Heirs of Jimi Hendrix's bandmates sue over digital streaming royalties

The estates of late- Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell have filed a lawsuit against Sony Music for unpaid royalties.

Heirs of Redding and Mitchell signaled last fall that they were planning to sue, claiming both musicians are entitled to millions in digital streaming revenues from the music they helped create.

Hendrix's own estate made news in the middle of January when it sued Redding and Mitchell's heirs in New York, asking a judge for a "declaratory judgment of ownership and non-infringement."

At issue are agreements with the Hendrix estate that Redding and Mitchell signed in 1973 and 1974, respectively. Both men were paid in exchange for releasing the estate from future claims of royalties.

Lawyers for Redding and Mitchell argue that those agreements only covered music formats available at the time i.e. physical record sales, and are not applicable to digital streaming revenues. Sony Music and Hendrix's estate disagree.

Most of Hendrix's best-known music and all of his bonafide hits feature either Redding, Mitchell or both. The rhythm section joined up with Hendrix in 1966 and released three classic albums as part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience from 1967 through '68. The trio broke up in '69.

Hendrix passed away the following year. Redding died in 2003; Mitchell died in 2008.