Anybody can perform new versions of anybody’s songs at any time.
The only rights involved are about who gets the money in the end.
Now, I have no idea whether DLR could release the original versions himself, but that’s a totally different issue.
That “grin” could get him a plum role in any horror movie.
After having worked with the man at a show,. I can verify the size of his ego.
We had to put a 5 foot barrier between the stage and the crowd just so the people in the front wouldn’t be smothered by it.
He’s funny on stage. Off stage he’s a prick.
Waaaaay back when the VH version first came out, the local radio DJ (KLOL-101.1 FM Houston) had a thing about noting that all of Van Halen’s hits were covers. Of course, we all knew about the Kinks and Roy. But, to prove his point, all thru his shift he did a unique type of 2fer. Every Van Halen hit song he would play would be followed by the original (or much earlier anyways) version. Jump surprised me. It was an old style, twangy as hell, C&W song! (Some might call that Bluegrass.) Anecdotal evidence, sure, and from over two decades ago, but that 2fer really stuck with me.