How Bobby Womack ruined my life
Oct 24 2005
By Adrian Butler, Liverpool Echo
A JOBLESS musician says his life has been ruined by a soul legend who stole one of his songs.
Mark Thomas, 44, from Cronton, has fought for 10 years to get royalties from Bobby Womack.
His song You're The One appeared on a Womack album with its name changed.
Playing on the record are Rolling Stones Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts as well as Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart.
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Judges sitting in the high court in London in 2003 ruled that Womack had stolen the song and said that he should pay Mr Thomas £57,000 in royalties.
But after years fighting the case, Mr Thomas has no money to pay American lawyers to take the veteran guitarist to court in California.
Mr Thomas's marriage broke down after he was forced to move back to Britain from Austria in 1997 so he could get legal aid to fight the case.
He said: "This has broken up my family. I now have to travel to Austria to see my kids - I can't afford it.
"Every aspect of my life has been affected by fighting for what I deserve."
Mr Thomas wrote the song in 1985 when he was in the band 2 a.m.
The band recorded it at Liverpool's Amazon studio and released it as a single in 1988, while 2 a.m. were supporting Chris Rea on a European tour.
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