Neil Young did not give Donald Trump permission to use his song during campaign event

Neil Young.
(Image credit: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

Here's some free advice for anyone planning to announce they are running for president: Don't play music at your rally without the artist's authorization, and certainly don't use a song by someone who would never endorse you in a billion years.

When Donald Trump announced he's joining the million or so other people vying for the GOP presidential nomination, Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" played in the background. This didn't please Young, who told the Los Angeles Times through his manager, Elliot Roberts: "Donald Trump was not authorized to use 'Rockin' in the Free World' in his presidential candidacy announcement. Neil Young, a Canadian citizen, is a supporter of Bernie Sanders for president of the United States of America." Roberts also said he has contacted Trump's people and requested they stop using the song.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.