Germany-based music rights company BMG ended a publishing agreement with Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters for comments he made about Israel and Ukraine, Variety reported.
BMG entered into a publishing agreement in 2016 with Waters, planning to release a new version of Pink Floyd's 1973 album "Dark Side of the Moon" the next year. However, the plan was abandoned after Thomas Coesfeld became CEO, leading to the release being handled by the UK-based label Cooking Vinyl, Variety noted.
Waters, 80, has remained defiant in the face of various criticisms.
In April 2023, he successfully fought a legal battle enabling him to perform in Frankfurt. The city's magistrates had previously directed the venue to cancel his concert, accusing Waters of being "one of the most widely known antisemites in the world," The Guardian reported. And while he criticized the Ukraine war, he addressed the UN Security Council at Russia's invitation, arguing that its 2022 invasion was "not unprovoked."
Also in 2023, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) conducted an investigation into Waters, interviewing his former co-workers who claimed he frequently made derogatory remarks about Jewish people.
The CAA additionally revealed emails from Waters suggesting an inflatable pig at his concerts should bear an antisemitic slogan. Emails from 2010 disclosed his proposal to release confetti shaped like swastikas, stars of David, dollar signs, and other symbols during performances.
Waters spoke about being "fired" by BMG in a video interview with Glenn Greenwald last November, suggesting his departure resulted from pressure by pro-Israeli interests on BMG's parent company, Bertelsmann, suppressing his political beliefs.
During a concert in Birmingham, England, last year, Waters launched into a rant, criticizing his perceived harsh treatment in Germany, claiming that various media outlets were attempting to undermine him due to his advocacy for human rights for Palestinians.
"They're trying to cancel me like they canceled Jeremy Corbyn and Julian Assange," he said, according to The Guardian. "I will not be canceled."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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