Bob Geldof has demanded that one of his former Boomtown Rats bandmates put his house on the line, as they’ve become embroiled in a royalty battle in court.
The battle is over their greatest hit, I Don’t Like Mondays, which is credited to Bob alone, however – the band’s former pianist Johnnie Fingers has claimed that he co-wrote the hit.
Johnnie, real name John Moylett, has insisted that he contributed the piano intro and lyrics “Down, down, shoot it all down”, and claimed that Bob pressured him into not seeking a song writing credit after promising him a share.
Therefore, the pianist is seeking a part of the royalties from the song, which was released in 1979.
Court battle: Bob’s being sued by his former bandmate | VIPIRELAND.COM
However, 65-year-old Bob has now demanded no “less than” €885,000 for costs security, should Johnnie lose the case.
Johnnie, who lives in Tokyo, has offered €29,000 after borrowing from his family and half of his house, worth €236,000 – which he shares with his wife Yoko, as well as his son and autistic daughter.
The pianist would be forced to sell his 50% stake in the property, which could potentially leave his family homeless, if he lost the case.
At the High Court yesterday, Johnnie’s lawyer Romie Tager, said using the house as security could lead to the “eviction of the autistic daughter as part of that process”.
