‘I’m not about to stop using my name’: Blues singer Lady A criticises Lady Antebellum for name change

‘This is my life. Lady A is my brand,’ says Seattle singer

A blues singer known as Lady A has criticised Lady Antebellum’s decision to change their band name to the same pseudonym as hers.

The country music trio Lady Antebellum announced on Thursday they would go as Lady A from now on, because the word “antebellum” has slavery connotations.

The band said in a Twitter statement that they chose Lady A because it’s “the nickname our fans gave us almost from the start”.

But blues singer Anita White, of Seattle, Washington, told Rolling Stone in a new interview that she has used the name Lady A for years and is distressed to see her name being used by another act.

“This is my life. Lady A is my brand, I’ve used it for over 20 years, and I’m proud of what I’ve done,” she told the publication.

“This is too much right now. They’re using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time. If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before. It shouldn’t have taken George Floyd to die for them to realise that their name had a slave reference to it.”

A rep for the band told Rolling Stone that they had not been aware of the other Lady A, and that they had plans to get in touch with her.

The Independent has contacted the group’s team for further comment.

The blues singer told the publication that she intends to consult a lawyer.

“I don’t know if [the band] are going to give me a cease-and-desist,” she said. “I don’t know how they’d react. But I’m not about to stop using my name. For them to not even reach out is pure privilege. I’m not going to lay down and let this happen to me.”

Lady Antebellum's name change is reflected on YouTube and Spotify, where the band – best known for the 2009 hit "Need You Now" is now identified as Lady A.

White's music can also be found on Spotify under the name Lady A. Her most recent album, Doin' Fine, came out in 2018. She plans to release another album, Lady A: Live in New Orleans, in July.