Fergie, Mary J. Blige fight for radio compensation

To coincide with the Grammy awards, two dozen recording artists signed a petition last week encouraging Congress to pass the Performance Rights Act, which would require radio stations to pay royalties to singers in addition to the songwriters who already get paid.

Sheryl Crow, Dave Matthews, Josh Groban, Fergie and Mary J. Blige are among the singers who signed the petition.

"In speaking with these talented artists, I heard three constant refrains," said Daryl Friedman, vice president of advocacy and government relations for The Recording Academy. "First, their concerns for background singers and musicians and older legacy artists who need to be fairly compensated," he said. "Second, their willingness to sit down with radio to work out a solution; and third, if radio still refuses to talk, their commitment to take the fight to Washington."