• Joan Rivers' estate sued the New York City surgical center where complications during a medical procedure led to the comedian's death, saying it provided reckless and negligent treatment, violated her privacy and abandoned her when she needed emergency care. Rivers' daughter Melissa and two other executors of the estate sued Yorkville Endoscopy LLC on Monday in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, according to a copy of the complaint provided by a lawyer for the group. The filing couldn't be immediately confirmed in court records. Rivers, 81, was undergoing a diagnostic procedure to evaluate changes in her voice and acid reflux at Yorkville Endoscopy in Manhattan on Aug. 28 when complications occurred. She died Sept. 4 at nearby Mount Sinai Hospital. The New York City medical examiner ruled that Rivers died as a result of a "therapeutic complication" caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain during a laryngoscopy, a procedure to view the vocal cords, and an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. She was sedated with the drug Propofol, according to the medical examiner. Yorkville Endoscopy didn't immediately respond to a phone message Monday seeking comment on the lawsuit.
• Tom Petty has earned a writing credit on Sam Smith's hit "Stay With Me" for its similarities to his song "I Won't Back Down." Smith's representative said Monday that the publishers of Petty's 1989 hit contacted the publishers of Smith's song, which was one of last year's biggest hits. Smith and "Stay With Me" writers James Napier and William Phillips say they agree their song is similar to Petty's song, written with Jeff Lynne. "Although the likeness was a complete coincidence, all involved came to an immediate and amicable agreement in which Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne are now credited as co-writers of 'Stay With Me' along with Sam Smith, James Napier and William Phillips," they said in a statement. Petty's "I Won't Back Down" peaked at No. 12 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. A representative for Petty declined to comment. "Stay With Me," Smith's debut song, has sold more than 3.5 million tracks and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The breakthrough British singer is nominated for six Grammy Awards at next month's show, including song of the year, an honor solely for the writers of a track. The Recording Academy's senior vice president of awards, Bill Freimuth, said Monday that Petty and Lynne would not be added to the nominations list for the song.
A Section on 01/28/2015