Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing, Baby

supremes.jpg There are musical groups that seem to have been around forever -- the Platters, the Orioles, the Drifters. One reason for their longevity, which we've written about before, is that the people performing under those names bear no relation to those who cut the original hit records.

"It's a form of identity theft," complains Mary Wilson, a one-time Supreme.

Every once in a while, somebody tries to do something about this. There's a bill before the Texas House that would block bands from performing under a famous name unless at least one of its current members were part of the original group.

This idea, as I say, surfaces every once in a while and then goes nowhere. I can't imagine it could be drafted in a way that's readily enforceable.