Sam Smith regrets ignoring Tom Petty during copyright dispute

Sam Smith has expressed deep regret over their failure to respond to a letter sent by Tom Petty during a 2015 copyright dispute regarding the song ‘Stay With Me’. The dispute arose due to melodic similarities between the track and Petty and Jeff Lynne’s 1989 hit ‘I Won’t Back Down’, resulting in Petty and Lynne receiving writing credits and a 12.5 percent royalty share.

In a recent interview, Smith recalled being ‘pissed off’ by the letter at the time, describing their younger self as a ‘sassy’ 22-year-old who ‘just didn’t listen to men’. However, Smith now views the gesture as ‘very, very sweet and kind’, interpreting Petty’s message as an attempt to offer support during a difficult period in their rising career. Petty had previously stated he held no hard feelings regarding the matter.