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Yount, Robert (20th October 1929-30th June 2005)

Singer-songwriter born Robert Gene Yount in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who helped, with bandmates Eddie Miller and Dub Williams, to create one of the most popular crossover hits of all time, “Release Me”.  Unfortunately, the name of the song could have been “Release Me From All Rights To This Song”.

In 1958, he signed an agreement with Four Star Records mogul William McCall to relinquish all rights to the song.  After the copyright expired in 1983, Yount fought for royalties in court, to no avail.

He died in Oroville, California, in 2005 when he was 75 years old.

Kayton Roberts and Little Roy Wiggins recordings
Release Me (Eddie Miller/W.S. Stevenson/Dub Williams/Robert Yount)

Johnny Rodriguez recordings
Release Me (Eddie Miller/W.S. Stevenson/Dub Williams/Robert Yount)

Sources:

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Yount
  2. http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=9th&navby=case&no=9556072
  3. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1660