Legal Dispute Promises to ‘Muddy the Waters’

Disputes over the legendary musician Muddy Waters’ financial legacy has spawned a legal battle between Waters’ heirs and representatives of estate executor Scott Cameron, who managed Waters during his career. 

A probate hearing is scheduled on a petition filed by Waters’ daughter, Mercy Morganfield, on behalf of Waters’ widow, Marva Morganfield.  After three decades, the heirs are asking the court to reopen Waters’ estate, appoint Mercy as administrator and distribute any remaining assets (primarily copyrights to music).  The petition alleges that Cameron missed a regular royalty payment in December and failed to provide proper estate accounting.  Furthermore, Cameron should have turned over all of Waters’ assets when the courts closed the estate.

See Clifford Ward, Late Bluesman Muddy Waters At Center of Legal Dispute in DuPage, Chicago Tribune, Apr. 15, 2015.