Former singer Dennis Willcock, who quit the group in 1978, alleges the band stole his work on ‘Prowler’, ‘Charlotte the Harlot’, ‘Phantom of the Opera’, ‘Iron Maiden’ and ‘Prodigal Son’. Terry Wilson-Slesser, meanwhile, says he co-wrote the lyrics to ‘A Rainbow’s Gold’, which he claims were then used on Iron Maiden’s ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’.
As reported by The Sun, the named defendants in the case are Maiden’s songwriter/bassist Steve Harris, guitarist Dave Murray, and publishing company Imagem.
If you’re wondering why it’s taken decades for Willcock to file this lawsuit, he apparently turned his back on music and hadn’t listened to Iron Maiden’s albums since he left the band.
Iron Maiden are reportedly defending the claims under the copyright act.
Read about 12 infamous lawsuits in classic rock history here.
Image via Iron Maiden.