Larry Blackmon, frontman in ‘80s act Cameo, is suing four of his ex-bandmates for allegedly using the Cameo name without his permission.
The singer claims Nathan Leftenant, Arnett Leftenant, Jeryl Bright and Gregory Johnson have been performing as Cameo or The Original Cameo Family. He wants a court to issue an injunction to prevent the musicians from using the name and he is seeking $2 million (all figures U.S.) in damages.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Blackmon said he founded the group, chose the name, and invested his own money in its success.
The lawsuit could be seen as retaliation for one the four musicians filed last year against Blackmon, seeking their share of $103,000 in royalties he collected as well as $1 million in damages and 80 per cent of the profits from Blackmon’s live shows.
Cameo’s biggest hit was 1986’s “Word Up!,” which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was No. 1 on the R&B chart for three weeks. The song made it to the No. 12 spot on the singles chart in Canada.