Lady A, formerly Lady Antebellum, sue blues singer who has performed as Lady A for decades

The newly renamed band allege that Anita White, aka Lady A, had ‘demanded a $10m (£7.9m) payment’

Lady A, the band formerly known as Lady Antebellum, have filed a lawsuit against musician Anita White, who has performed as Lady A for two decades.

In June, the “American Honey” chart-toppers removed the word “Antebellum” from their name because of its links to the slave era, in the wake of widespread re-appraisals of racist traditions following the death of George Floyd.

The move comes as they claim that Anita White’s representatives had “demanded a $10m (£7.9m) payment” over their use of the name.

The Nashville-based trio said their action was intended to obtain a ruling over copyright, and that White would neither be prevented from using the name or be made to pay damages.

The band had registered the name “Lady A” as a trademark back in 2010, and say that they faced no opposition, including from White.

After Lady Antebellum's name change was announced, 61-year-old singer-songwriter White had criticised the band’s decision to change their name, saying: “This is my life. They’re using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time.

"If it mattered, it would have mattered to them before. It shouldn't have taken George Floyd to die for them to realise that their name had a slave reference to it."

However, the band subsequently shared a screenshot of themselves conversing with White over video chat, saying they had engaged in “transparent, honest, and authentic conversations”.

“We are excited to share we are moving forward with positive solutions and common ground,” they wrote. “The hurt is turning into hope. More to come.”

The Independent has contacted Lady A and Anita White for comment.