Tom Petty Calls Sam Smith Songwriting Dispute 'a Musical Accident'
Music

The 'I Won't Back Down' rocker praises the 'Stay With Me' hitmaker for doing the right thing by sharing the royalties and songwriting credits.

AceShowbiz - Tom Petty is pleased with the way Sam Smith handled their songwriting dispute. Now that matter is resolved, the classic rock star describes the similarities between his song "I Won't Back Down" and Smith's "Stay With Me" as "a musical accident no more no less."

"About the Sam Smith thing," Petty begins his statement. "Let me say I have never had any hard feelings toward Sam. All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by."

"Sam's people were very understanding of our predicament and we easily came to an agreement. The word lawsuit was never even said and was never my intention. And no more was to be said about it. How it got out to the press is beyond Sam or myself."

"Sam did the right thing and I have thought no more about this," he continues. "In these times we live in this is hardly news. I wish Sam all the best for his ongoing career. Peace and love to all."

Sam Smith settled the dispute out of court, deciding to give Tom Petty a portion of "Stay with Me" royalties and adding the rocker as a co-writer for the song which sold millions of copies worldwide. In line with Petty's statement, he claimed "the likeness was a complete coincidence."

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