Don in the Press/Blogs/etc.

[shunlvswx]

I stopped listening to Spotify for many years now. I listen to only Pandora and IHeart Radio. Now if they decided to go after Pandora and IHeart Radio(which I think I read they are going after next), I will not be a happy camper.

[sodascouts]

Luckily it looks like Spotify is ignoring them. I daresay anyone else who gets a letter will, too. This is not getting traction with other women's groups.

I also agree with the larger philosophical objection to the idea that a music distribution service should ban an artist's music because of something the artist has done. As others have said, let everyone decide for themselves if they want to listen to it.

Unfortunately, Spotify has already taken this action against two other artists, so they are obviously OK with that kind of censorship. The issue here, then, is that they refrain from taking such action against Don... and obviously, they have.

Even though this will go nowhere, I'm still disgusted with UltraViolet's irresponsible labeling of Don as an "abuser."

[shunlvswx]

Luckily it looks like Spotify is ignoring them. I daresay anyone else who gets a letter will, too. This is not getting traction with other women's groups.

I also agree with the larger philosophical objection to the idea that a music distribution service should ban an artist's music because of something the artist has done. As others have said, let everyone decide for themselves if they want to listen to it.

Unfortunately, Spotify has already taken this action against two other artists, so they are obviously OK with that kind of censorship. The issue here, then, is that they refrain from taking such action against Don... and obviously, they have.

Even though this will go nowhere, I still disgusted with UltraViolet's irresponsible labeling of Don as an "abuser."

I don't like the word they are using on Don either. Its like Don "abused" these girls even though their weren't any evidence that he did.

[shunlvswx]

I really don't like that Don is included on a list with Chris Brown. Now he's definitely an abuser.

[groupie2686]

I am also disgusted by them labeling Don as an abuser. This is the unfortunate part of this MeToo movement, that just because of what someone may or may not have done, we are told we can't listen to their music or watch their movies (if it's an actor). It doesn't matter if they did it or not, once they're labeled as an abuser or a rapist, they're shunned by the public. It's like a witch hunt. And why just those artists? With the number of teenage groupies in the 60s and 70s, they could certainly have added to the list...the censorship is just wrong.

I'm sorry to go off on my soapbox, but this is a touchy subject for me right now. As some of you know, I'm a lawyer, and I just went through a hearing representing a college student accused of sexual assault. There is no evidence he did anything wrong and the way he was treated by the university was absolutely appalling. Again, sorry for the soapbox here, reading this about Don came right after I went through this case and I'm still upset.

[shunlvswx]

Ok. I looked up the other artists and what they did since I don't know that much about their past. Ted Nugent and Steven Tyler dated a underaged girl (they knew their age and got a consent from their parents), Chris Brown physical abused, and Nelly was charged with sexual assault. Tekashi 6ix9ine has a sexual assault with a minor charge.

The crime for Don was he had underaged girls at his house and I'm still trying to figure out where's the evidence of Don "abusing" these girls.

[shunlvswx]

I am also disgusted by them labeling Don as an abuser. This is the unfortunate part of this MeToo movement, that just because of what someone may or may not have done, we are told we can't listen to their music or watch their movies (if it's an actor). It doesn't matter if they did it or not, once they're labeled as an abuser or a rapist, they're shunned by the public. It's like a witch hunt. And why just those artists? With the number of teenage groupies in the 60s and 70s, they could certainly have added to the list...the censorship is just wrong.

I'm sorry to go off on my soapbox, but this is a touchy subject for me right now. As some of you know, I'm a lawyer, and I just went through a hearing representing a college student accused of sexual assault. There is no evidence he did anything wrong and the way he was treated by the university was absolutely appalling. Again, sorry for the soapbox here, reading this about Don came right after I went through this case and I'm still upset.

That's ok, groupie. I think we all are a little mad and upset that they are labeling Don an "abuser" just because of a stupid incident that happened 38 years ago (which there's no evidence). I think this is the first group that included Don.

To me. Its different if this was a big secret that nobody knew about and a person comes out and says this 38 years. This is not the case, but I guess it doesn't matter.

Like I said. This has really gotten way out of hand.

[UndertheWire]

For me, there are three issues:
1) they are demanding a ban based on allegations rather than proven guilt.
2) how much should actions in their private lives influence how how we view their art?
3) why should corporations and action groups be taking the decision on my behalf?

As Soda pointed out, the open letter doesn't give specific reasons for including anyone on the list beyond "allegations of abuse". Therefore, we don't know why Don Henley was included. It might be the 1980 incident or it could be something else.

[shunlvswx]

For me, there are three issues:
1) they are demanding a ban based on allegations rather than proven guilt.
2) how much should actions in their private lives influence how how we view their art?
3) why should corporations and action groups be taking the decision on my behalf?

As Soda pointed out, the open letter doesn't give specific reasons for including anyone on the list beyond "allegations of abuse". Therefore, we don't know why Don Henley was included. It might be the 1980 incident or it could be something else.

I'm thinking it is from the 1980 incident. Majority of everybody on that list either were dating underage girls or have a sexual assault charge on them. But Don doesn't have a sexual assault charge on him and didn't date an underage girls. He's just guilty of having underage girls at the party.

[Delilah]

I'm thinking it is from the 1980 incident. Majority of everybody on that list either were dating underage girls or have a sexual assault charge on them. But Don doesn't have a sexual assault charge on him and didn't date an underage girls. He's just guilty of having underage girls at the party.

Don dated Lorelei Shellist who was only 16 at the time. I think Don was in his late 20s. She talks about it in her book, Runway Runaway. Although to be fair, he is hardly the only famous musician dating teen girls during that time period. I have read about other stuff involving underage girls but I don’t know how much truth there is to them. At any rate, I always thought it was a bad idea for him to have such young looking female backup singers. Esp. with the glazed over expressions they seemed to have in the videos. It’s almost as if he were being defiant about his past or something. None of the other Eagles hired young ladies wearing short dresses to sing back-up. At least now they are older and don’t dress like that anymore.

Back to the call for a ban. Bad behavior has been rampant in the music business, not just by the musicians but by people behind the scenes as well. What if the producer of a famous well-loved album was revealed to be an “abuser” and who decides what an “abuser” is? It’s possible half the artists and music will be removed from Spotify or elsewhere if this call is heeded.

What the activists are saying is that having these artists on Spotify’s official playlists “glorifies” them and therefore silences victims of abuse. I hardly think the appropriate punishment for abusers is removing their music from playlists. The artist who commits a wrongdoing should face consequences but the art itself should be separate, something decided upon on an individual basis.