Ronnie Milsap's 1976 No. 1 Hit Sparked a Copyright Dispute Over a Piano Lick
Ronnie Milsap's '(I'm a) Stand by My Woman Man' reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart on Aug. 28, 1976, but the session's piano fill led to a lawsuit from the publisher of Tammy Wynette's 'Stand by Your Man.' The song later added Wynette and Billy Sherrill as co-writers. Milsap won a Grammy for the performance, and the song earned a CMA nomination for best country song.
The dispute arose from a specific piano fill played by Hargus “Pig” Robbins during the recording session, which echoed a lick he had used on Tammy Wynette’s earlier hit. Publisher Al Gallico sued producer Tom Collins, leading to Wynette and Billy Sherrill being added as co-writers alongside Kent Robbins. The song’s chart-topping run on Aug. 28, 1976, coincided with the exact date Wynette wrote and recorded “Stand by Your Man” eight years earlier. Milsap’s version also earned him a Grammy for male country vocal performance and a CMA nomination for song of the year.
This story highlights how musical similarity, even unintentional, can trigger legal and credit disputes in the industry. It may affect songwriters and producers by reinforcing caution about borrowing stylistic elements, while also reminding audiences that chart success often masks behind-the-scenes negotiations. The resolution—adding co-writers—could normalize collaborative credit adjustments, potentially influencing how future copyright conflicts are settled, though each case remains unique.