POP/ROCK - March 14, 1988

Lionel Richie’s being sued again for copyright infringement by Gene Thompson, who sued the singer in 1985. Thompson claims that Richie’s “Deep River Woman” infringes on his song “Somebody’s Got to Love Her,” in court papers filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. In addition, Thompson and songwriter Tracey Singleton claim Richie’s “Sela” infringes on their composition, “You and Me.” The two want a percentage of the royalties of the song. Thompson’s 1985 suit--which alleges that Richie’s “Stuck on You” also infringed on “Somebody’s Got to Love Her”--is currently awaiting jury trial in the same court. Richie’s attorney called Thompson’s latest suit “just as frivolous as the first one.”