Wonder Owes Millions, Suit Claims

Stevie Wonder has been sued in a Nevada federal court by the widow of his former attorney, Johanan Vigoda.

Photo: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, file

“Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life – An All-Star Grammy Salute,” at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

Susan Strack claims her late husband negotiated a deal for 6 percent of Wonder’s revenues “forever” and the fee would transfer to Vigoda’s heirs.

Vigoda died in 2011. Strack claims payments stopped in 2013. In court papers, Strack says Wonder’s reps then “sought to negotiate a settlement of the dispute for “pennies on the dollar.” And alleges damages of at least $7 million, and also seeks back payment of the withheld fees from 2013 forward. In court papers, Strack claims that Vigoda represented Wonder for 40 years and, to accommodate the singer’s blindness, read terms of the agreements to him for his agreement.

She also claims that Wonder and his companies sent written notices to music companies instructing them to stop all payments to Strack in 2013. The suit charges breach of written agreement, intentional interference and conversion.

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