Greedy Sneddon
Fame Academy winner David Sneddon and his songwriting partner are set for a massive bust-up over royalties on the star's debut album.
Weeks ago Glasgow busker Sneddon scooped a million pound contract, an exclusive flat and a sports car for winning BBC's search for a star. And he pledged he would never forget his roots or old friends who had got him there. He then topped the charts with his debut single Stop Living The Lie.
So his fans may be surprised to learn that John Kielty - who has written half of Sneddon's debut album - may not get a penny in royalties, while Sneddon is set to become a multi-millionaire. Friends of the pair - who live in the £900,000 flat the BBC gave Sneddon for a year - say Kielty is seething.
In an exclusive interview at the Brit Awards, Kielty, 24, told the Standard: "David and I have been in a band together for years called The Martians. We have been writing partners all that time. David left the band to go on Fame Academy - but we have always been best friends and still are.
"I've written half of the tracks on the album. But I won't be earning anything from it. I'd like to see some of the money, but I suppose I started off doing it as a favour for my mate."
To make matters worse, Sneddon has told his friend that not only might he not cash in on the album but he will also be turfed out of their flat to make room for Sneddon's girlfriend.
Kielty admitted: "He's hinting that I should move on and find my own place. It will be three's a crowd when she moves in."
Sneddon said recently that he had written a Valentine's Day song for his girlfriend Eleanor Roffe. The 24-year-old said: "I wrote a track called I Love You. This is the first real love song I've written for her."
Meanwhile, while Kielty remains in the cold, Sneddon appears to be aiming sky-high. He said: "We've just been recording the album with Elton John's band. Elton and I get on. We're both keyboard players, writers and singers so we have a lot in common. A duet would be great."
On the question of royalties, Sneddon's manager Richard Griffiths said: "Who wrote what hasn't really been established yet. That will all be worked out in the next few weeks."
David Sneddon's album will be released at the end of April.
