A Broad is a woman who lives by her own rules. Broads You Should Know is the podcast about the Broads who helped shape our world.
This week, Justin brings us the story of Jennifer Nelson: the documentary filmmaker who sued Warner Chappell over their claim of ownership over the song "Happy Birthday."
Jennifer Nelson was working on My Super Sweet 16 when she decided to make a documentary about the origin of the song Happy Birthday. When she discovered that The Hill Sisters in Kentucky had written the song in the 1800s, but Warner hadn't filed a copyright claim until 1935, it seemed odd that she had to pay Warner Chappell to use a song she knew they hadn't paid the Hills for. What started as a documentary became a campaign to free the song from a company that was making $2M a year on royalties.
Broads You Should Know is Hosted by Sam Eggers, Sara Gorsky, & Justin Xavier. For more information about anyone we've covered on the podcast or to check out our sources, head to www.BroadsYouShouldKnow.com!
If you know of any Broads you think we should cover on a future episode, send us an email at BroadsYouShouldKnow@gmail.com, or DM us on IG:
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New episode every Wednesday!
BYSK State of the Union
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Shirley Chisholm — First Black Woman to Run for President of the United States
Melitta Bentz - Inventor of the Paper Coffee Filter
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Boudica - Celtic Warrior Queen Extraordinaire
Grace O’Malley — Irish Pirate Queen & Scourge of the British Empire with Chloe Skye
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