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Local Village People show, curated by Mark Cuban, canceled over 'Y.M.C.A.' broadcast rights

Disco group The Village People was scheduled to play the Bomb Factory in Dallas on Aug. 18, as part of Mark Cuban's free concert series to be broadcast on AXS TV. Plans changed recently, however, when it was announced the show had been cancelled.

No reason was given for the cancellation, though a representative from the venue said the band would not be replaced. GuideLive has since learned the concert fell through because the Dallas Mavericks owner and his network did not gain permission to broadcast certain songs, such as "Y.M.C.A." And there may soon be a lawsuit to show for it.

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Victor Willis is the original singer of the Village People, who wrote and performed many of the band's classics, including "Macho Man" and "Y.M.C.A." He left the band in 1983 and has since famously been at the forefront of copyright litigation. In 2013, Willis won a major case that invoked his "termination rights," meaning he could reclaim ownership of his material from publishers and music companies after 35 years -- which is what he did. Just last year, a jury ruled Willis was entitled to 50 percent ownership of much of the Village People's catalog.

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"I learned over the years that there are some awesome powers associated with copyright ownership," Willis told The New York Times after the 2013 decision.

"You can stop somebody from performing your music if you want to, and I might object to some usages."

Willis did so last fall when E! Network aired "Y.M.C.A" during the Macy's Fashion Front Row, and according to his publicist, Linda Smythe, that's what happened with Cuban. Willis' wife, Karen of Harlem West Music Group, denied Cuban's request to use the song. Can you really have a Village People concert without "Y.M.C.A."?

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"These songs were to be performed by the current rendition of Village People on AXS Television for which Victor Willis does not endorse because they are not the actual singers of the Village People hits, he is," she said by email.

Further, Smythe alleges Cuban, AXS TV and the Bomb Factory used the voice and image of Willis when promoting the show by linking to the original version of "Y.M.C.A" from its websites.

"This made it appear to the public that Victor Willis would be performing when he's no longer a part of the group. This caused great public confusion, so we had to pull the plug on that show by denying the license," Smythe said. "Victor Willis will not rule out bringing suit against Cuban, AXS and The Bomb Factory for misappropriation of his voice and image."

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When reached by email, Cuban said, "I can't comment other than to say we are disappointed."

Bret Michaels, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Bad Company are still scheduled to perform in August and September. Those shows are free for Dallasites to attend with an RSVP.