Angels co writer seeks share of royalties

Irish songwriter Ray Heffernan argues he helped write Angels and plans to claim a portion of future royalties from Robbie Williams.

Angels co writer seeks a share of future royalties from Robbie Williams

An Irish songwriter says he helped write the hit Angels and was paid just £7,500 for handing over the song after meeting Robbie Williams in a Dublin bar in 1996. Ray Heffernan says the work was created while his partner suffered a miscarriage, and he intends to use the European Union bestseller clause to recoup royalties he believes are owed. Angels became Williams’ signature track after his Take That era, and it remains a defining hit with hundreds of millions of streams.

This dispute centers on authorship credits and who benefits when a song endures for decades. It raises questions about how collaborations are recognized and compensated long after a track becomes a cultural fixture. In the music business, credits are a form of currency, and this case could push publishers and artists to rethink how gains from a long-lasting hit are shared. The personal backstory adds a human layer that will complicate public perception and press coverage.

Highlights

The outcome could redraw the map of authorship in pop music, with consequences for artists, lawyers and fans alike.