Legendary Jamaican producer Wycliffe “Steely” Johnson’s estate is now in the hands of his son, Shea Johnson, following the passing of his daughter, Anika Johnson.
According to court documents obtained by WMV, a motion filed in the United States District Court, Central District of California seeks to formally appoint Shea Johnson as the new representative and executor of the estate after Anika’s passing on November 24, 2023.
Following Steely’s passing in 2009, The Letters of Administration to his estate was granted by the Jamaica Supreme Court on the 7th day of March 2016 to Anika Johnson.
This legal shift comes as Johnson’s estate continues its 4 year battle to reclaim royalties from 1,800 Reggaeton songs in the case filed in 2021 titled Cleveland Constantine Browne, et al. v. Rodney Sebastian Clark Donalds, et al. The lawsuit centers on copyright claims related to Johnson’s musical legacy, particularly the Fish Market Riddim, which he co-created in 1989 with his longtime partner Cleveland “Clevie” Constantine Browne. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have confirmed that Shea Johnson, now the estate’s official executor, is the rightful successor to continue legal proceedings against the three major record labels and publishing companies and several top acts including Bad Bunny, Drake and more on behalf of his late father.
Legal Grounds for the Motion
The motion, filed by attorneys Doniger / Burroughs, is based on Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(a)(1), which allows a court to substitute a deceased party’s legal representative if the claims remain valid. The plaintiffs presented three key reasons why the court should grant the request:
- Timely Filing: The request was submitted within the required 90-day period following Anika Johnson’s passing.
- Active Claims: The copyright infringement claims tied to Wycliffe Johnson’s intellectual property remain enforceable under U.S. copyright law, which allows copyrights to be transferred and inherited.
- Proper Successor: As the legally recognized executor and personal representative of the estate, Shea Johnson is authorized to step into the case in place of his late sister.
Family Agreement on the Executor Role
Johnson’s other children—Daniel Anthony Johnson, a professional footballer based in the U.K.; Shanice Brittney Johnson, a Social Work Clinical Coordinator from Queens, New York; and Cai Lon Johnson, also from the U.K.—have all agreed that Shea Anthony Johnson, a Licensed Property & Auto Appraiser from New York, should serve as the estate’s executor.
In the Amended Oath Of Administration filed in Jamaica’s Supreme Court on September 25, 2024, Shea Johnson stated:
“My siblings have given both verbal and written consent for me to make this application. Filed in this honorable court is a copy of the consent signed by my sister, Shanice Brittney Johnson.”
A hearing on the motion to make Shea represent his father’s estate is scheduled for March 7, 2025, before Judge André Birotte Jr. of the Central District of California. If granted, he will officially take over as the estate’s representative in the Fish Market vs Reggaeton case.
