“The Color Purple star” LaChanze star wants royalties for new movie’s song lyrics
Tony Award–winning actress LaChanze, who played Broadway’s original Celie in The Color Purple, claimed she was not compensated for her supposed contributions to the song’s lyrics for the hit song “I’m Here” in the musical film adaptation.
“I am getting a lot of DM’s and posts about why I’ve been left out of the press as the original Celie in the [The Color Purple] (musical). I am thrilled for the movie’s success! Happy for all involved,” the 62-year-old tweeted Tuesday. “However, I do want my royalty fee for the lyrics I added to ‘I’M HERE.'”
The performer, without providing details, mentioned her significant role in writing “I’m Here” for the stage production and asserted that she was not credited for her contributions in the song’s credits on Spotify.
LaChanze first portrayed Celie on Broadway and was succeeded by various actresses, including Fantasia Barrino, Cynthia Erivo, and Adrianna Hicks. Barrino reprised the role in the film adaptation, joined by Danielle Brooks returning as Sofia, a character she previously played in the 2015 Broadway revival.
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“The Color Purple,” written by Alice Walker in 1982, served as the inspiration for Celie’s journey as she battled an abusive marriage and tried to get back in touch with her sister Nettie. The book was made into a movie in 1985 by Steven Spielberg, and in 2023, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey produced a fresh version of the work in which Goldberg made a brief appearance and Winfrey produced alongside Spielberg.
The picture opened to an amazing $18 million on Christmas Day at the domestic box office, thanks in part to favorable reviews and hype surrounding Danielle Brooks’ performance.
“The Color Purple star” LaChanze star wants royalties for new movie’s song lyrics
