Pop star Ed Sheeran took to the stand at a civil trial in New York to defend allegations that he copied Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get it On in his hit song Thinking Out Loud. Sheeran denied being influenced by Gaye’s 1973 R&B hit, instead citing inspiration from his own life experiences and family. He performed parts of the song and played guitar for the jury for roughly an hour, describing his artistic process for writing the 2014 chart-topper. The heirs of Gaye’s co-writer, Ed Townsend, are claiming that Sheeran stole elements of the song. If found liable, Sheeran could owe money for copyright infringement. The trial is set to continue on Monday, with Sheeran expected to resume his testimony.
