Composer’s Heir May Sue Trustee In Kentucky

FRANKFORT, KY. (CN) - The granddaughter of renowned composer and two-time Oscar winner Jerome Kern may sue the estate trustee and her mother's will executor in Kentucky, the state Supreme Court ruled.

Linda Kern Cummings, whose mother was the famous composer's only child, sued Andrew Boose and her mother's will executor John Pitman, claiming they conspired to transfer more than $3 million in royalties from her deceased mother's bank account to Boose.

The high court rejected Boose's argument that he wore only his "attorney hat" in Kentucky, and donned his trustee hat in New York. The court ruled that Boose met the statutory and federal due process standards for personal jurisdiction in Kentucky.

Kern composed more than 800 songs, including "The Way You Look Tonight" and the music for "Showboat."See ruling.

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