Author Bruce Jackson is accusing Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck of "ripping off" a poem written by his friend Slim Wilson.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jackson has alleged Depp and Beck have not credited lyrics belonging to Wilson.
Jackson met Wilson in 1964 while in Missouri State Penitentiary in the US. Jackson went on to publish a book in 1974 in which he documented much of Wilson's poetry, including the piece in question.
Wilson later turned the poem into a song called Hobo Ben, which is alleged to have been used by Depp and Beck in a song on their album 18.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Jackson said the song extensively pulls lyrics from Hobo Ben. He said Depp and Beck have only contributed two lines. “Everything else is from Slim’s performance in my book," he said.
"I’ve never encountered anything like this. I’ve been publishing stuff for 50 years, and this is the first time anybody has just ripped something off and put his own name on it."
Depp and Beck are the only writers credited on the song and there has been no acknowledgement from the pair about Hobo Ben.
Jackson’s son Michael, who is a lawyer specialising in music and intellectual property rights, also told Rolling Stone the credits “do not reflect the actual authorship of those lyrics”.
“It’s just not plausible, in my opinion, that Johnny Depp or anybody else could have sat down and crafted those lyrics without almost wholly taking them from some version of my father’s recording and/or book where they appeared," he said.
Neither Depp nor Beck have made a statement regarding the allegations.
Wilson served time in jail for murder and robbery in the 1960s.
The album 18 has 13 tracks on it and was released last month. It mainly features cover songs. There are renditions of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, John Lennon's Isolation and, controversially given its subject matter covering sexual violence, the Velvet Underground classic Venus in Furs.
A defamation ruling in June awarded Depp $10 million in damages and his ex-wife Amber Heard $2m. However, the bitter fight between them is continuing as Heard has launched a number of court appeals.
Scroll through the gallery below to see Depp's musical career highlights
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20750hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20800Nm%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%207%20Speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20332kph%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012.2L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYear%20end%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1%2C430%2C000%20(coupe)%3B%20From%20Dh1%2C566%2C000%20(Spider)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
