Stevie Wonder files lawsuit claiming late lawyer took advantage of his blindness as he seeks to end 'forever' royalty payments

By Paul Chavez For Dailymail.com

Published: 21:19 EST, 17 September 2015 | Updated: 23:16 EST, 17 September 2015

Stevie Wonder filed a lawsuit on Thursday claiming his lawyer who died in 2011 duped him into signing a 'forever' royalties contract.

The 65-year-old music legend claimed that his longtime lawyer Johanan Vigoda took advantage of a blind man, according to an article on Thursday by TMZ.

Wonder in his lawsuit claimed that he was unaware of a clause in the contract that he signed at age 21 granting six percent of royalties 'forever' to Vigoda and his heirs.

Royalty lawsuit: Stevie Wonder, shown on Wednesday in San Francisco, has filed a lawsuit against his late lawyer over never-ending royalty payments

Royalty lawsuit: Stevie Wonder, shown on Wednesday in San Francisco, has filed a lawsuit against his late lawyer over never-ending royalty payments

Vigoda died aged 82 in November 2011 in Reno, Nevada after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

After his death Wonder's record company continued to make the royalty payments to Vigoda's widow Susan Strack and Wonder claimed in his lawsuit that he didn't realize the payments were being made until 2013.

Wonder stopped making the payments and claimed that Vigoda never said the royalty payments would survive beyond his death.

Singing prodigy: Stevie is shown performing in 1971

Singing prodigy: Stevie is shown performing in 1971

The singer was asking a judge to declare that he no longer has to make the royalty payments alleging that Vigoda took advantage of his blindness.

Strack in February filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Wonder in federal court in Nevada seeking reinstatement of the royalty payments.

Her lawsuit claimed that Wonder, whose real name is Stevland Morris, had a witness read to him the complete terms of the contract before agreeing to it.

Good times:The singer reduced chat show host James Corden to tears earlier this month during an appearance on The Late Late Show on CBS

Good times:The singer reduced chat show host James Corden to tears earlier this month during an appearance on The Late Late Show on CBS

Strack was seeking at least $7 million in damages as well as reinstatement of the six percent royalty payments.

New York-native Vigoda represented Wonder for four decades and negotiated his precedent-setting Motown contract after the singing prodigy turned 21.

The contract gave Wonder a much higher royalty rate as well as creative control over his music and rights to his own master recordings.

Music legend: Stevie is shown in London in January 1974 after signing a new contract with Motown

Music legend: Stevie is shown in London in January 1974 after signing a new contract with Motown

 

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