordings collected for use in it, having assigned all of that to Dakota Films, the company financing and producing the documentary.

. . . .

Although Margolis reportedly claimed, as of early 2012, that the documentary was completed – “in the can”—it has never been released. Individuals who saw portions of it during production have reported that it was “edited poorly and unprofessionally,” and that the quality of the film was “abysmal.” The Rhoads family was frustrated by what they considered the mediocre quality of Margolis’s film, and by the fact that the “official documentary” they had so long hoped for had never come to fruition.

. . . .

The family contends that Margolis and Klein have stolen the materials; they have no rights or ownership of, from the failed documentary. They used them in the book, in order to try to exploit Randy and the family for their own profit, while trying to establish themselves as “authorities” on Randy Rhoads. They have falsely implied that they have the Rhoads family’s support and cooperation for the unauthorized book. The family emphasizes that in no way did they authorize or participate in publication of the book, nor have they had anything more to do with either Margolis or Klein since the production of the unreleased documentary ended.

Moreover, according to the family’s complaint, the book contained more than fifty instances in which Klein and Margolis had used without permission photos, excerpts from interviews and other personal information that had been provided to them by the Rhoads family solely and exclusively for use in the authorized documentary film and for no other purpose.

Link to the rest at AntiMusic

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